Pakxe or Pakse is a city of 70,000 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...

, situated at the confluence of the Xedone and Mekong

Mekong

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....

 Rivers. It is the largest city in Champasak province and its capital. It is served by Pakse International Airport

Pakse International Airport

Pakse International Airport is one of the few international airports in Laos. Pakse is the former southern capital city of the Champasak Kingdom.-Airlines:...

 and is the gateway to the Bolaven Plateau

Bolaven Plateau

The Bolaven Plateau is an elevated region in Laos. It is located between the Annamite Mountain Range, along which runs Laos’ eastern border with Vietnam, and the Mekong River to the west, at about . The plateau's elevation ranges approximately from above sea level. The plateau is crossed by...

. It was also the former capital of the Lao Kingdom of Champasak

Kingdom of Champasak

The Kingdom of Champasak , in southern Laos, broke away from the Lan Xang kingdom in 1713. The Kingdom of Champasak prospered at the beginning the 18th century, but it was reduced to a vassal state of Siam before the century had passed. Under French rule the kingdom became an administrative block...

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History

This city was founded by the French as an administrative outpost in 1905, and was formerly the capital of the Lao Kingdom of Champasak

Kingdom of Champasak

The Kingdom of Champasak , in southern Laos, broke away from the Lan Xang kingdom in 1713. The Kingdom of Champasak prospered at the beginning the 18th century, but it was reduced to a vassal state of Siam before the century had passed. Under French rule the kingdom became an administrative block...

 and residence of the King of Champasak at Champasak Palace

Champasak Palace

Champasak Palace, in Pakse, Laos, was a former residence of the Prince of Champasak, Chao Boun Oum. It was built for Prince Boun Oum, as a residence, but he had to abandon it in 1974, before it was finished as the Royal Lao government was overthrown by the communist Pathet Lao...

, which was abolished in 1946 when the Kingdom of Laos

Kingdom of Laos

The Kingdom of Laos was a sovereign state from 1953 until December 1975, when Pathet Lao overthrew the government and created the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Given self-rule in 1949 as part of a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a...

 was formed. Since the construction of a bridge over the Mekong (built with Japanese aid), allowing road traffic with Ubon Ratchathani

Ubon Ratchathani

Ubon Ratchathani is a city on the Mun River in the south-east of the Isan region of Thailand. It is known as Ubon for short. The name means "Royal Lotus City." The provincial seal features a pond with a lotus flower and leaves in a circular frame. Ubon is the administrative centre of Ubon...

 in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, Pakse has become the commercial centre of southern Laos.
The Pakse airport finished construction on November 2, 2009, resuming flights to Vientiane

Vientiane

-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...

, Siem Reap

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market...

 and Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

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The city has the Champasak Provincial Museum

Champasak Provincial Museum

The Champasak Provincial Museum is a local museum in Pakse, Laos. It holds the unique history of the province, which gathers all kind of artifacts and documents to chronicle the history of Champasak. The museum also holds historical photos of cultural events, foreign meetings and pictures of...

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Climate