Isan

Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/Thai: อีสาน, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}pronounced [ʔīː.sǎːn] ⓘ; Lao: ອີສານ, romanized: Īsān; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pāli .mw-parser-output .script-brahmi{font-family:"Segoe UI Historic","Noto Sans Brahmi"}𑀇𑀲𑀸𑀦 isāna or Sanskrit ईशान्य īśānya "northeast") consists of 20 provinces in northeastern Thailand. Isan is Thailand's largest region, on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River (along the Laos–Thailand border) to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Sankamphaeng Range south of Nakhon Ratchasima. To the west it is separated from northern and central Thailand by the Phetchabun Mountains. Isan covers 167,718 km² (64,756 sq mi), making it about half the size of Germany and roughly the size of England and Wales. The total forest area is 25,203 km² (9,731 sq mi) or 15 percent of Isan's area.