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186<br />
LAOS IN DEPTH<br />
9<br />
ART & ARCHITECTURE<br />
liberalizing in terms <strong>of</strong> economic freedom<br />
and making the country more open, while<br />
still keeping an iron grip on political<br />
power. Close relations with Vietnam have<br />
been maintained but have become more<br />
balanced by a closer relationship with the<br />
<strong>Laos</strong> is a landlocked nation that covers<br />
236,800 sq. km (92,352 sq. miles),<br />
roughly the size <strong>of</strong> the state <strong>of</strong> Utah or<br />
Great Britain. <strong>The</strong> country is divided into<br />
16 provinces. It is bordered by Burma to<br />
the northeast, <strong>Cambodia</strong> to the south,<br />
China to the north, Thailand to the west,<br />
and Vietnam to the east. Its location has<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten made it a buffer between neighboring<br />
states and empires, as well as a crossroads<br />
for trade and communication.<br />
<strong>Laos</strong> is mostly mountainous, with steep<br />
terrain, narrow river valleys, and little<br />
agricultural potential. Seventy percent <strong>of</strong><br />
its land is mountain ranges and plateaus.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se mountains extend across most <strong>of</strong><br />
the north <strong>of</strong> the country, except for the<br />
plain <strong>of</strong> Vientiane and the Plain <strong>of</strong> Jars in<br />
Xiangkhoang Province. <strong>The</strong> south <strong>of</strong> the<br />
country contains large level areas in Savannakhet<br />
and Champasak provinces that are<br />
well suited for extensive wet rice cultiva-<br />
ARCHITECTURE<br />
Architecture in <strong>Laos</strong> is a real mix. In the<br />
countryside and villages, people live in<br />
wooden houses simply constructed. In the<br />
flatlands these house tend to be on stilts<br />
(as in <strong>Cambodia</strong>). Structures in larger<br />
towns are much different. <strong>The</strong>re are exquisite<br />
temples built in a number <strong>of</strong> styles<br />
that are very close to that <strong>of</strong> North Thailand.<br />
Generally with Lao wats, the ro<strong>of</strong><br />
reaches very low—almost to the ground in<br />
an elegant arc. <strong>The</strong>re is also plenty <strong>of</strong> dark<br />
3 LAY OF THE LAND<br />
Thais (who are, after all, ethnic cousins).<br />
<strong>The</strong>re has been occasional dissent with<br />
some bombings and shootings, which the<br />
government blamed, almost certainly spuriously,<br />
on Hmong rebels.<br />
tion and livestock. Much <strong>of</strong> Khammouane<br />
Province and the eastern part <strong>of</strong> all the<br />
southern provinces are mountainous.<br />
Together, the alluvial plains and terraces <strong>of</strong><br />
the Mekong and its tributaries cover only<br />
about 20% <strong>of</strong> the total land area. Only<br />
about 4% <strong>of</strong> the total land area is classified<br />
as arable. Forests have declined dramatically<br />
in the last 40 years due to logging<br />
and slash-and-burn agriculture.<br />
With an estimated population <strong>of</strong> nearly<br />
5.7 million, <strong>Laos</strong> is one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
sparsely populated countries in Asia. Natural<br />
landmarks include the Annamite<br />
Mountains along the border with Vietnam,<br />
as well as the Mekong River, which<br />
flows from China and along <strong>Laos</strong>’s border<br />
with Thailand. About 55% <strong>of</strong> the landscape<br />
is pristine tropical forest, sheltering<br />
such rare and wild animals as elephants,<br />
leopards, the Java mongoose, panthers,<br />
gibbons, and black bears.<br />
4 ART & ARCHITECTURE<br />
wood and gold. A wander around Luang<br />
Prabang is a rewarding experience if you<br />
have an interest in Buddhist temples. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are simply stunning.<br />
<strong>The</strong> other element to the mix that<br />
makes Luang Prabang and Vientiane so<br />
beautiful is the French factor. Whether<br />
they did it intentionally or not, the French<br />
created beautiful buildings all over Indochina,<br />
and <strong>Laos</strong> is no exception. In Vientiane<br />
or Luang Prabang, these buildings<br />
look cared for and preserved. In other less