Geography

Located between Bangladesh and Thailand, with India and China to the north, Myanmar covers a vast area of land that consists of tropical hills with luscious green trees, plains which seem to last forever and even mountainous peaks that rise kilometres above sea level, while tropical islands scatter the Andaman Sea in the south of the country. With the diversity of the landscapes comes a stunning array of plants and animals. With an area of about 675,000 sq km (over 260,000 sq mi), there geography covering this country is just as diverse as the culture itself.
While the capital of Myanmar is Nyapidaw, the largest city is Yangon. Yangon is home to a population of five million citizens and resembles a typical city in Asia that has been kept safe from outside influences. Yangon has managed to retain a significant amount of its cultural heritage, which can be seen practically everywhere. Another prominent city in the country is Mandalay, which is located inland. Mandalay is considered a hub for trade and finance in the centre of the country.
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 and the lifeblood of the country’s agriculture 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.
The tropical climat benefits a stunning array of plant and animal life, in the more heavily forested areas of the country, large cats including leopards, tigers and jungle cats exist, while in the mountains Asiatic black bears and Himalayan black bears. The country is rich in bird life, with an estimated 1000 species inhabiting the coastal and inland areas.
Given that the country has remained practically untouched from the rest of the world, with many of the tribes living on the land in a manner that they have for thousands of years. Many rely on the water that comes from rivers and streams for drinking water. Due to the vast open spaces of the land and being cut off from the rest of the world, Myanmar is said to have some of the freshest and cleanest air in the world.