Phongsaly Province

Phôngsali Province
Location of Phôngsali Province in Laos
Country	Laos
Established
Capital	Phôngsali
Area
• Total	16,270 km2 (6,280 sq mi)
Population (2004)
• Total	199,900
• Density	12/km2 (32/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+07
ISO 3166 code	LA-XI

Phôngsali (Lao ຜົ້ງສາລີ) is a province of Laos, located in the north of the country. The capital of the province is the city of Phôngsali. Phôngsali is located between Yunnan (China), and Điện Biên in Vietnam. Its culture has thus been historically heavily influenced by China.

Administrative divisions

The province is made up of the following districts:

1. Boun Nua District (2-05)
2. Boun Tai District (2-07)
3. Khoa District (2-03)
4. Mai District (2-02)
5. Gnot-Ou District (2-06)
6. Phongsali District (2-01)
7. Samphan District (2-04)

Commerce

Phôngsali is the primary trade gateway between Laos and China, exporting lumber and importing several types of finished goods. There are also several Chinese manufacturing companies in the province, along with other foreign investment.

Geography

Phôngsali is located high in the mountains (~450-1800m above sea level), with a relatively cool climate. Because of economic commerce with China, large portions of the province have been deforested.