Myanmar Geography & Weather

Geography

Myanmar is Southeast Asia's largest country, sharing borders with China, Laos and Thailand in the east, and Bangladesh and India in the north, Myanmar has a 2,832 km seaboard with the Indian Ocean to the west and south.

The topography of Myanmar can roughly be divided into three parts: the Western Hill Region, the Central Valley Region and the Eastern Hill Region. The Himalayan Range has a link with Myanmar and is known as the Western Yoma that runs to the South. The Western Yoma Range serves as a well that separates Myanmar fro India. The Central Valley Region consists of the broadest valley of the Ayeyarwaddy. The Eastern Hill Region is the Shan Plateau.

The Ayeyarwady River, flows for more than 2,000km through Myanmar, before fanning out in a delta on the south coast. Yangon stands beside one of its many mouths. Central Myanmar is dominated by the Ayeyarwady basin which is shielded by the Rakhine, Chin and Naga Mountains and the Patkai Hills to the west, the Kachin Hills to the north, and the Shan Plateau to the east - which include peaks rising to over 3,000m, influencing the local climate. The river's valley and delta are considered one of the most fertile agricultural regions in Asia. Fruit, vegetables and citrus crops grow abundantly on the Shan Plateau. Forest covers more than 50% of Myanmar's land area.

Climate

Myanmar has three seasons; the monsoon or rainy season is from May to October; the cool season from November to February and the hot season from March to may. The average temperature ranges from 32C in central and lower areas to 21C in the northern highlands.