Figure 3. Laos in Its Southeast Asian Setting, 1994

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Figure 4. Topography and Drainage

Laos, a landlocked nation that covers 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula, is surrounded by Burma, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam (see fig. 3). Its location has often made it a buffer between more powerful neighboring states, as well as a crossroads for trade and communication (see Developments in the Nineteenth Century , ch. 1; Foreign Trade , ch. 3). Migration and international conflict have contributed to the present ethnic composition of the country and to the geographic distribution of its ethnic groups.

Data as of July 1994

NOTE: The information regarding Laos on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Laos THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Laos THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.