Editing Vientiane

'''Vientiane''' (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ) is the capital and largest city of [[Lao People's Democratic Republic|Laos]]. It is located on the banks of the [[Mekong|Mekong river]], close to the [[Thailand|Thai]] border.

== History ==
The town was founded during the late 13th century, and in the mid-16th century the capital of the Lao kingdom (a state known as Lan Xang) was moved to Vientiane from its previous traditional location at [[Luang Prabang]]. From 1899 to 1953, with the exception of the [[Empire of Japan (1868–1947)|Japanese occupation]] (1945), Vientiane was in succession the seat of the [[French Republic|French]] governor and the French administrative capital.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Vientiane “Vientiane | History & Facts”] In ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. </ref> The city became the national capital of the newly independent Lao state in 1953.

== References ==
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