Laos' Geography | Laos Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates: 18 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references: Southeast Asia

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 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 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 note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 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

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

Facts, Flags, Maps for all the world's countries

The information here has been derived from Public Domain Sources such as the CIA World Factbook. No liability can be taken for any inaccuracies. You can use the maps, flags and facts presented here however you choose.