Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, situated in the Mekong river. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a Burmese invasion.[2] During French rule, Vientiane was the administrative capital and due to economic growth in recent times, it has become the economic centre of Laos.
The estimated population of the city is 754,000 (2009)[3] while the number of people living in the Vientiane metropolitan area (the entire Vientiane Prefecture and parts of Vientiane Province) is believed to be over 730,000. The city hosted the 25th Southeast Asian Games in December 2009 celebrating the 50 years of SEA Games.
Sri Sattanak, or Sisattanak , is a former name of Vientiane. It is often confused with Sri Sattanakanahut, the Pali name of Lan Xang, the Kingdom of the Million Elephants. Sisattanak now is the name of one of the five districts of the city Vientiane.
The annual average temperature in Vientiane is around 28 °C/82 °F. The maximum is 38 °C/100 °F in April and May. January in Vientiane sees a low of about 19 °C/66 °F. Temperatures in mountainous areas can plummet to 14-15 °C. It can even soar to the high 50 °F or higher during the winter months, and drop to freezing or lower in the nights. The Annamite Mountains in southern Laos get the highest average precipitation of more than 3000 mm (10 feet) per year. The average precipitation is highest in southern Laos, where the Annamite Mountains receive over 3000 mm (10 feet) annually. The annual rainfall in Vientiane is 1500-2000 mm (5 to almost 7 feet), and just 1000-1500 mm (3-5 feet) annually in the northern provinces.