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LAOS
FLORA AND FAUNA SYSTEM |
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Brief information
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History
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Ethnic groups
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Location & terrain
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Climate
| Flora & fauna
Laos has one of the most pristine natural landscapes in
Southeast Asia. An estimated half of its woodlands
consist of primary forest, in particular the tropical
rainforest. Unlike the vegetation that grows in the
climate of Europe and the United States, tropical
rainforest is composed of three vegetative layers. The
top layer features single-trucked, high-reaching trees
called dipterocarps. The middle canopy consists of
hardwood such as teak. Beneath, small trees, grass and
sometimes bamboo can be found.
In addition to its fascinating vegetation, Laos plays
host to a diverse animal kingdom. Several exotic mammals
are endemic such as leopard cats, Javan mongoose, goat
antelopes as well as rare species of gibbons and linger,
Malayan sun bear, Asiatic black bear and gaur. The
discovery of the Saola Ox, a breed of deer-antelope, in
Vietnam a few years ago caused a great sensation. This
extremely rare animal inhabits the Eastern border
regions of Laos. It is thought that these remote areas
probably still hide other unknown species.
In Southern Laos, near Khong Island, Irrawaddy dolphins
inhabit the Mekong River. While many species of wildlife
are shy and can rarely be seen, spectators will
generally be able to spot the dolphins in Springtime
when the water level of the Mekong is lowest. Laos is
also rich in resident and migrating birds. One of the
more notable ones is the rare Green Peafowl. Lao
religious images and art is also distinctive and sets
Laos apart from its neighbors. The “Calling for Rain”
posture of Buddha images in Laos, for example, which
depicts the Buddha standing with his hands held rigidly
at his side, fingers pointing to the ground, can not be
found in other Southeast Asian Buddhist art traditions.
Religious influences are also pervasive in classical Lao
literature, especially in the Pha Lak, Pha Lam, the Lao
version of India’s epic Ramayana.
Projects are underway to preserve classic Lao religious
scripts, which were transcribed onto palm leaf
manuscripts hundreds of years ago and stored in Wats.
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Source: Lao National Tourism Administration
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