![]() Satellite view of Laos | |
Continent | Asia |
---|---|
Region | Southeast Asia |
Coordinates | 18°00′N105°00′E / 18.000°N 105.000°E |
Area | Ranked 82nd |
• Total | 236,800 km2 (91,400 sq mi) |
• Land | 97.47% |
• Water | 2.53% |
Borders | Total: 5,274 km (3,277 mi) Vietnam: 2,161 km (1,343 mi) Thailand: 1,845 km (1,146 mi) Cambodia: 555 km (345 mi) China: 475 km (295 mi) Myanmar: 238 km (148 mi) |
Highest point | Phou Bia 2,817 m (9,242 ft) |
Lowest point | Mekong 70 m (230 ft) |
Longest river | Mekong River 1,835 km (1,140 mi) |
Largest lake | Nam Ngum Lake 370 km2 (140 sq mi) |
Climate | Mostly tropical |
Terrain | High mountains, and an upland plateau |
Natural hazards | Droughts, soil erosion |
Laos is a country in and the only landlocked nation in mainland Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand and west of Vietnam. It covers approximately 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
About seventy percent of its geographic area is made up of mountain ranges, highlands, plateaux, and rivers cut through. Historically, its location has often made it a buffer state between more powerful neighboring states, particularly for the ancestral rulers of the modern-day Burmese, Vietnamese and Thais, as well as a crossroads for trade and communication. [1]
Most of the western border of Laos is demarcated by the Mekong river, which is an important artery for transportation. [1] The Dong Falls at the southern end of the country prevent access to the sea, but cargo boats travel along the entire length of the Mekong in Laos during most of the year. [1] Smaller power boats and pirogues provide an important means of transportation on many of the tributaries of the Mekong. [1]
The Mekong has thus not been an obstacle but a facilitator for communication, and the similarities between Laos and northeast Thai society—same people, almost same language—reflect the close contact that has existed across the river for centuries. [1] Also, many Laotians living in the Mekong Valley have relatives and friends in Thailand. [1]
Prior to the twentieth century, Laotian kingdoms and principalities encompassed areas on both sides of the Mekong, and Thai control in the late nineteenth century extended to the left bank. [1] Although the Mekong was established as a border by French colonial forces, travel from one side to the other has been significantly limited only since the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR, or Laos) in 1975. [1]
The eastern border with Vietnam extends for 2,130 kilometres, mostly along the crest of the Annamite Chain, and serves as a physical barrier between the Chinese-influenced culture of Vietnam and the Indianized states of Laos and Thailand. [1] These mountains are sparsely populated by tribal minorities who traditionally have not acknowledged the border with Vietnam any more than lowland Lao have been constrained by the 1,754-kilometre Mekong River border with Thailand. [1] Thus, ethnic minority populations are found on both the Laotian and Vietnamese sides of the frontier. [1] Because of their relative isolation, contact between these groups and lowland Lao has been mostly confined to trading. [1]
Laos shares its short—only 541 kilometres—southern border with Cambodia, and ancient Khmer ruins at Wat Pho and other southern locations attest to the long history of contact between the Lao and the Khmer. [1] In the north, the country is bounded by a mountainous 423-kilometre border with China and shares the 235-kilometre-long Mekong River border with Myanmar. [1]
The topography of Laos is largely mountainous, with the Annamite Range in the northeast and east and the Luang Prabang Range in the northwest, among other ranges typically characterized by steep terrain. [2] Elevations are typically above 500 metres with narrow river valleys and low agricultural potential. [2] This mountainous landscape extends across most of the north of the country, except for the plain of Vientiane and the Plain of Jars in the Xiangkhoang Plateau. [2]
The southern "panhandle" of the country contains large level areas in Savannakhét and Champasak provinces that are well suited for extensive paddy rice cultivation and livestock raising. [2] Much of Khammouan Province and the eastern part of all the southern provinces are mountainous. [2] Together, the alluvial plains and terraces of the Mekong and its tributaries cover only about 20% of the land area. [2]
Only about 4% of the total land area is classified as arable. [2] The forested land area has declined significantly since the 1970s as a result of commercial logging and expanded swidden, or slash-and-burn, farming. [2]
Laos has a tropical climate, with a pronounced rainy season from May through October, a cool dry season from November through February, and a hot dry season in March and April. [2] Generally, monsoons occur at the same time across the country, although that time may vary significantly from one year to the next. [2]
Rainfall varies regionally, with the highest amounts—3,700 millimeters (150 inches) annually—recorded on the Bolovens Plateau in Champasak Province. [3] City rainfall stations have recorded that Savannakhét averages 1,440 millimeters (57 inches) of rain annually; Vientiane receives about 1,700 millimeters (67 inches), and Louangphrabang (Luang Prabang) receives about 1,360 millimeters (54 inches). [2]
Rainfall is not always adequate for rice cultivation and the relatively high average precipitation conceals years where rainfall may be only half or less of the norm, causing significant declines in rice yields. [2] Such droughts often are regional, leaving production in other parts of the country unaffected. [2]
The average temperatures in January, coolest month, are, Luang Prabang 20.5 °C (minimum 0.8 °C), Vientiane 20.3 °C (minimum 3.3 °C), and Pakse 23.9 °C (minimum 7.8 °C); the average temperatures for April, usually the hottest month, are, Luang Prabang 28.1 °C (maximum 44.8 °C), Vientiane 42.5 °C. Temperature does vary according to the altitude, there is an average drop of 1.7 °C for every 1000 feet (or 300 meters). Temperatures in the upland plateux and in the mountains are considered lower than on the plains around Vientiane. [4]
