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Khammouane province

Coordinates: 17°30′00″N 105°20′00″E / 17.5°N 105.333333°E / 17.5; 105.333333
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Khammouane province
ແຂວງ ຄໍາມ່ວນ
Map of Khammouane province
Map of Khammouane province
Map showing location of Khammouane province in Laos
Location of Khammouane province in Laos
Coordinates: 17°30′00″N 105°20′00″E / 17.5°N 105.333333°E / 17.5; 105.333333
CountryLaos
CapitalThakhek
Area
 • Total
16,315 km2 (6,299 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 Census)
 • Total
433,570
 • Density27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
ISO 3166 codeLA-KH
HDI (2022)Increase 0.602[1]
medium 9th

Khammouane province (Khammouan) (Lao: ຄໍາມ່ວນ, pronounced [kʰám mūan]) is a province in southern Laos. Its capital is Thakhek.

Khammouane province covers an area of 16,315 square kilometres (6,299 sq mi), most of which is forested mountainous terrain. The forests of the Nakai-Nam Theun National Park contains many streams that feed many Mekong tributaries as well as form the catchment area for Nam Theun 2, the largest hydropower project in Laos. The Xe Bang Fai River, Nam Hinboun River, and the Nam Theun are the main rivers of the province.

Part of the aborted Thakhek-Tan Ap railway would have crossed the province to connect with the North-South Railway at Tân Ấp Railway Station, Quảng Bình province, Vietnam through Mụ Giạ Pass. Khammouane's human development index is 0.602 which is slightly less than the Laos average of 0.620.[2]

Geography

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Khammouane province covers an area of 16,315 square kilometres (6,299 sq mi) and is mostly of forested mountainous terrain.[3] The province is bordered by Bolikhamsai province to the north and northwest, Vietnam to the east, Savannakhet province to the south, and Thailand to the west.[4] Many streams flow through the province to join the Mekong River. The major rivers originating in the mountains of the province are the Xebangfay River (239 kilometres (149 mi) long), Nam Hinboun, Nam Theun, and Nam Ngum River.[5] Between the Mekong and the Annamite Range, the Khammouane Plateau features gorges, grottoes, jungles, limestone hills, and rivers.[6]

Thakhek, the provincial capital, is on the Mekong River bordering Thailand. The border checkpoint is near Nakhon Phanom. The city features buildings designed in the French colonial architectural style.[5] The Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, opened on 11 November 2011, spans the Mekong River.[7]

Tham Khonglor Cave (literally: 'beauty in the dark') is part of the National Protected Forest Area at Hinboun Mountain. Its west entrance is from Ban Khonglor village in Hinboun District, while the east entrance is from Ban Natan village, Nakai District. The cave runs for a length of about 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi). The Hinboun River flows through the cave perennially. Vang That and Had Xay Luang are the two hanging rock formations in the cave.[5] The cave is approachable along two routes, one from Vientiane along Route 13 to Hinboun District, and the second route is by boat along the Hinboun River.[5]

Protected areas

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Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) found in Laos

The province's forest areas consists of three reserve areas. These are the Nakai-Nam Theun National Park, which covers an area of 352,200 ha of the Annamite Range and the adjacent Nakai Plateau in the provinces of Khammouane and Bolikhamxay, the Hin Namno National Park with an area of 86,229 ha, and the Phou Hin Poun National Biodiversity Conservation Area with an area of 150,000 ha. These forests have many natural caves.[5]

In 1996, scientists discovered a rodent in Khammouan belonging to a taxonomic family (Laonastidae) that had been previously known only from fossils. The Laotian rock rat or kha-nyou (Laonastes aenigmamus), also called the "rat-squirrel", was formally described as a new species in a 2005 article by Paulina Jenkins et al., who considered the animal to be distinct from all living rodents.[8][9]

Other mammals living in the province, some discovered relatively recently, include the following: saola, giant muntjac, Roosevelt's muntjac, Truong Son muntjac, Indochinese warty pig, Heude's pig, Annamite striped rabbit, Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus), Indochinese tiger, and Asian elephant.[10]

Important bird areas

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The 68,125 hectare Hin Nam No (also Hin Namno) Important Bird Area (IBA) is in the Hin Namno NBCA. Its topography features sparsely vegetated limestone karst outcrops, and limestone hills. Vietnamese crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata) and Austen's brown hornbill (Anorrhinus austeni) are classified as near threatened. The inornate squirrel (Callosciurus inornatus) has been identified as important fauna within the IBA.[11]

