The Phu Phan mountains ( th, ทิวเขาภูพาน, , ) are a range of

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

s dividing the

Khorat Plateau The Khorat Plateau ( th, ที่ราบสูงโคราช) is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access ...

of the

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan ( Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 prov ...

region of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

into two basins: the northern Sakhon Nakhon Basin, and the southern Khorat Basin. The silhouette of the Phu Phan Mountains appears in the provincial seal of

Kalasin Kalasin ( th, กาฬสินธุ์) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeast Thailand, the capital of Kalasin Province. As of 2015, it has a population of 34,429 It covers the whole ''tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a loca ...

since they form the northern boundary of the province. The Phu Phan mountains are among the places in Thailand more severely affected by the

Illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

of ''

Phayung ''Dalbergia cochinchinensis'', the Thailand rosewood, Siamese rosewood, or tracwood, ( th, พะยูง: ''Phayung'' ; Vietnamese: Trắc (or Cẩm lai nam bộ); Khmer: ក្រញូង: ''Kranhung'' ; Lao: ກະຍູງ: ''Kayung'' ; C ...

'' (Siamese Rosewood) trees. Although officially a protected tree, the cutting and trading of the endangered rosewood trees has been going unabated in Thailand's mountainous forested zones, even in the protected areas. In Thailand and in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

this wood is highly valued in the furniture industry.

Etymology

The name of the range is derived from the characteristic

tabletop Tabletop may refer to: Mountains * Table Top Mountain in Rangeville, Queensland, Australia * Table Top Mountain (New York) * Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa * Tepui, flat top mountains in South America Places * Tabletop, New South Wal ...

shape of its peaks, for '' phan'' is a kind of traditional

tray A tray is a shallow platform designed for the carrying of items. It can be fashioned from numerous materials, including silver, brass, sheet iron, paperboard, wood, melamine, and molded pulp. Trays range in cost from inexpensive molded pulp tray ...

on a

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ci ...

. ''Phu'' is the word for mountain in the

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

/ Lao language (as opposed to ''khao'' in central and

southern Thai Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounded t ...

and ''doi'' in

northern Thai Kam Mueang ( nod, , กำเมือง) or Northern Thai language ( th, ภาษาไทยถิ่นเหนือ) is the language of the Northern Thai people of Lanna, Thailand. It is a Southwestern Tai language that is closely relat ...

Geography

The Phu Phan Mountains rise above the plateau and are not prominent. They straddle most of the provinces of northern and eastern

, including

Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...

Nong Bua Lamphu Nong Bua Lam Phu () is a town in Thailand, capital of Nong Bua Lamphu Province. It is on the central eastern border of the province, approximately 45 kilometers south-west of the city of Udon Thani and from there, accessed by route 210. The town ...

Udon Thani Udon Thani ( th, อุดรธานี, ) is a city in Isan (Northeast Thailand), the capital of Udon Thani Province and with a population of approximately 430,000 in its urban area the 7th largest city in the country. The city municipality ...

Sakon Nakhon Sakon Nakhon ( th, สกลนคร, ; sometimes written Sakhon Nakhon) is a city (thesaban nakhon) in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of Sakon Nakhon Province as well as Mueang Sakon Nakhon District, with a population of ap ...

Nakhon Phanom Nakhon Phanom ( th, นครพนม, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeastern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Phanom Province. The town covers ''tambons'' Nai Mueang and Nong Saeng and parts of ''tambons'' At Samat and Nong Yat, all in M ...

Roi Et Roi Et (, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in north-eastern Thailand, capital of Roi Et Province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Roi Et district. As of 2006 it had a population of 34,229. Roi Et is 514 km from Ban ...

Maha Sarakham Sarakham is the capital city of Maha Sarakham Province in Thailand's northeastern (Isan) region. Sarakham, as it is known to its inhabitants, is in a rice-growing area on the southern Khorat plain, straddling the Chi River. Mahasarakham is 475 ...

, and Mukdahan Province. The highest elevation of the Phu Phan Range is the 641 m high summit known as Phu Lang Ka. It is in Nakhon Phanom Province. Other important peaks are 624 m high Phu Mai Hia in Mukdahan Province and the 563 m high summit known as Phu Langka Nuea in Nakhon Phanom Province. The hills are mostly

deforested Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

, although patches covered with mixed

deciduous forest In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

remain in zones spread across the range. Phu Phan Royal Palace is in the area, as is the Nam Un dam. Other local sights are

Lake Nong Han The Nong Han ( th, หนองหาน, ) is a lake in the northeast of Thailand, northeast of the provincial capital town of Sakon Nakhon. The lake covers an area of 125.2 km² and is the largest natural lake of northeast Thailand. The mai ...

near

and the Khmer-style chedi ruins of Phu Phek, dating from 1050.

Protected areas

The area of the Phu Phan mountains includes

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

s and other protected areas: *

Phu Phan National Park Phu Phan National Park ( th, ภูพานอุทยานแห่งชาติ) is a national park in Sakon Nakhon and Kalasin provinces, Thailand. This isolated park covers a wide jungle area in the Phu Phan Mountains of Isan. Geography ...

Phu Wiang National Park Phu Wiang National Park (PWNP) is in Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand, covering the area of the Phu Wiang Mountains. It is best known for its numerous dinosaur bone paleontological sites, The park is one of the world's largest dinosaur ...

* Than Ngam Forest Park * Kosam Phi Forest Park *

Nam Phong National Park Nam Phong National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติน้ำพอง) is a national park in Thailand's Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum provinces. This mountainous park, in two separate sections, encompasses part of the Ubol Ratana ...

* Phu Faek Forest Park * Phu Kao–Phu Phan Kham National Park *

Phu Pha Lek National Park Phu or ''variation'', may refer to: Places *Phủ, prefecture in 15th–19th century Vietnam People Given name *Phu Dorjee (died 1987), first Indian to climb Mount Everest without oxygen *Phu Dorjee Sherpa (died 1969), first Nepali to climb Mount ...

Huai Huat National Park Phu Pha Yon National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติภูผายล) is a List of national parks in Thailand, national park in northeastern Thailand (Isan). Formerly known as Huai Huad National Park (อุทยานแ ...

(Phu Pha Yon) *

Phu Phra Bat Buabok Forest Park Phu Phra Bat Buabok ( th, วนอุทยานในภูพระบาทบัวบก) is a forest park in Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province, northeast Thailand. Named after two Buddha footprints carved into rocks in the Lan Xang ...

References

External links

NatureThai - Phu Phan National Park
{{Mountain ranges of Thailand Mountain ranges of Thailand Geography of Kalasin province Geography of Mukdahan province Geography of Roi Et province Geography of Maha Sarakham province Geography of Udon Thani province Geography of Khon Kaen province Geography of Nong Bua Lamphu province Geography of Sakon Nakhon province

Etymology

Geography

Protected areas

See also

References

External links