Lao or Laotian Geography, Laos Geography
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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
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The information here has been derived from Public Domain Sources such as the CIA World Factbook. No liability can be taken for any inaccuracies.
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