The Khammouane IBA is in the Phou Hin Poun NBCA. The IBA is 79,000 ha in size with an elevation of 200–900 metres (660–2,950 ft). The topography and habitat are characterized by sparsely vegetated limestone karst, semi-evergreen forest, and mixed deciduous forest. The IBA is notable for supporting the sooty babbler (Stachyris herberti) and François' langur (Trachypithecus francoisi).[12]

Demographics

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The population of the province according to the 2015 census is 392,052.[13]

Administrative divisions

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The province is composed of the following nine districts:[5]

Map Code Name Lao script
12-01 Thakhek District ເມືອງທ່າແຂກ
12-02 Mahaxay District ເມືອງມະຫາໄຊ
12-03 Nong Bok District ເມືອງໜອງບົກ
12-04 Hineboun District ເມືອງຫີນບູນ
12-05 Yommalath District ເມືອງຍົມມະລາດ
12-06 Boualapha District ເມືອງບົວລະພາ
12-07 Nakai District ເມືອງນາກາຍ
12-08 Sebangphay District ເມືອງເຊບັ້ງໄຟ
12-09 Xaibouathong District ເມືອງໄຊບົວທອງ
12-10 Kounkham District ເມືອງຄູນຄຳ

Economy

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Thakhek, the provincial capital, is an important trade centre. Along with Bolikhamsai and Savannakhet provinces, Khammouane is one of the main tobacco producing areas of Laos.[14] There are several major minew in the province, including Mining Development Economy Corporation mining gypsum in Thakhek District, LAVICO Co. Ltd, which is a Laos-Vietnam joint venture mining gypsum in Xebangfay District, V.S.K. Co. Ltd mining limestone in Thakhek District, and Lao-North Korea Tin Mines in Hinboun District.[15]

Tourism is a growing sector of the provincial economy. In 2024, the province hosted over 800,000 tourists, generating over US$46 million in revenue. The provincial government is implementing initiatives to increase the number of events and eco-friendly tourism activities in 2025.[16]

Landmarks

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That Sikhottabong, also known as Sikhottabong Stupa, is a contemporary of That Inhangin Savannakhet and That Phanom, built in Thailand under the Sikhottabong Empire. The bones of Buddha are said to be consecrated in these temples. King Nanthasene built the stupa for King Soummitham, on the banks of the Mekong. It was refurbished in the 15th century during the reign by King Saysethathirath. The stupa has four squares with each side measuring 25,030 metres (82,120 ft) long and its base is 14.33 square metres (154.2 sq ft) and rises to a height of 29 metres (95 ft). The pinnacle has the shape of the banana flower.[5]

The Great Wall, made of stone, begins on the west side of Thakhek. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the city, on Route 13. It extends from the Namdone River and its total length is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). Its construction is attributed to the period of the Sikhottabong Empire in the 19th century and is now proposed to be preserved as a national heritage site.[5]

Other attractions include: Tad Kham Waterfall (about 52 kilometers from Thakhek District), Tad Nam Khengkam Waterfall (about 37 km east of Thakhek District), Wat Pha Sokkhamsene Temple (an old temple near Nongbok District and about 37 km from Thakhek District), and That Thumphavang Stupa (north of Nongbok District).[5]

References

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  1. ^ hdi.globaldatalab.org HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/table/shdi/LAO/?levels=1+4&years=2022&extrapolation=0title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. Retrieved 2025-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)[not specific enough to verify]
  2. ^ "Laos 2022 HDI". Global Data Lab. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  3. ^ "Home". Laos Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  4. ^ "Maps" (Map). Google Maps.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Khammouane Province". Lao Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  6. ^ Mansfield & Koh 2008, p. 9.
  7. ^ "Third Mekong Bridge opens". TTR Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2012.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ James Owen (May 16, 2005). "New Rodent Discovered at Asian Food Market". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on May 19, 2005. Retrieved 3 December 2012. ...odd-looking mammal, known locally as the kha-nyou....
  9. ^ Marivaux, M.R.; Li, C.K.; Beard, K.C.; Métais, G. (2006). "Laonastes and the "Lazarus effect" in Recent mammals". Science. 311 (5766): 1456–1458. doi:10.1126/science.1124187. PMID 16527978.
  10. ^ Lao National Tourism Association. "Khammouane Overview". Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Hin Namno". BirdLife International. 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Khammouane". BirdLife International. 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Provinces of Laos". Statoids.com. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  14. ^ Lao People's Democratic Republic: Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (EPub). International Monetary Fund. 21 October 2008. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-4527-9182-1. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  15. ^ Geological Survey 2010, p. 14.
  16. ^ Sisounonth, Oulayvanh (2025-01-30). "Khammouane Sets Sights on Tourism Boom in 2025 with New Attractions, Eco-Friendly Initiatives". Laotian Times. Retrieved 2025-02-06.

Bibliography

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