Laos Geography:
Location:
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
18 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
236,800 sq km
land:
230,800 sq km
water:
6,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand (est.) 1754 km, Vietnam 2130 km
Coastline:
0 km landlocked
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain:
Mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m
Natural resources:
Timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use:
arable land: 3.8%
permanent crops: 0.35%
other: 95.85%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
1,640 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Floods, droughts
Environment - current issues:
Unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand |
