| Geography | Laos |
= Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
|
|
|
|
|
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: Phu Bia 2,817 m |
Natural resources:
 | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones |
Land use:
 | arable land: 4.01% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
 | 3,000 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
 | 333.6 cu km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
 | 51,504 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
 | total: 3 cu km/yr (4%/6%/90%) per capita: 507 cu m/yr (2000) |
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 |
|
= Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
|