 Geography |
Laos is landlocked and lies between Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam
and Cambodia. The Mekong River forms the country's western border
and the Annamite mountains form its eastern border with Vietnam.
The total land area is approximately 237,000 sq km - an area similar
to that of the United Kingdom. The main features of the country
are its mountains and the Mekong River valley.
The Mekong River and its 15 tributaries make up a total of 2,400
km of waterways, but only about one third of these are navigable.
70% of the country is mountainous. In the south, the Annamite mountains
reach 2,600m in height. The Khammouanne plateau in the centre of
the range is mass of limestone karst. At the south of the range
is the Bolaven Plateau. The north of Laos is made of steep sloped
mountain ranges with the highest mountain in the country at 2820m
in Xiang Khouang province. Over half of Laos is forest.
| Climate |
Map showing average annual rainfall in mm
Laos has a monsoon climate of a dry and a wet season. The dry season
lasts from November to May with the cooler period in December and
January. At its coldest, the temperatures can fall to as low as
15 deg C. The cold periods tend to be at night and early morning
with colder temperatures at higher altitudes. During the hot period
of the dry season, between March and May, temperatures can reach
the high 30s. The rainy season is a lot cooler, and rainfall varies
according to altitude. Generally speaking, the monsoon season produces
severe rain that lasts for short periods of time. The wet months
vary according to location, in Vientiane, they are from May to September,
in Luang Prabang, August is far wetter than any other month.
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