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| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | | | Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | | | Zone | Asia | | | Area | total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km | | | 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 | | | Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | | | Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | | | Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | | | Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | | | Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m | | | Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | | | Irrigated land | 0 km (landlocked) | | | 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 | |
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