Khao
 Flag | |
| Anthem: Tongboman Chanjin (national) Arise, Compatriots! | |
| Map of Khao in Namor Map of Khao in Namor | |
| Map of Khao Map of Khao | |
| Capital and largest city | Ngam |
| Official languages | Khao Namorese |
| Religion | Buddhism, Txoism, local folk religion |
| Demonym(s) | Khao |
| Government | Autonomous republic of Namor |
| Establishment | |
• Autonomous Republic | NMR 2290 |
| Population | |
• Census | 5,626,295 (13th largest in Namor) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +340 |
The Autonomous Republic of Khao (Khao: ເອກະລາດສາທາລະນະຂອງເຂົ້າ tr. Ekalad Sathalana Khong Khao Namorese: Као Чиджигука tr. Kao Chijiguka) is an autonomous republic of Namor situated in the northeastern part of the country, bordering the East Namor Sea on the east, Arra on the north and west and Tuhao on the south. It is mostly inhabited by Khao people, one of Namor's major ethnic groups.
Khao was first inhabited by proto-Khaoic peoples who spread apart, with some remaining in Khao to become the modern Khao people. In the 11th century NMR, Khao was absorbed into Tuhao, although the local clans retained significant autonomy. After the collapse of the Hào dynasty, Khao gained de facto independence while recognizing the suzerainty of the new Namorese government. The clash of Namorese and Chorean interests over Khao resulted in the outbreak of the Namo-Chorean War in NMR 2275. In retribution for Khao support for Chorea during the war, Namor abolished the Khao monarchy after Chorea surrendered in NMR 2284.
Administrative divisions
| Map of Khao | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefecture | Khao script | Namorese name | Prefectural seat |
| Ngam | ງາມ | N/A | |
| Phakhen | ພາກເຫນ | Ban Thale | |
| Phaktai | ພາກໃຕ້ | Dab | |
| Samliam | ສາມລ່ຽມ | Nakhon Phaktai | |
| Tavantok | ຕະວັນຕົກ | Meuong Falan | |
Society
Ethnic groups
Most of Khao's population belong to the Khao ethnicity. Khao people are the sixth largest ethnic group in Namor, making up 0.8% of the national population. A majority of Khao are concentrated in the autonomous republic of Khao and in the neighboring regions of Tuhao and Arra.
The Khao are part of the Khaoic peoples - a collection of ethnic groups that speak languages belonging to the Tai-Kadai family. Thus, the Khao are considered to be closely related with Kaonese and Toksanese.
Khao society is highly tribal. It consists of clans whose sizes vary from 50 to 200 people. Members of a clan have been expected to place their loyalty to the clan above anything else. This mentality has led to many feuds between clans in Khao history; some of these feuds were manifested through violence. Lately, the influence of clans has greatly diminished, although many Khao are still identified by the clan to which they belong. Modern clans provide financial assistance, legal protection and other benefits to their members.
Tuhaoese people are the largest minority group in Khao, followed by Kannei Namorese and Choreans.
Religion
Khao is a predominantly Buddhist region with the highest proportion of Buddhists in Namor. 69 percent of the population identify as exclusively Buddhists, while the remaining 31 percent practice some form of local folk religion or are nonreligious. The majority-Buddhist population in Khao, coupled with the role Buddhism has played in Khao history, led many to identify Khao as the center of Buddhism in Namor.
Since antiquity, the Bolisud ("purity") sect has been the largest Buddhist denomination in Khao. The Ophthi (ໂພທິ, incarnation) is the supreme leader of the sect, while below him are the priests, abbots, monks and regular followers. The Ophthi is believed to be the reincarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and the ultimate intermediary between believers and the heavens, as well as the various clans. Throughout Khao history, the Ophthi has wielded significant power in Khao society.