Lannion

Lannion, a town in the French dep. of Cotes-du-Nord, on the Guer, 69 miles by rail ENE. of Brest. Pop. 5593.

Lansdown

Lansdown, a hill (813 feet) to the north of Bath, commanding a prospect of exceptional beauty. Lansdown Tower (130 feet) was built by Beckford, and 2 miles beyond, on 5th July 1643, Waller's entrenchments were stormed by the Cornish royalists. On the spot where Sir Bevil Grenville fell Lord Lansdowne raised a monument in 1723.

Lansing

Lansing, the capital (since 1847) of Michigan, on the Grand River, 85 miles WNW. of Detroit, at the meeting-point of four railways. It contains the state capitol, library, agricultural college, a school for the blind, several manufactories, etc. Pop. 17,000.

Lansingburg

Lansingburg, a village of New York, annexed to the city of Troy in 1901. It contains an Augustinian priory, and has extensive manufactures of brushes and oilcloth.

Laodicea

Laodicea, a name given to several cities - eight at least can be distinguished - founded or rebuilt by the Seleucid rulers of Syria; it is adapted from Laodice, a favourite name for the female relatives of these sovereigns. The most famous, situated 2 miles from the river Lycus in Phrygia, is now a heap of ruins, known as Eski-Hissar. One of the Seven Churches of Asia, it was stigmatised as lukewarm (Rev. iii. 16), but was the scene of great church councils in 363 and 476. - For another Laodicea, see Latakia.

Laon

Laon (La'ong), chief town of the French dep. of Aisne, is situated on a steep isolated hill (594 feet), 87 miles by rail NE. of Paris. Occupying a naturally strong position, it has been a fortress since the 5th century, was capital of the kings of the West Franks, and from 515 to 1790 was the seat of a bishop. The Gothic 12th-century cathedral, and the bishop's palace (now a law-court), still remain. The inhabitants are noted market-gardeners. At Laon, in March 1814, Napoleon was repulsed by Blucher and Bulow; and it surrendered to a German force on 9th September 1870, when the explosion of the powder-magazine by a French soldier cost 500 lives. Pop. 12,000.

Laos

Laos. See Shan States.

La Paz

La Paz, (1) a dep. of Bolivia, bordering on Peru; area, 171,200 sq. m. ; pop. 646,139. - The capital, La Paz, lies in a valley 11,952 feet above the sea, 42 miles SE. of Lake Titicaca. It is from time to time (as in 1893) capital also of the whole country. It has a handsome but unfinished cathedral, and a trade in copper, alpaca wool, cinchona, etc. Pop. 50,000. - (2) A town of Argentina, on the Parana, 530 miles by river N. by W. of Buenos Ayres. Pop. 9800.

Lapland is a collective name for the extensive region (Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Russian) in the north of Europe that is inhabited by the Lapps, who belong to the Ural-Altaic stock. N. it is bounded by the Arctic Ocean, NW. by the Atlantic, E. by the White Sea. The total Lapp pop. is about 28,000 - 18,000 in Norway, 7000 in Sweden, 800 in Finland, and 2000 in Russia.