~ JAN 30 2004
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Vientiane Density
From: USA
- Can you give me any details on
the population density in Laos and Vientiane?
Reply:
Vientiane Municipality
(or prefecture) is the most densely populated geo-political area
in Laos. This is separate from Vientiane Province.
Aside from the province
and municipality, there is also Vientiane city. In terms of density
again, the Chantaboury district is the most tightly or densely poplated
area of the city. The city core is cramped but there are surrounding
suburbs which continue to grow outwards.
No visit to Laos is complete
without visiting the capital therefore Vientiane attracts many tourists.
More than that though, this city attracts many nationals from other
provinces. It is often said that work is easier to find and that
educational opportunities are more readily available in the city.
Having said that, Vientiane has quite a mix of people from all over
the country. If your interested in learning about those from other
provinces, this feature certainly makes things a bit easier.
Laos as a whole has the
lowest population density in all of Asia with 25 persons per sq.
km.
Animal/Environment
Reports
From: USA
- There was a previous advice column piece on the state of logging
in Laos. On that environmental note, I was wondering if there are
any published findings on the state of animals, especially endangered
species, in Laos as well as their habitats.
Reply:
The answer to
both your queries is yes.
To the surprise
of many people, there's actually quite a lot that's published on
Lao environmental issues ranging from logging, land use, encyclopedia
of animals or plants in Laos, status of endangered species, etc.
They are often written in 'report' style by mostly NGOs such as
some sub-UN organization, WWF, or WCF, operating in Laos. Reports
on the environment are generally published by the Lao government's
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the NGO IUCN or the UN's
UNEP.
Of importance
to you would be the two encyclopedia style books listed below:
- Report on the Status of Endangered Species 1999
- Animals of Laos
There's also:
- State of the Environment 2001
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