Laos is the only landlocked country in southeast Asia that stretches 1000 km north to south and is covered with a spiderweb of rivers and high, sloping hills, mainly in the eastern part of the country. Mountains and plateaus cover over 70% of the terrain and only about 8% of the land is arable, yet it supports 85% of the population who engage in subsistence farming.
Laos shares borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar. It covers 236,800 sq.km, an area slightly larger than Great Britain.
The Mekong River, which forms the country's borders with Myanmar and Thailand and it flows 1800 km through Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and into the South China Sea. All rivers and tributaries in the country flow to the Mekong River.
The highest mountain in Laos is Phou Bia (Bia mountain) in Xiengkhouang province, the highest is at 3000 meters.
Most of the major cities are located on the western side of the country.
See maps: Laos SE-Asia
