Laos vs. Thailand
Geography
| Laos | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 15 00 N, 100 00 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Southeast Asia |
| Area | total: 236,800 sq km land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km | total: 513,120 sq km land: 510,890 sq km water: 2,230 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah | about three times the size of Florida; slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,274 km border countries (5): Burma 238 km, Cambodia 555 km, China 475 km, Thailand 1845 km, Vietnam 2161 km | total: 5,673 km border countries (4): Burma 2416 km, Cambodia 817 km, Laos 1845 km, Malaysia 595 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 3,219 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Phu Bia 2,817 m lowest point: Mekong River 70 m mean elevation: 710 m | highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m mean elevation: 287 m |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 10.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 6.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.7% (2018 est.) forest: 67.9% (2018 est.) other: 21.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 41.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 30.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 8.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 1.6% (2018 est.) forest: 37.2% (2018 est.) other: 21.6% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,100 sq km (2012) | 64,150 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts |
| Environment - current issues | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; water pollution, most of the population does not have access to potable water | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; water scarcity; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting; hazardous waste disposal |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands 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 | controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore; ideas for the construction of a canal across the Kra Isthmus that would create a bypass to the Strait of Malacca and shorten shipping times around Asia continue to be discussed |
| Total renewable water resources | 333.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 438.61 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most densely populated area is in and around the capital city of Vientiane; large communities are primarily found along the Mekong River along the southwestern border; overall density is considered one of the lowest in Southeast Asia | highest population density is found in and around Bangkok; significant population clusters found througout large parts of the country, particularly north and northeast of Bangkok and in the extreme southern region of the country |
Source: CIA Factbook
