Xaysomboun Province, Laos’ 18th and newest province, was established on 13 December, 2013. Previously it had been a special administrative zone.

The province is extremely mountainous, as seen in Laos’ highest peak at Phou Bia (2,820 m), and the jungle thick. This presented strategic locations and hideouts during the revolution in the 1960s-70s, and holds historical significance.

Source: Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism