AN OVERVIEW OF LAOS

Carvings in Laos

The Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Laos is located in the center of Indochina, sharing borders with China to the North (416 kilometers), Myanmar to Northwest (236 kilometers), Thailand to the West (1,835 kilometers), Cambodia to the South (492 kilometers) and Vietnam to the East (1,957 kilometers).

With a total area of 236,800 square kilometers, around 70% of Laos' terrain is mountainous, reaching a maximum elevation of 2,820 meters in Xieng Khouang Province. The landscapes of northern Laos and the regions adjacent to Vietnam, in particular, are dominated by rough mountains.

The Mekong River is the main geographical feature in the west and, in fact, forms a natural border with Thailand in some areas. The Mekong flows through nearly 1,900 kilometers of Lao territory and shapes much of the lifestyle of the people of Laos. In the South the Mekong reaches a breadth of 20 kilometers, creating an area with thousands of islands.

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