Laos Habitat Guide

Laos is one of Asia’s landlocked countries- it shares borders with many of South Asia’s countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar. The country is one of Asia’s smaller nations, and is dominated by mountains and rivers- the longest and most important river being the Mekong. The Mekong is the major waterway- in terms of river transport- for the country, and its fertile river plains provide the basis for much of the country’s agriculture.

Around three-fourths of the country is mountain territory- nearly half of Laos’ length is covered by the Annamite Chain of mountains, which have an average height of about 2500 m, and are bounded at one end by the Bolaven Plateau.

Although Laos is still quite thickly forested despite heavy shelling during the past years- the country has the rather sad distinction of being the most-bombed nation in the history of warfare, illegal timber activities, deforestation, shifting agriculture and pollution are taking their toll on the country’s environment.

Flora and Fauna

Laos remains one of the most thickly forested countries in South East Asia, with nearly half the land area being covered with primary forests and another quarter or so with secondary forest. The vegetation is largely that of typical monsoon forests- teak, Asian rosewood, and bamboo are some of the principal species. A number of cash crops are grown- rice, tobacco, tea and coffee are some of the main exports of Laos.

Because of Laos’ rich forest cover, its wildlife is also quite unspoilt. Not only does the country have a number of species not found elsewhere, it also has them in considerably high numbers. Native species include the raccoon dog, the snub-nosed Langur, the lesser panda, the Concolour Gibbon, the Javan mongoose, tigers, leopard cats, and Javan rhinos. The country has 17 Biodiversity Conservation Areas, where an effort is being made to ensure that these species remain intact, at least in some places.