Laos is highly vulnerable to the effects of global climate change; nearly all provinces in Laos are at high risks from climate change. [5]
Climate data for Vientiane (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 36.0 (96.8) | 38.0 (100.4) | 40.0 (104.0) | 41.4 (106.5) | 42.5 (108.5) | 39.5 (103.1) | 39.0 (102.2) | 37.2 (99.0) | 37.5 (99.5) | 36.8 (98.2) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.0 (96.8) | 42.5 (108.5) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.7 (83.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 33.1 (91.6) | 34.6 (94.3) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 30.1 (86.2) | 28.3 (82.9) | 31.1 (88.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.1 (80.8) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 24.8 (76.6) | 22.2 (72.0) | 26.3 (79.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 19.6 (67.3) | 22.1 (71.8) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 20.5 (68.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 22.4 (72.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) | 7.6 (45.7) | 10.0 (50.0) | 16.8 (62.2) | 19.0 (66.2) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 20.6 (69.1) | 18.8 (65.8) | 12.9 (55.2) | 8.9 (48.0) | 5.0 (41.0) | 3.3 (37.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 7.8 (0.31) | 15.3 (0.60) | 39.2 (1.54) | 92.8 (3.65) | 233.5 (9.19) | 264.6 (10.42) | 307.2 (12.09) | 332.9 (13.11) | 270.2 (10.64) | 96.6 (3.80) | 13.5 (0.53) | 3.7 (0.15) | 1,677.2 (66.03) |
Average rainy days | 1.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 16.0 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 22.0 | 17.0 | 9.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 122.0 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 68 | 66 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 78 | 72 | 70 | 75 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 239.8 | 216.9 | 218.5 | 227.6 | 195.3 | 140.8 | 129.9 | 133.0 | 165.9 | 210.5 | 228.5 | 246.6 | 2,353.5 |
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization, [6] Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes 1907–1990), [7] Pogoda.ru.net, [8] tutiempo.net [9] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (humidity 1961–1990) [10] |
Climate data for Pakse (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 36.7 (98.1) | 37.8 (100.0) | 38.9 (102.0) | 40.8 (105.4) | 41.3 (106.3) | 38.3 (100.9) | 38.2 (100.8) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.7 (98.1) | 36.7 (98.1) | 36.6 (97.9) | 41.3 (106.3) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.5 (92.3) | 35.1 (95.2) | 35.5 (95.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.3 (90.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.6 (78.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.2 (79.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 27.6 (81.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.8 (78.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 23.0 (73.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | 7.8 (46.0) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.8 (55.0) | 19.8 (67.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 13.9 (57.0) | 8.9 (48.0) | 7.8 (46.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 1.5 (0.06) | 10.4 (0.41) | 26.5 (1.04) | 67.3 (2.65) | 229.6 (9.04) | 351.3 (13.83) | 414.6 (16.32) | 504.6 (19.87) | 308.2 (12.13) | 128.9 (5.07) | 25.3 (1.00) | 2.2 (0.09) | 2,070.6 (81.52) |
Average rainy days | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 138 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 62 | 60 | 59 | 65 | 75 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 79 | 72 | 67 | 72.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 274.5 | 243.9 | 244.5 | 227.1 | 202.0 | 145.0 | 142.2 | 126.6 | 141.2 | 188.3 | 225.7 | 249.3 | 2,410.4 |
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization, [11] tutiempo.net [12] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (humidity 1961–1990), [13] Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes), [14] The Yearbook of Indochina (1932-1933) [15] |
Agriculture in Laos is the most important sector of the economy. [16] Five million out of 23,680,000 hectares of Laos's total land area is suitable for cultivation, and seventeen percent of the land area, between 850,000 and 900,000 hectares, was cultivated as of the early 1990s. [17] Rice is the main crop grown during the rainy season. [18]
Agricultural cultivation is possible during with varying weather on a small portion of land area apart from the Vientiane plain and the lowlands along the Mekong Valley. These cultivated areas are situated in the valley cuts by the rivers or the plateau regions of Xieng Khouang in the North and in the Bolovens in the south. Typically there are only two ways to cultivate: either the wet-field paddy system practiced among the Lao Loum or lowland in Lao, or the swidden cultivation system practiced in the hills. [19]
The overall population density was only eighteen persons per square kilometer, and in many districts the density was fewer than ten persons per square kilometer. [20] Population density per cultivated hectare was considerably high ranging from 3.3 to 7.8 persons per hectare. [20]
The natural resources of Laos include timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, and gemstones. [21] Laos is increasingly suffering from environmental problems, with deforestation a particularly significant issue, [22] as expanding commercial exploitation of the forests, plans for additional hydroelectric facilities, foreign demand for wild animals and nonwood forest products for food and traditional medicines, and a growing population all create increasing pressure. [23]
The United Nations Development Programme warns: "Protecting the environment and sustainable use of natural resources in Lao PDR is vital for poverty reduction and economic growth." [24]
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. At the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, Laos is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vientiane.
