Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Thanlwin (Salween) River
Rising on the Tibetan Plateau, this river flows into Myanmar in
its northeastern corner at China and empties into the Gulf of Mottama, near Mawlamyine.
Also, the Mekong River passes by on the short border with Laos.
One end of the 1860-mile-long Himalaya mountain chain, formed when the Indian and
Eurasian tectonic plates collided 140 million years ago, extends to Myanmar's Kachin
State.
Flora & Fauna
Myanmar, which sits on a transition zone between the plants and creatures of the Indian
subcontinent, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan highlands, is a biodiversity hotspot.
However, the troubled politics of the country over the last century have made it difficult
for researchers to gain an accurate picture of the current state of the country's wildlife.
MYANMAR'S ECO TREASURE CHEST
Myanmar has long intrigued scientists, who believe that many critically en-
dangered species, or even species that are new to science, might be living in
closed-off parts of the country. As remote parts of the country have opened up, the
scientists' hopes have been proven correct.
MMyanmar s
d monnkey In 2010 the BBC reported the discovery of this new
species of colobine monkey. It's estimated there's a population of between 260
and 330 of these primates living by the Mekong and Thanlwin Rivers in Kachin
State.
Araakan f
r snuub--nosed m
tles In 2009 a team of World Conservation Society scientists dis-
covered five of these critically endangered species, less than a foot long and with a
light brown shell, amid thick stands of bamboo in a sanctuary set up originally to
protect elephants. In modern times, researchers had only previously seen a hand-
ful of captive examples.
Kiittii's h
n forest t
t tuurtle
d bat Prior to 2001, when it was located in Myanmar, the species
that is also known as the bumblebee bat was thought to live only in a tiny part of
western Thailand. At a length of 1.25in to 1.5in and weighing in at just 0.07oz this is
the world's smallest bat.
Guurney''s p
s hog--nosed b
s piitta This stunningly bright, small bird underwent a dramatic decline dur-
ing the 20th century, until only a single population in Thailand was known.
However, it was also discovered in Myanmar in 2003, giving hope that it may also
be able to survive.
