Just under half the people are ethnic Lao, the principal lowland inhabitants and politically and culturally dominant group. The Lao are descendent from the Thai people who migrated southward from China in the 13th century. In the central and southern mountains, Mon-Khmer tribes predominate. Some Vietnamese and Chinese minorities remain, particularly in towns, but most have left since 1975. The predominant religion is Theravada Buddhism.
Animism is common particularly among the mountain tribes.
Buddhism and spirit worship coexist easily. The official and dominant language is Lao, a tonal language of the Thai linguistic group. French, once common in government and commerce, has declined with the departure of many former government officials. The first recorded history of the Lao begins with King Fa Ngum, by legend the 23rd successor of Khoun Lo, who first united Laos in 1353. He also established Buddhism as the state religion.