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Laos is a landlocked country in mainland Southeast Asia. It covers approximately 236,800 square kilometers and is surrounded by Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
About 70% of its geographic area is made up of mountain ranges, highlands, plateaus, and rivers cut through.
Topography
Most of the western border of Laos is demarcated by the Mekong river, which is an artery for transportation. Elevations are typically above 500 metres with river valleys. City rainfall stations have recorded that Savannakhét averages of rain annually; Vientiane receives about , and Louangphrabang (Luang Prabang) receives about .
Agriculture
5 million out of 23,680,000 hectares of Laos's total land area is suitable for cultivation, and 17% of the land area, between 850,000 and 900,000 hectares, was cultivated as of the 1990s. Rice is a crop grown during the rainy season.
Agricultural cultivation is possible with varying weather on a portion of land area apart from the Vientiane plain and the lowlands along the Mekong Valley. These cultivated areas are situated in the valleys cut by the rivers or the plateau regions of Xieng Khouang in the North and in the Bolavens in the south. Typically there are only two ways to cultivate: either the wet-field paddy system practiced among the Lao Loum or lowland in Lao, or the swidden cultivation system practiced in the hills.
Human geography
The overall population density was 18 persons per square kilometer, and in some districts the density was fewer than 10 persons per square kilometer. Population density per cultivated hectare ranged from 3.3 to 7.8 persons per hectare.
The United Nations Development Programme warns: "Protecting the environment and sustainable use of natural resources in Lao PDR is vital for poverty reduction and economic growth."
Area and boundaries
thumb|The Mekong river at [[Luang Prabang, Laos]]
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