Laos

C

Plant and Animal Life

When Laos gained independence in 1953, about 70 percent of the land area was forested. Since then logging and slash-and-burn agriculture have reduced that to 70 percent. Forests are broadly of two kinds: dense tropical rain forests of broadleaf evergreens, and more open, mixed forests of evergreens and deciduous trees. The forests form a habitat for a great variety of animal life, including elephants and tigers, which are both threatened with extinction in the wild; several species of deer; pangolins (scaled anteaters); large rodents; snakes; and lizards.

III

Environmental Concerns

Many of Laos’s environmental problems are related to the country’s rapid loss of natural forests. Commercial logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, fuelwood gathering, and population growth have contributed to the deforestation. The widespread clearing of trees has caused soil erosion, and the resulting silt accumulation in waterways and irrigation channels has polluted water resources. Deforestation is the most serious threat to wildlife habitats in Laos. Illegal animal poaching and commerce in the exotic meats market also threaten several animal species. In 2004, 91 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish were designated as threatened in the country.

The government has enacted legislation to protect wildlife and has established a number of natural heritage areas, but enforcement is limited. Officially, 18.8 percent (2003) of Laos’s total land area is protected.

A

Natural Resources

For centuries Laos’s most valuable resource has been its forests. They not only provide valuable timbers, such as teak, ironwood, and mahogany, but also serve as a source of forest products such as benzoin (used in making perfumes) and sticklac (used in varnish). Laos has substantial deposits of several minerals, including coal, limestone, and gypsum. There is also small-scale tin mining in central Laos. Agricultural resources are limited by the amount of arable land (only some 4 percent of total land area), but coffee is grown on the Bolovens Plateau, and pasturelands support a growing cattle industry. Laos also has plans to construct more dams in order to exploit its enormous potential for hydroelectric power.

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B

Climate

Laos has a tropical monsoon climate, with a summer rainy season from May to October followed by a cool dry period from November to February, and a hotter dry period in March and April. Wide variations in temperature are due more to differences in elevation than to seasonal change. Temperatures range from as high as 40°C (104°F) in the Mekong lowlands in April to as low as 5°C (41°F) in the mountains in winter. In Vientiane, temperatures vary from an average of 29°C (84°F) in April to 22°C (72° F) in January. Rainfall varies regionally but averages about 1,780 mm (about 70 in) annually.

IV

Population and Society

Laos has a population of 6,521,998 (2007 estimate), yielding a population density of 28 people per sq km (73 per sq mi). The population is increasing rapidly at a rate of 2.37 percent per year. Births, at 35 per 1,000, significantly exceed deaths, at 11 per 1,000, while life expectancy at birth is 56 years. These trends have created a youthful nation: More than 45 percent of Laos’s people are under the age of 15. If the current rate of growth continues, Laos will have a population of nearly 10 million by the year 2025. About one-quarter of Laos’s people live in mountainous regions. The rest live in upland valleys or on the flood plains of the Mekong and its tributaries. Just over three-quarters of the population live in rural areas, although the proportion of people living in urban areas is steadily increasing.

Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos. Louangphrabang, the former royal capital, is an increasingly popular tourist destination. Other major cities are the regional capitals of Savannakhét in central Laos and Pakxé in the south.

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