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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Laos
Index
Inland waterways, including the Mekong River,
constitute the
second most important transport network in the country.
There are
about 4,600 kilometers of navigable waterways, including
sections
of the Mekong, the Ou, and nine other rivers. The Mekong
accounts
for about 1,330 kilometers of the total navigable length.
Although
the Mekong flows through Laos for approximately 2,030
kilometers,
it is only navigable for about 70 percent of this length,
mainly
because of rapids and low water levels in the dry season.
Between
Vientiane and Savannakhét, the river can accommodate boats
with
between seventy and 140 deadweight tons; otherwise it can
carry
between fifteen and fifty deadweight tons, depending on
the season.
Residents of lowland villages located on the banks of
smaller
rivers have traditionally traveled in pirogues for
fishing,
trading, or visiting up and down the river for limited
distances.
Both public and private trade associations handle river
traffic, including the State River Transport Company,
based in
Vientiane. In mid-1987 the State Water Transport Company
had
thirty-seven boats, most built with help from Vietnam.
There are
state warehouses at Savannakhét, Xénô, and Vientiane, in
addition
to a number of ports. River transportation has improved as
government policy has emphasized expanded trade with
Vietnam and
with rural regions.
Data as of July 1994
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