Myanmar Climate, Forests and Wildlife

Flooded rice fields on the Shan Plateau.

Climate

Myanmar has monsoon seasons. The wet period stretches from May to late October. During this time, strong winds blow into Myanmar from the southwest, bringing thunderstorms with heavy rain almost every day. Western Rahkine, southern Bago, Ayeyarwady, and the Taninthayi coast receive about 120-2—inches (3,048-5,080 millimeters) of rainfall a year. The central plain, however, surrounded by mountains, receives only about 20-40 inches (508-1,016 mm) annually. During the cool, dry season, which lasts from November to February, temperatures average about 70-80* Fahrenheit (21-27* Celsius). The hottest and driest months are March and April, when humidity is high and temperatures may exceed 110* F (43* C). Myanmar’s climate also varies with altitude. Highland areas experience cooler temperatures – the northern mountain peaks even see snow between November and January.

Bago Roma, Teak Forest

Mangroves Forest

Tropical and Temperate Forests

Because Myanmar spans about seventeen degrees of latitude, its natural vegetation varies from tropical rain forest in the wet, southern parts to temperate forest in the northern and highland areas. Valuable hardwood trees, such as teak, grow on the Bago Yoma range. Mangrove swamps line the coast. Oaks and conifers grow on mountain slopes at altitudes above 3,000 feet (914m). Rhododendrons, magnolias, and maples thrive in the northern highlands.

Abundant Wildlife

Myanmar’s many animals include tigers, bears, wild boars, deer, tapir and mongooses. Elephants – widely used for transportation in the past – are sometimes used to carry logs today. Myanmar is home to many poisonous snakes, such as the king cobra and several kinds of vipers.

Mynahs, sparrows, crows, and red-whiskered bulbuls are among the many bird species that nest in Myanmar. Flocks of white egrets are commonly seen standing in the paddy (wet rice) fields. Woodpeckers help preserve the teak forests by eating the bee-hole borer insects that attack trees. Weaverbirds got their name because they weave strips of grass into elongated nests that hang from palm trees or roof beams. Myanmar’s bird population also includes fish owls and hornbills.

Hornbill is a rare bird that lives in the forest of Myanmar

A leopard caught in spy camera

Sarus Crane

PhoeKyar, Forest Camp

A crocodile in Mangrove Forest

Myanmar Geography

Located in Southeast Asia, Myanmar covers an area of 261,228 square miles (676,580 square kilometers). It shares borders with India and Bangladesh to the west, China to the north, and Laos and Thailand to the east. Myanmar’s territory is shaped like a kite, with a long, tapering southern coastal strip facing the Andaman Sea. From north to south, the country spans about 1,275 miles (2,052 km).

A temple sits atop Mount.Popa, the core of an extinct volcano in central Myanmar

Mountains and Plains

Myanmar’s heartland is a central plain flanked by the Shan Plateau to the east and mountains to the north and west. Coastal plains lie to the south and southwest of the central plain.

Widely regarded as the cradle of Burmese civilization, the central plain once supported the majority of Myanmar’s royal capitals, including Bagan, Inwa (Ava), and Mandalay. Also known as the dry zone, the central plain receives very little rainfall. Crops grown there include millet, sesame, and irrigated rice. About half of the population of Myanmar is concentrated farther south, in the delta area of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River. Few people inhabit the mountainous areas that cover half the country. The northern mountains form a complex of ranges, with Mount Hkakabo Razi, Myanmar’s highest peak, rising to 19,295 feet (5,881 meters). The western ranges include the Rahkine Yoma and extend northward, through the Chin Hills and the Naga Hills, along the border with India. The Shan Plateau in eastern Myanmar has an average elevation of 3,000 feet (914m) and was formed between 245 million and 66 million years ago.

Myanmar has two strips of coastal land, the southwestern Rahkine coast and the Taninthayi coast in the far south. These areas receive very heavy rainfall, making them ideal for growing rice and a variety of tropical fruits. The division of Bago also forms part of the southern coastline. From the Ayeyarwady delta, the ports of Yangon (Rangoon) and Pathein (Bassein) look out across the Andaman Sea. Myanmar’s longest river, the Thanlwin (Salween), flows into the Shan Plateau from the Himalayas and empties into the Gulf of Mottama (Gulf of Martaban).

Life is simple on the rural areas.

Tribe on Chin Hills

Pa O tribe and Shan Plateau

The beauty of Thanlwin (Salween) River

 

Bird-eye view of Ayeyarwady River

 Sunrise in Bagan with Ayeyarwady River