Oudomxay Province

Oudomxay (also Udomxay, Lao ອຸ ດົມ ໄຊ ) is a province in northwestern Laos. The provincial capital is called Muang Xai.

• 3.1 Ethnic Minorities

• 6.1 subsistence
• 6.2 Cash Crops

• 7.1 development
• 7.2 potential

Geography

Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise): Phongsali, Luang Prabang, Sayaburi, Bokeo and Luang Namtha. In the northwest there is an approximately 15 kilometer long border with the Xishuangbanna Autonomous County People's Republic of China.

Oudomxay is having a size of 15370 square kilometers, the ninth largest province in Laos.

Topography

The topography Oudomxay is strongly influenced by mountains and hills. Heights vary 300-1800 meters above sea level.

Waters

About 60 rivers flow through Oudomxay, the largest are the Nam Phak Nam Sae Nam Beng Nam Kor and Nam Nga. The provincial capital of Muang Xay is drained by the Nam Cor.

History

The province was created in 1976 by ​​being split off from the province of Luang Prabang. In 1987 Muang Xay capital was in place Ban Nahin.

In 1992, the districts Paktha and Pha Oudom were assigned Bokeo province.

Local history books give the history of the ethnic groups of the province as follows:

Even before the year 700 Oudomxay was from family members of the ethnic group Khmu (also called " Khom " ) populated. In 1260 and settled in Oudomxay Lao Ly from the region Sipsongpanna ( " twelve thousand rice fields " ) originated in southern China. They founded a village called Ban Luang Cheng ( " big village "), which laid the foundation for today's provincial capital of Muang Xay. Ban Luang Cheng is now a district of Muang Xay, briefly called " Ban Cheng ."

The culture of Ly, which was dominated by Buddhism on the one hand and by traditions of Khmu on the other hand, was very influential in the province. Ly and Khmu lived in the province on overlapping areas and cultivated common rice fields. For protection against enemy fortifications were built between the villages of Ban Na Sao and Ban Na Lai.

Thai peoples such as the Thai Dam (also called " Thai Sor " ) and Khao Thai ( "Thai Dong " ) came from Muang Theng and diene leg Fu in North Vietnam to settle in Oudomxay.

Members of the ethnic Hmong came in 1828 from China to Oudomxay; the first settlement areas are not known.

Demography

Ethnic minorities

The exact proportions of about 14 different people living in the province of ethnic minorities in the population Oudomxay have not yet been determined. According to provincial authorities following estimates are to be assumed:

• Khmu ( including Khmu Lu, Khmu Khong, Khmu Am, Khmu bit) 60-80 %
• Lao Loum 25 %
• Hmong ( including Hmong Khao, Hmong Dam and Hmong lai ) 15%

Also represented are:

• Akha
• Phouthai ( Thai Dam & Thai Khao )
• Phou Noy ( Phou Xang, Kongsat Phou, Phou Nhot )
• Lao Houy (also called " Lenten " )
• Phouan
• Ly
• Yang
• Ikho
• Ho

Climate

In the province of Oudomxay has a temperate monsoon climate. Due to higher altitudes there is a larger annual temperature fluctuations and a cooler dry season than in the rest of the country.

• April to September: rainy season
• October-January: Cold dry season
• February-March: Warm dry season

The annual rainfall is about 1900 mm -2600 mm. The temperatures from February to March approximately 18-19 ° C from April to May, 31 ° C.

Infrastructure

Due to the topographical conditions Oudomxay infrastructure development is very complex and is therefore driven slowly. Many villages have no connection to a road, which prevents access to important facilities of social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. The population of these villages is also an established member of the regional markets where they could sell their agricultural products, as well as cut off. Also, administration facilities can be, often hardly or only very poorly achieved by the people who live in remote areas.

The very limited availability of the mountain villages Disabled additionally the economic development of rural areas.

The supply of households with electricity is in many areas below 10%. Only in the few larger towns like Muang Xay an adequate supply is guaranteed.

Agriculture and Forestry

Approximately 40,000 ha of land are cultivated for agriculture in Oudomxay, where rice constitutes the Hauptanbauart.

Subsistence

The Oudomxay province is still heavily dominated by subsistence farming. Mostly slash and burn agriculture is operated, usually in conjunction with dry rice cultivation - 45 % of rural villages Oudomxay are dependent on this type of agriculture due to the mountainous topography of the province. This form of agriculture is labor intensive and consumes a lot of land area, as it takes time until the initial productivity of the land is restored.

Wet rice cultivation is only possible in flat planes, so especially in the valley areas, which are geographically in Oudomxay in the minority.

Both the rice to the numerous mountain slopes as well as most of the lower percentage of arable land in the valleys are only watered by natural rainfall. A few rice fields in the valleys have irrigation systems.

