Xayabury
(2000 pop. 333,000). The mountainous province of Xayabury, with an area of 16,389 square kilometers, is situated in the northwestern part of Laos. It shares borders with the Vientiane and Luang Prabang Provinces in the east and six provinces of Thailand in the west. Xayabury was under the empire of Lan Xang before it disintegrated into three kingdoms in 1713. Xayabury then became a part of the Luang Prabaang kingdom and was handed over to the French by Thailand under the Franco-Siamese settlement of 1907. France surrendered it to Thailand in January 1941, which caused resentment in Laos.
The province's capital is Sayabouri, located on the banks of river Nam Hung. Annual rainfall is 100–150 millimeters. Rice, watermelons, cabbages, and sugarcane are produced in the fertile regions of Ban Fainamtan, Ban Nakhem, and Ban Nampoui.
Buddhist monuments such as Wat Ban Thin, Wat Ban Phapoon, and Wat Natomoy are situated in the province. A paradise for nature lovers, the province is dotted with thick forests, beautiful meadows, scenic waterfalls, and magnificent peaks. An important tourist attraction is the 1,150-square-kilometer sanctuary Nam Phoun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, which is inhabited by the Asiatic black bear, elephant, guar, gibbon, Malaya sun bear, and Sumatran rhino.
Further Reading
Mishra, Patit Paban. (n.d) Laos: Land and Its People. New Delhi: Indian Centre for Studies on Indochina.
Toye, Hugh. (1968) Laos: Buffer State or Battleground. London: Oxford University Press.
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