Geography
Laos
Area
land
230,800 sq km
water
6,000 sq km
total
236,800 sq km
Climate
tropical monsoon climate; wet season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Terrain
predominantly mountainous terrain; some areas consist of plains and plateaus
Land use
other
33.3% (2023 est.)
forest
56.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
9.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 5.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Location
Located in Southeast Asia, to the northeast of Thailand and to the west of Vietnam
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
lowest point
Mekong River 70 m
highest point
Phu Bia 2,817 m
mean elevation
710 m
Irrigated land
4,410 sq km (2022)
Map references
Southeast Asia
Land boundaries
total
5,274 km
border countries
Borders with Burma extend 238 km; Cambodia 555 km; China 475 km; Thailand 1,845 km; Vietnam 2,161 km
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
experiences floods and droughts
Geography - note
a landlocked nation; characterized by extensive mountainous regions and dense forests; the Mekong River constitutes a significant portion of the western frontier with Thailand
Natural resources
resources include timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, and gemstones
Area - comparative
approximately twice the area of Pennsylvania; marginally larger than Utah
Geographic coordinates
18 00 N, 105 00 E
Population distribution
the most densely populated region is centered around the capital, Vientiane; substantial populations are mainly situated along the Mekong River on the southwestern border; in general, population density is regarded as one of the lowest within Southeast Asia
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Pacific Ocean drainage
Mekong (805,604 sq km)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Mènam Khong (Mekong) (shared with China [s], Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam [m]) - 4,350 km
note: [s] denotes river source; [m] indicates river mouth