Myanmar's Geography

Located between Bangladesh and Thailand, with India and China to the north, Myanmar covers an area of about 675,000 sq km (over 260,000 sq mi).  The capital and largest city is Yangon, an important trade center is Mandalay located in central Myanmar.  

The country itself is divided into two classifications, Lower Myanmar and Upper Myanmar.  Lower Myanmar is comprised of coastal areas with thick tropical forests that have valuable trees in them (teak forests, oil-bearing and timber trees) with Upper Myanmar making up the interior parts of the country.  

A major topographical feature of Myanmar is the Irrawaddy River system.  Since its deltaic plains are very fertile, it is considered to be the most important part of the country covering about 18,000 sq mi (47,000 sq km).  Hkakabo Razi, the highest peak in Southeast Asia at 19,295 ft (5,881 m), is located in Myanmar.  A barrier between India and Myanmar, the Arakan Yoma range has peaks that range between 915 m (3,000 ft) and 1,525 m (5,000 ft). 

Almost half of Myanmar is covered in forests that are comprised of teak, rubber, cinchona, acacia, bamboo, ironwood, mangrove, coconut, betel palm with northern highlands comprised of oak, pine and many varieties of rhododendron.  There are many tropical fruits to be found as well, citrus, bananas, mangoes, and guavas in the coastal region.