Myanmar, a republic in South-East Asia, bounded on
the north by Tibet Autonomous Region of China; on the east by China,
Laos, and Thailand; on the south by the Andaman Sea and the Bay of
Bengal; and on the west by the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, and India. It
is officially known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The coastal
region is known as Lower Myanmar, while the interior region is known as
Upper Myanmar. The total area of the country is 676,578 square km
(261,227 square miles).
A horseshoe-shaped mountain complex and the valley of
the Ayarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River system are the dominant topographical
features of Myanmar.
The mountains of the northern margin rise to 5881
meters (19,296 ft.) atop Hkakabo Razi, the highest peak in Southeast
Asia. Most of the mountain systems have northern to southern axes. The
ArakanYoma range, with peaks reaching more than 2740 meters (about 9000
ft), forms a barrier between Myanmar and the subcontinent of India. The
Bilauktaung range, the southern extension of the Shan Plateau, lies
along the boundary between southwestern Thailand and southeastern Lower
Myanmar. The Shan Plateau, originating in China, has an average
elevation of about 910 meters (about 3000 ft.).
Generally narrow and elongated in the interior, the
central lowlands attain a width of about 320km (about 200 miles) across
the Ayarwaddy-Sittaung delta. The delta plains, extremely fertile and
economically the most important section of the country, cover an area of
about 46,620 sq. km (18,000 sq. ml.). Both the Arakan (in the
northwest) and the Tenasserim (in the southwest) coasts of Myanmar are
rocky and fringed with islands. The country has a number of excellent
natural harbors.
Reference - Ministry of Hotel and Tourism