Xishuangbanna Dai Minority People''''s is the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province. The prefecture is located in the southeast of the between 99"58'-101"50'E and 21"09'-22"36'N, crossed by the Lancang river (). Xishuangbanna borders on Laos in the east and Myanmar in the west, covers an area of 2, including one municipality (Jinghong) and two counties (Menghai and Mengla), About 80 percent of the prefectures''''s total area (19 2) has an altitude between above sea level, whilst mountainous area is 2 , constituting 95.1percent of the total region. There are 49 basins of 2 , constituting 4.9percent. Tourist and scenic resorts make up 2, and nature reserves occupy a total of 2. Xishuangbanna geographically inclines from north to south, the highest point is , where the altitude is 2429 meters, the lowest point is where the flows out of China, elevation there is only 480 meters.

2. Population and ethnic minorities

Xishuangbanna is also inhabited by a diversity of ethnic minorities with the population of 830 thousand, consisting of 14 minorities, principally the Dai accounting for 34.8percent of the Xishuangbanna population, the Hani or Akha, the Jinuo, the Han, the Yi, and the Bulang. Actually, some of these ethnic groups are 'transnational'ones, sharing similar culture, religion and languages with ethnic groups in , , and Vietnam. Each ethnic minoritie has their own indigenous knowledge on cultivation and resources management, costumes, religion and languages. Dai people believe in Buddhism, mountainous people believe in animism. There are interactions and exchanges between these peoples.

3. Climate and biodiversity

Tropical climate and subtropical climate are the main climate types in Xishuangbanna, hot and humid, annual average temperature is 18.1-21.7 degrees Centigrade and annual rainfall is . There are no obvious 4 seasons, only 2 seasons-raining season (May-October) and dry season (November-April of next year). Plenty of rainfall and warmth provides tropical plants and animals with the best habitat, 2400 square kilometers of tropical rainforest and various wild lives make Xishuangbanna reputed as Tropical Fauna and Flora. The virgin forest coverage is 34percent, in which,there live over 5,000 species of plants, including 40 species of fast growing precious trees, more than 500 species of medicinal plants and herbs, and about 160 species of oil-bearing plants ; 539 kinds of overland vertebrates, and 399 species of birds, including hundreds kinds of rare and valuable birds and animals. The species of birds account for 33.8percent of the total species of birds of China, and the species of animals 16percent of the country''''s total. In addition there are more than a hundred species of fishes.

4. Mineral resources