Xiangkhouang

Xiangkhouang is a province of Laos on the Xiangkhoang Plateau, in the nation's northeast. The province has the distinction of being the most heavily bombed place on Earth.The province was originally known as the Principality of Muang Phuan. Its present capital is Phonsavan. The population of the province as of the 2015 census was 244,684.Xiangkhouang province covers an area of 15,880 square kilometres and is mountainous. Apart from floodplains, the largest area of level land in the country is on the province's Xiangkhoang Plateau. The plateau is characterized by rolling hills and grassland whose elevation averages 1,300 metres. The country's highest peak, Phou Bia, rises at the south side of the plateau. Nam Et-Phou Louey is a National Biodiversity Conservation Area in the province, covering an area of 5,959 km2, and overlaps into Houaphanh and Luang Prabang provinces.

The province's Plain of Jars was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.