Khone Falls
Encyclopedia
The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls is a waterfall
located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos
, near the border with Cambodia
. The Khone Falls are the largest in southeast Asia
and they are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China
. The falls are characterised by thousands of islands and countless waterways, giving the area its name Si Phan Don
or 'The 4,000 islands'.
The highest falls reach to 21 metres (69 ft); the succession of rapids stretch 9.7 km (6 mi) of the river's length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11000 m3/s, though the highest volume on record was reached at over 49000 m3/s.
river is not fully navigable into China
. In the late 19th century French colonialists made repeated attempts to navigate the falls but their efforts failed. This difficulty led to the construction of the Don Det - Don Khon narrow gauge railway on Don Det and Don Khon islands.
said to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. The plabuck is alleged to reach lengths of 3 m (10 ft) and weights of up to 646 pounds (293 kilograms).
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, near the border with Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The Khone Falls are the largest in southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and they are the main reason that the Mekong is not fully navigable into China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The falls are characterised by thousands of islands and countless waterways, giving the area its name Si Phan Don
Si Phan Don
The Si Phan Don is a riverine archipelago located in the Mekong River, Champasak Province in southern Laos. Si Phan Don is characterised by numerous islands, half of which are submerged when the Mekong River is in flood...
or 'The 4,000 islands'.
The highest falls reach to 21 metres (69 ft); the succession of rapids stretch 9.7 km (6 mi) of the river's length. The average discharge of the cataract is nearly 11000 m3/s, though the highest volume on record was reached at over 49000 m3/s.
Navigable efforts
The Khone Falls are well known as the prime reason why the MekongMekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
river is not fully navigable into China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In the late 19th century French colonialists made repeated attempts to navigate the falls but their efforts failed. This difficulty led to the construction of the Don Det - Don Khon narrow gauge railway on Don Det and Don Khon islands.
Plabuck in the falls
The falls are home to the plabuck, an endangered species of catfishCatfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
said to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. The plabuck is alleged to reach lengths of 3 m (10 ft) and weights of up to 646 pounds (293 kilograms).