Pakse or Pakxe (French Paksé;"Mouth of the river Se") is the capital and most populous city in the southern province of Champasak, making it the third most populous city in Laos. It has a population of about 80,000, situated at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers. It also served as the capital of the Kingdom of Champasak until it was unified with the rest of Laos in 1946.