Other important crops include corn, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, cassava (manioc ), coffee, sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, tea and peanuts.

In cooperation with international organizations, the government is trying to increase agricultural yields by measures of sustainable use of resources.

In addition to the use of the land as acreage for different cultures around 400,000 hectares of land are forested or used for grazing animals. Livestock, especially water buffalo, pigs, cattle and chickens, is an important component of the livelihoods of the rural population. IUCN estimates suggest that around 12 % of the forests Oudomxay primary forest, 48 % are against secondary forest. The forests are for the population not only wood suppliers, but bear with fruit, herbs and meat also contribute to the family income.

Cash Crops

The region, which has long had only characterized by shifting cultivation and subsistence farming, opens slowly for a use of the highlands for multifunctional and commercial purposes.

In addition to the traditional subsistence economy now play " cash crops " a more important role, while corn and sugarcane are the main producing and exporting products: 2004 in Oudomxay about 10,000 tons of sugar cane and 45,000 tons of corn produced. In addition, onions, watermelons and tobacco are exported. The production quantities of the various products from year to year may vary greatly because the farmers are given by the fluctuating world market prices also different strong incentives to choose one or the other growing product. This is especially true for sugarcane and corn, crops, which are mainly exported to China, where they are processed further for example industrial sugar or alcohol. Further processing in the region does not take place, whereby the value creation opportunities remain unexploited.

Often close individual farmers contracts with Chinese investors from: these often provide better seeds available, but also determine the cultivation product and its price. This practice creates a degree - common on the world market - dependence. It also happens that Lao fields are leased to the Chinese and are appointed by Chinese migrant workers.

Tourism

In Oudomxay efforts have been made for several years to promote the burgeoning tourism and to use as a way to minimize the poverty population. Since 1997, a tourist office, which is supported since March 2005 by the German Development Service (DED ) exists - with the aim to strengthen the income of particular rural communities and small businesses through tourism and thereby contribute to the protection of natural resources. In August 2007, the tourism office to Regierungssabteilung ( " Provincial Tourism Department" ) has been charged.

Development

Due to the location Oudomxay as the most important transportation hub in northern Laos ( the only road leading from the south to the north about Muang Xay ) the province in recent years was mainly visited by tourists passing through, for example, from Luang Prabang to Luang Namtha.

The average length of stay of tourists in the provincial capital was low. Oudomxay had the image of a tourist undeveloped cross - resort, which was reflected in 2004, especially in the representation of the place in popular guidebooks.

For several years, changed that image. Oudomxay is now seen more as a province in which you can experience the "original" Laos individually, particularly in terms of ecotourism. For several years, the tourist office in Oudomxay guided trekking tours, cooking classes and a workshop in traditional papermaking. In Oudomxay there are now two travel agencies, one of which offers guided bicycle tours through Laos.

According to the " Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos 2008 " of the " Lao National Tourism Administration ", the number of tourists in Oudomxay has increased from 2001 to 2008 of about 18,600 to about 102,000. Approximately 17% of the approximately 1.7 million tourists visiting Laos in 2008 came therefore also to Oudomxay. According to the report Oudomxay has eight hotels and about 52 Guest Houses. Most of these are located, followed by river transport hub Pak Beng in the provincial capital of Muang Xay.

Potential

Overall, in the province of Oudomxay are 1286 beds available (as of 2006). In 2008, the occupancy of these available beds has been at around 60 % ( compared with Luang Prabang: 73%).

The previously untapped tourism potential Oudomxay is particularly the example of the recently rediscovered cave " Chom Ong " clear:

The " Chom Ong Cave ", 45 kilometers from Muang Xay, is the largest known cave in Northern Laos. It has a length of more than 16 kilometers, ceiling heights of up to 50 meters, one running in the cave river and is surrounded by various caving magazines as "unique " ( " exeptionelle " ) and as the "most important discovery and the main attraction " in northern Laos referred to.

The road conditions on the way to the village of Chom Ong Thai, from which one can reach the cave in an hour-long walk, however, are very poor, especially in the rainy season. A day for arrival and departure must therefore ever be scheduled to the difficult access to the cave.

As for other activities such as trekking tours in ethnic minority villages ( for example, the Khmu ) are these infrastructural constraints not know why they are a little more used.

Flora and Fauna

The vegetation is dominated by monsoon forests Oudomxay. Various types of bamboo, an abundance of flowering plants (eg orchids), but also teak and mahogany are to be found in the province. The latter traded expensive hardwoods are important sources of income for the population.

Mineral resources

Oudomxay has salt, bronze, zinc, antimony, lignite, kaolin and iron deposits.

Administrative units

The province consists of the following districts: