Editing Geography of Myanmar (section)

==Mountains==
{{see also|List of mountains in Myanmar}}
Myanmar's mountains create five distinct [[physiographic]] regions.

'''Northern Mountains'''
[[File:Mount Popa 13.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Popa]], a dormant volcano in the Central Lowlands]]
[[File:Mountains near Pindaya, Myanmar.jpg|thumb|Mountains near [[Pindaya]] on the Shan Plateau]]
[[File:Zwegabin Monastery view to Hpa An 3.jpg|thumb|View of [[Hpa-An]] from [[Mount Zwegabin]] in Southeastern Hills]]

The Northern Mountains are characterised by complex ranges centred around the eastern ends of the [[Himalayas]] and the northeastern limit of the Indian-Australian Plate.<ref name="btnnc"/> The ranges at the southern end of the [[Hengduan System]] form the border between Myanmar and [[People's Republic of China|China]]. [[Hkakabo Razi]], the country's highest point at {{convert|5881|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, is located at the northern end of the country. This mountain is part of a series of parallel ranges that run from the [[foothills]] of the [[Himalaya]] through the border areas with [[Assam]], [[Nagaland]] and [[Mizoram]].

'''Central Lowlands'''

Myanmar is characterized by its Central Lowlands running north–south between several different mountain ranges. This was deeply excavated by many rivers and today forms the basin for major rivers like the [[Irrawaddy River|Irrawaddy]], [[Chindwin River|Chindwin]] and [[Sittaung River]]s. The [[Bago Yoma]] (Pegu Range) is a prominent but relatively low mountain chain between the Irrawaddy and the Sittaung River in lower-central Myanmar. Many smaller mountain ranges run through the lowlands like the small mountain ranges of [[Zeebyu Taungdan]], [[Min-wun Taungdan]], [[Hman-kin Taungdan]] and [[Gangaw Taungdan]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.csostat.gov.mm/myanmar.asp |title=Myanmar in brief |access-date=27 February 2012 |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604165535/https://www.csostat.gov.mm/myanmar.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Mount Popa]], an extinct volcano and [[Nat (deity)|Nat worship]] holy site, rises prominently from the surrounding lowlands in these lowlands.

'''Western Ranges'''

The Western Ranges are characterized by the [[Arakan Mountains]] running from [[Manipur]] into western Myanmar southwards through [[Rakhine State]] almost to [[Cape Negrais]] in the shores of the [[Bay of Bengal]] in [[Ayeyarwady Region]]. The mountains reappear as the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] further within the [[Andaman Sea]]. These mountains are old crystalline rocks separating the Arakan Coast from the rest of the country.<ref name="btnnc"/> The Arakan Range includes the [[Naga Hills]], the [[Chin Hills]], and the [[Patkai]] range which includes the [[Lushai Hills]].<ref name="britannica.com">[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31961/Arakan-Mountain-Range "Rakhine Mountains"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711122059/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31961/Arakan-Mountain-Range |date=11 July 2009 }} ''Encyclopædia Britannica''</ref> The [[Arakan Coast]] of the Bay of Bengal lays west of these mountains with prominent island archipelagos and coral reefs.

'''Shan Plateau'''

In eastern Myanmar, the Shan Plateau rises abruptly from the central lowlands in single steps of some 2,000 feet (600m). The highest point of the [[Shan Hills]] is 2,563 m high [[Loi Pangnao]], one of the [[ultra prominent peak]]s of Southeast Asia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinci.com/travel/pax/q/1847763/Loi+Pangnao/MM/Myanmar/0/ |title=Loi Pangnao (mountain) – Region: Shan State, Myanmar |access-date=29 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423165234/http://www.chinci.com/travel/pax/q/1847763/Loi+Pangnao/MM/Myanmar/0/ |archive-date=23 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/burma.html |title=Peaklist – Burma and Eastern India |access-date=24 May 2016 |archive-date=17 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117064710/http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/burma.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Shan Hills form, together with the [[Karen Hills]], [[Dawna Range]] and [[Tenasserim Hills]], a natural border with [[Thailand]] as well as the [[Kayah–Karen montane rain forests]] [[ecoregion]]<ref>[http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/greatermekong/discovering_the_greater_mekong/ecoregions/kayah_karen_tenasserim/ Kayah Karen Tenasserim Ecoregion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326171548/http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/greatermekong/discovering_the_greater_mekong/ecoregions/kayah_karen_tenasserim/ |date=26 March 2011 }}</ref> which is included in the [[Global 200]] list of ecoregions identified by the [[WWF (conservation organization)|World Wildlife Fund (WWF)]] as priorities for conservation.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|id=im0163|name=Tenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests}}</ref> The plateau was formed during the Mesozoic Era and are a much older feature than the other ranges of Myanmar, creating a series of elevated ranges and valleys.<ref name="btnnc"/> The most notable being the [[Salween River]] basin, covering 109,266 sq mi (283,00&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).<ref name="cgiar-sal">{{cite web|url=https://wle-mekong.cgiar.org/changes/where-we-work/salween-river-basin/|title=Salween River Basin|publisher=WLE Greater Mekong|website=WLE Great Mekong|access-date=16 March 2022|archive-date=16 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316202007/https://wle-mekong.cgiar.org/changes/where-we-work/salween-river-basin/|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Southeastern Hills'''

Myanmar's Southeastern Hills and see the [[Tenasserim Plains]] have western shores backed by the [[Tenasserim Range]] respectively.<ref name="btnnc"/> The Tenessarim Plains consists largely of the western slopes of the [[Bilauktaung]], the highest part of the Tenasserim Range, which extends southwards forming the central range of the [[Malay Peninsula]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.geographia.com/myanmar/ |title=An Introduction to Burma (Myanmar) |access-date=7 August 2011 |archive-date=7 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807212438/http://www.geographia.com/myanmar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Dawna Range]] also stretches along the northern parts of the Tenasserim tail of Myanmar. Many hills in this area, like [[Mount Zwegabin]] and [[Kyaiktiyo Pagoda|Kyaiktiyo]], are important cultural and religious sites. The coastal islands rise prominently from the sea and form multiple island archipelago with coral reefs, especially in the [[Mergui Archipelago]].