Laos vs. Cambodia
Geography
| Laos | Cambodia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 00 N, 105 00 E | 13 00 N, 105 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: 181,035 sq km land: 176,515 sq km water: 4,520 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Utah | one and a half times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oklahoma |
| 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: 2,530 km border countries (3): Laos 555 km, Thailand 817 km, Vietnam 1158 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 443 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus | mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Phu Bia 2,817 m lowest point: Mekong River 70 m mean elevation: 710 m | highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m mean elevation: 126 m |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones | oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, 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: 32.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 8.5% (2018 est.) forest: 56.5% (2018 est.) other: 11.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 3,100 sq km (2012) | 3,540 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | floods, droughts | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional 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 | illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, most of the population does not have access to potable water; declining fish stocks because of illegal fishing and overfishing; coastal ecosystems choked by sediment washed loose from deforested areas inland |
| 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, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| 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 | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap (Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake) |
| Total renewable water resources | 333.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 476.1 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 | population concentrated in the southeast, particularly in and around the capital of Phnom Penh; further distribution is linked closely to the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers |
Source: CIA Factbook
