Northern Laos: Difference between revisions

Northern Laos
	Looking across the river in downtown Luang Prabang, capital of Northern Laos
	⛶
Location	[[Laos]]
Coordinates	Template:Coord
Gene Pool	Highland Lao Genepool
Regional Complex	Upper Lao Mekong
Country	[[Laos]]
Provinces/States	[[Phongsaly]],[[Luang Namtha]],[[Oudomxay]],[[Bokeo]],[[Luang Prabang]],[[Houaphanh]]
Elevation Range	300–2,000 m
Area	Approximately 95,000 km²
Climate	Tropical monsoon, subtropical highland
Primary Rivers	[[Mekong]],[[Nam Ou]],[[Nam Ngum]],[[Nam Khan]]
Primary Mountains	[[Luang Prabang Range]],[[Annamite Range]],[[Phou Bia]]
Conservation Status	Vulnerable

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Revision as of 12:56, 19 January 2026

Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Phongsaly Province|Phongsaly" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Luang Namtha Province|Luang Namtha" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Oudomxay Province|Oudomxay" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Bokeo Province|Bokeo" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Luang Prabang Province|Luang Prabang" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.Property "Has province" (as page type) with input value "Houaphanh Province|Houaphanh" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.

Geography

Climate

Cultural Context

Ethnic Context

Cultivation History

Genetics

No data at present, further research needed.

Growing Areas

No growing areas documented yet.

Accessions

No accessions documented yet.

