Page last updated on January 28, 2014

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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 84
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
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Phu Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use:
arable land: 5.91%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 93.67% (2011)

Irrigated land:
3,100 sq km (2005)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
333.5 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.49 cu km/yr (4%/5%/91%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 588.9 cu m/yr (2005)

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