|
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
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 230,800 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: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 96.3% (1998 est.)
|
|
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; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand
|
