General Information
The province of khammouane is located in central Laos bordering Bolikhamxay and Savannakhet Province. Khammouane covers about 16,300 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 330,000 mostly engaged in agriculture. The Mekong River Valley in the west is framed by the Annamite Mountain Range which separates Khammouane from Vietnam to the east.
Fertile land here is well suited to plantations of rice, cabbage, sugar cane, bananas, etc. A total poplation is made up of lowland and up-land Lao groups: Phuan, Tahoy, Kri, Katang etc. Thakhaek is the province capital, situated across the Mekong from Nakornphanom in Thailand. It also has much well preserved French colonial architecture similar to that found in Vientiane.
Inhabiting mainly lowland river valleys the Lao, Phouthai and other Tai-speaking peoples are the main ethnic groups in Khammouane. There are also Mekong or Bru people, a Mon-Khmer- speaking ethnic minority that make up 13% of the provincial population. In smaller number are the Kri, Nguan, Atel Themarou, and Maleng who are mainly found in the mountainous eastern part of the province.
The vast forsest of the Nakai-Nam Teun National Protected Area are an important watershed that feed many Mekong tributaries as well as form the catchments area for Nam Teun 2, the largest hydropower project in Laos.
Town and Districts
Thakhaek, Mahaxay, Nongbok, Hinboun, Nhommalath, Bualapha, Nakai, Xebangfay and Xaybouathong.
Geography | Demographics | Calling Code |
Capital: Thakhaek | Population: 330,000 | +856 51 |
Location: Central | ||
Area: 16,300 km2 | Density: 20.45/km2 |