Botanical Characteristics

Regional Traits

Geographic Variation

Cultivation Practices

Traditional Methods

Modern Methods

Conservation Status

Threats to Landrace Populations

Conservation Efforts

Chemical Profile

Cannabinoid Content

Gallery

Nong Khiaw village on the Nam Ou river, Northern Laos

Nong Khiaw village on the Nam Ou river, Northern Laos

References

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |image = Northern-Laos-01.jpg
 |image_caption = Looking across the river in downtown Luang Prabang, capital of Northern Laos
+|show_map = yes
 |gene_pool = Highland Lao Genepool
-|regional_complex =
+|regional_complex = Upper Lao Mekong
 |country = [[Laos]]
 |provinces = [[Phongsaly Province|Phongsaly]], [[Luang Namtha Province|Luang Namtha]], [[Oudomxay Province|Oudomxay]], [[Bokeo Province|Bokeo]], [[Luang Prabang Province|Luang Prabang]], [[Houaphanh Province|Houaphanh]]
@@ Line 11: / Line 12: @@
 |primary_river = [[Mekong]], [[Nam Ou]], [[Nam Ngum]], [[Nam Khan]]
 |primary_mountains = [[Luang Prabang Range]], [[Annamite Range]], [[Phou Bia]]
 |area_extent = Approximately 95,000 km²
 |status = Vulnerable
 |coordinates = {{coord|20|00|N|102|00|E|display=inline,title}}
+|description = Rugged northern Lao highlands with NLD-type landraces under intense pressure from modernization
 }}
+== Geography ==
-==Geography==
+== Climate ==
-Northern Laos comprises the mountainous provinces north of Vientiane, characterized by rugged terrain, deep river valleys, and limited road infrastructure. The region forms part of the [[Indochina|Indochinese Peninsula]]'s northern highlands, where the [[Annamite Range]] and [[Luang Prabang Range]] create a complex topography of steep-sided valleys and isolated upland plateaus.[Citation Needed]
-The [[Mekong River]] forms much of the region's western boundary with Thailand and flows through dramatic gorges before widening at Luang Prabang, the region's cultural and economic center. Major tributaries including the [[Nam Ou]], [[Nam Khan]], and [[Nam Ngum]] create fertile valleys that have historically supported intensive agriculture, including cannabis cultivation.[Citation Needed]
-Elevation varies dramatically, from river valleys at 300 meters to peaks exceeding 2,000 meters, with [[Phou Bia]] (2,819 m) representing the highest point in Laos. This elevation gradient creates distinct microclimates and has resulted in significant variation in local cannabis populations.[Citation needed]
-The region's isolation and limited accessibility have historically protected landrace populations from outside genetic influence, though road construction and increased connectivity since the 1990s have begun to change this dynamic.[Citation needed]
-==Climate==
-Northern Laos experiences a tropical monsoon climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, modified by elevation into subtropical and temperate highland zones.
-'''Wet Season''' (May–October): Southwest monsoon brings heavy rainfall, with some highland areas receiving over 2,500 mm annually. This coincides with the traditional cannabis growing season, with seeds planted at the onset of rains in May-June.[Citation needed]
-'''Dry Season''' (November–April): Cool, dry conditions prevail, particularly in highland areas where temperatures can drop below 10°C (50°F) at night during December-February. Cannabis harvest typically occurs in late October through November, with drying during the cool, dry months.[Citation needed]
-'''Cool Season''' (November–February): Distinct cool period particularly noticeable in highlands, with morning mist and occasional frost at highest elevations. This cool period influences local cultivation practices and plant morphology.[Citation needed]
-Temperature ranges vary significantly with elevation:
-Lowlands (300-500m): 15-35°C annual range
-Mid-elevations (500-1200m): 10-30°C annual range
-Highlands (1200-2000m): 5-25°C annual range
-Relative humidity remains high year-round, typically 70-90% during wet season and 50-70% during dry season, influencing traditional processing methods including [[trimming]] and seed drying.[Citation needed]
 == Cultural Context ==
-'''Traditional Medicine''': Use in traditional healing practices, particularly for digestive ailments, pain relief, and as a poultice for skin conditions. Knowledge holders are typically elder women or traditional healers.[Citation needed]
-'''Ritual Use''': Limited documentation exists of ritual or ceremonial use, though some Hmong communities have traditional associations between cannabis and ancestral practices.[Citation needed]
-'''Food Source''': Seeds historically used as a food source, pressed for oil or consumed directly, particularly during periods of food scarcity.[Citation needed]
-The introduction of opium cultivation in the 19th century and subsequent eradication efforts in the late 20th century complicated the cultural context of cannabis cultivation, as cannabis was often conflated with opium in drug control policies despite different patterns of traditional use.[Citation needed]
 == Ethnic Context ==
+== Cultivation History ==
-Northern Laos is home to numerous ethnic groups beyond the lowland [[Lao people|Lao]], including [[Hmong people|Hmong]], [[Khmu people|Khmu]], [[Akha people|Akha]], [[Lahu people|Lahu]], and [[Tai peoples|Tai]] groups. [Citation Needed]
-Cannabis has multiple traditional uses across ethnic groups:
-'''Fiber Production''': Particularly among Hmong and Khmu communities, cannabis has been cultivated for fiber used in textiles, rope, and traditional crafts. This utilization predates modern drug crop associations and continues in some areas.[Citation needed]
-==Cultivation History==
 == Genetics ==
+No data at present, further research needed.
-No data at present, further research needed.
+== Growing Areas ==
+{{#ask:
-==Growing Areas and Sub-Regions==
+ [[Category:Growing Areas]]
+ [[Has growing region::Northern Laos]]
-==Botanical Characteristics==
+ |mainlabel=Growing Area
+ |format=table
-===Regional Traits===
+ |default=No growing areas documented yet.
+}}
-===Geographic Variation===
+== Accessions ==
+{{#ask:[[Category:Accessions]][[Has growing region::Northern Laos]]
-===Other Variations===
+|?Has descriptive name=Name
+|?Has conservation priority=Priority
-==Cultivation Practices==
+|?Has collection date=Collected
+|?Has locality=Locality
-===Traditional Methods===
+|mainlabel=Accession ID
+|format=table
-===Modern Methods===
+|class=wikitable sortable
+|sort=Has collection date
-==Conservation Status==
+|order=desc
+|default=No accessions documented yet.
-===Threats to Landrace Populations===
+}}
+== Botanical Characteristics ==
-===Conservation Efforts===
+=== Regional Traits ===
+=== Geographic Variation ===
-==Chemical Profile==
+== Cultivation Practices ==
+=== Traditional Methods ===
-===Cannabinoid Content===
+=== Modern Methods ===
+== Conservation Status ==
-==Gallery==
+=== Threats to Landrace Populations ===
+=== Conservation Efforts ===
+== Chemical Profile ==
+=== Cannabinoid Content ===
+== Gallery ==
 <gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
 File:Northern-Laos-River-View.jpg|Nong Khiaw village on the Nam Ou river, Northern Laos
 </gallery>
+== See Also ==
-==See Also==
 * [[Gene pools]]
 * [[Southeast Asian Gene Pool]]
 * [[Growing regions]]
-* [[Landrace cannabis]]
+* [[Laos]]
-* [[Ganja]]
+== References ==
-* [[Traditional cultivation practices]]
-* [[Conservation status]]
-==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-==External Links==
-* [Link to relevant botanical databases]
-* [Link to conservation organizations]
-* [Link to genetic research papers]
 <div style="display:none;">
 [[Has region name::Northern Laos]]
@@ Line 119: / Line 74: @@
 [[Has conservation status::Vulnerable]]
 [[Has description::Rugged northern Lao highlands with NLD-type landraces under intense pressure from modernization]]
-[[Has country::Laos]]
 </div>
-[[Category:Growing Regions]]
-[[Category:Conservation Status - Critical]]
 [[Category:Southeast Asian Growing Regions]]