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South-Laos
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Plain of Jars (North-Laos)
Tropical rainforest
South-Laos
South-Laos
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The
Nature of Laos
Laos has rich vegetation, mainly tropical rainforest.
Tropical rainforest consists of a top canopy of hardwood trees like
dipterocarps that can reach 30m high. The middle canopy consists of smaller
trees such as teak and Asian rosewood. The undergrowth is bamboo, smaller
trees, shrubs and grasses. Tropical palms and orchids are common, as are a
variety of tropical fruit trees.
Parts of the Annamite chain are covered with tropical
evergreen forest, where rainfall is highest and in the south, tropical pine
forests can be found.
Laos has a large number of animal species, including
as many as 500 different birds. Reptiles include many snakes, including king
cobras. There are a large number of lizards, from the small ghekos to 2m long
monitor lizards. Mammals include wild cats, bears, leopards and tigers. There
are up to 500 wild elephants in Laos, although more than twice that number
are in captivity. There are a number of rare species in Laos which
which include rhinos and wild cattle.
The People
of Laos
There are 68 official ethnic groups in Laos,
belonging to three main groups. Lao Loum - Lao, or
Lao Loum consists of about half of the poulation. The Lao Loum or lowland lao
people live in the Mekong river valley and its tributaries. The Lao Loum
cultivate and eat wet, or sticky rice, and generally practice Theravada
Buddhism. Lao Loum are a subgroup of the Austro-Thai people and speak the Lao
language. The Lao Loum women wear the traditional sinh - the wraparound
sarong. Lao Tai are closely related to the Lao Loum and are officially
classified in that group. The Lao Tai are more tribal than the Lao Loum and
cultivate both wet rice and dry mountain rice. Lao Tai traditionally practice
slash and burn agricultural methods. The Lao Tai on the whole have not
converted to either Christianity or Buddhism and retain their animist
beliefs. Lao Tai are further subdivided into sub groups by the colour of
their traditional clothing, ie Black, White, Red Tai.
Lao Theung are the largest hilltribe group, with 45
subgroups. The Lao Theeung are semi nomadic and of Mon-Khmer origin. They
live on mountain slopes, between 300 and 900m altitude and practice slash and
burn agriculture. The Khamu subgroup is found in the north and grow mountain
rice, cotton, coffee and tobacco. The Tin subgroup is found in Sayabouli
province - they are hunters and do not use metal tools, using only wood and
bamboo. The Akha and Alak subgroups live in the south in the Boloven plateau.
Lao Sung or High Lao live in the high mountains of
the north. Main groups are the Hmong and the Mien. Hmong are divided into
Black, Red, White and Striped, according to their clothing. The Hmong raise
cattle, pigs and chickens and generally survive on a barter economy. The Mien
have a similar language to the Hmong and are known for their silver craftsmanship.
Smaller hilltribe groups include the Lisu, Lahu and Lolo.
As well as the four main groups, Laos also has a
number of Chinese, mainly living in the cities as well as ethnic Vietnamese,
Cambodians, Burmese and Thai. In Vientiane there are also a small number of
southern Asians.
Geography
and Climate
Laos is landlocked and lies between Thailand,
Myanmar, China, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Mekong River forms the
country's western border and the Annamite mountains form its eastern border
with Vietnam. The total land area is approximately 237,000 sq km - an
area similar to that of the United Kingdom. The main features of the
country are its mountains and the Mekong River valley.
The Mekong River and its 15 tributaries make up a
total of 2,400 km of waterways, but only about one third of these are
navigable. 70% of the country is mountainous. In the south, the
Annamite mountains reach 2,600m in height. The Khammouanne plateau in
the centre of the range is mass of limestone karst. At the south of the
range is the Bolaven Plateau. The north of Laos is made of steep
sloped mountain ranges with the highest mountain in the country at 2820m in
Xiang Khouang province. Over half of Laos is forest.
Laos has a monsoon climate of a dry and a wet season.
The dry season lasts from November to May with the cooler period in December
and January. At its coldest, the temperatures can fall to as low as 15
deg C. The cold periods tend to be at night and early morning with
colder temperatures at higher altitudes. During the hot period of the
dry season, between March and May, temperatures can reach the high 30s.
The rainy season is a lot cooler, and rainfall varies according to
altitude. Generally speaking, the monsoon season produces severe rain
that lasts for short periods of time. The wet months vary according to
location, in Vientiane, they are from May to September, in Luang Prabang,
August is far wetter than any other month.
All the
photos on this site are made by R.A. Notebaart
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