Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Environment & Wildlife
Snow-capped mountains, steamy jungles, coral reefs, and open grasslands
- you name it, Myanmar's environment has it. Scientists continue to discov-
er new species amid the abundant biodiversity, but at the same time, the
country's poor record on environmental laws and enforcement is killing off
many others. Armed insurgencies, rampant resource extraction and un-
checked infrastructure development are among the many dire threats to My-
anmar's natural heritage.
According to the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (
www.aseanbiodiversity.org
)
, Myanmar is
home to 300 species of mammal, 400 species of reptile and around 1000 bird species.
Geography
A bit bigger than France and slightly smaller than Texas, Myanmar covers 261,228 sq
miles and borders (clockwise from the west) Bangladesh, India, Tibet, China, Laos and
Thailand, with 1199 miles of coastline facing the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
The country's south is similar to Malaysia and its north to northern India. The centre is an
overlap of the two, producing 'zones' whose uniqueness is manifest in the scenery and
creatures that hop around in it.
The area southwest of Yangon is a vast delta region notable for its production of rice.
Paddy fields are also an ever-present feature of Myanmar's central broad, flat heartland,
known as the 'dry zone' for its lack of rain. This area is surrounded by protective moun-
tain and hill ranges (
yoma
in Burmese). Most notable are the rugged Kachin Hills, which
serve as the first steps into the Himalaya to the north;
Hkakabo Razi
, on the Tibetan bor-
der, which at 19,295ft is Southeast Asia's highest mountain; and
Mt Victoria
(Nat Ma
Taung), west of Bagan in Chin State, which rises to 10,016ft.
Three major rivers - fed by monsoon downpours and melted Himalayan snows - cut
north to south through the country:
Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River
This 1240-mile-long waterway is one of Asia's most navig-
able big rivers, feeding much of the country's rice fields. It connects lower Myanmar (based
around Yangon) with upper Myanmar (around Mandalay).
Chindwin River
Originating in the Hukawng Valley of Kachin State, this 850-mile-long river
connects the northern hills with the Myanmar's central zone, joining with the Ayeyarwady
between Mandalay and Bagan.