Evidence of modern human presence in the northern and central highlands of Indochina, which constitute the territories of the modern Laotian nation-state, dates back to the Lower Paleolithic. These earliest human migrants are Australo-Melanesians—associated with the Hoabinhian culture—and have populated the highlands and the interior, less accessible regions of Laos and all of Southeast Asia to this day. The subsequent Austroasiatic and Austronesian marine migration waves affected landlocked Laos only marginally, and direct Chinese and Indian cultural contact had a greater impact on the country.
This article concerns the systems of transportation in Laos. Laos is a country in Asia, which possesses a number of modern transportation systems, including several highways and a number of airports. As a landlocked country, Laos possesses no ports or harbours on the sea, and the difficulty of navigation on the Mekong means that this is also not a significant transport route.
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and a drainage area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through Southwest China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult. Even so, the river is a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in the 2000s through the 2020s has caused serious problems for the river's ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought.
Lan Xang or Lancang was a Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's national historic and cultural identity.
Luang Phabang, or Louangphabang, commonly transliterated into Western languages from the pre-1975 Lao spelling ຫຼວງພຣະບາງ as Luang Prabang, literally meaning "Royal Buddha Image", is a city in north central Laos, consisting of 58 adjacent villages, of which 33 comprise the UNESCO Town of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site. It was listed in 1995 for unique and "remarkably" well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, a blend of the rural and urban developments over several centuries, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Pakse is the capital and most populous city of the southern Laotian province of Champasak. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, the district had a population of approximately 77,900 at the 2015 Laotian census. Pakse was the capital of the Kingdom of Champasak until it was unified with the rest of Laos in 1946.
The flag of Laos consists of three horizontal stripes, with the middle stripe in blue being twice the height of the top and bottom red stripes. In the middle is a white disc, the diameter of the disc is 4⁄5 the height of the blue stripe. The flag ratio is 2:3.
Laos developed its culture and customs as the inland crossroads of trade and migration in Southeast Asia over millennia. As of 2012 Laos has a population of roughly 6.4 million spread over 236,800 km2, yielding one of the lowest population densities in Asia. Yet the country of Laos has an official count of over forty-seven ethnicities divided into 149 sub-groups and 80 different languages. The Lao Loum have throughout the country's history comprised the ethnic and linguistic majority. In Southeast Asia, traditional Lao culture is considered one of the Indic cultures.
The French protectorate of Laos was a French protectorate in Southeast Asia of what is today Laos between 1893 and 1953—with a brief interregnum as a Japanese puppet state in 1945—which constituted part of French Indochina. It was established over the Siamese vassal, the Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, following the Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893. It was integrated into French Indochina and in the following years further Siamese vassals, the Principality of Phuan and Kingdom of Champasak, were annexed into it in 1899 and 1904, respectively.
The Catholic Church in Laos is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is officially recognized by the government.
Christianity is a minority religion in Laos.
Theravada Buddhism is the largest and dominant religion in Laos. Theravada Buddhism is central to Lao cultural identity. The national symbol of Laos is the That Luang stupa, a stupa with a pyramidal base capped by the representation of a closed lotus blossom which was built to protect relics of the Buddha. It is practiced by 66% of the population. Almost all ethnic or "lowland" Lao are followers of Theravada Buddhism; however, they constitute only 40-50% of the population. The remainder of the population belongs to at least 48 distinct ethnic minority groups. Most of these ethnic groups are practitioners of Tai folk religions, with beliefs that vary greatly among groups.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos. Comprising the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture, the city is located on the banks of the Mekong, right at the border with Thailand. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic center of Laos. The city had a population of 1,001,477 as of the 2023 Census.
The Kingdom of Vientiane was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. The kingdom was a Burmese vassal from 1765 to 1779. It then became a Siamese vassal until 1828 when it was annexed by Siam.
Saiyabuli province is a province in northwest Laos. Saiyabuli town is the capital of the province. Saiyabuli is the only Lao province that is completely west of the Mekong River.
Luang Prabang is a province in northern Laos. Its capital of the same name, Luang Prabang, was the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom during the 13th to 16th centuries. It is listed since 1995 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for unique architectural, religious and cultural heritage, a blend of the rural and urban developments over several centuries, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. The province has 12 districts. The Royal Palace, the national museum in the capital city, and the Phou Loei Protected Reserve are important sites. Notable temples in the province are the Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Wisunarat, Wat Sen, Wat Xieng Muan, and Wat Manorom. The Lao New Year is celebrated in April as The Bun Pi Mai.
The geology of Laos includes poorly defined oldest rocks. Marine conditions persisted for much of the Paleozoic and parts of the Mesozoic, followed by periods of uplift and erosion. The country has extensive salt, gypsum and potash, but very little hydrocarbons and limited base metals.
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