Irrawaddy River

Myanmar’s principal river flows south from the Himalayan region through the country and into the Andaman Sea. Its basin supports major settlements, agriculture, transport, and fisheries.

N’mai River: A major headstream of the Irrawaddy that rises in the eastern Himalaya and flows through northern Myanmar. It joins the Mali River to form the Irrawaddy’s main stem.
Inland water transport in Myanmar: The movement of people and goods along Myanmar’s navigable rivers and waterways. The Irrawaddy is the country’s principal inland transport corridor.
Bhamo: A town in northern Myanmar near the Irrawaddy, historically important as a river port and trading center. It marks a key northern point on the river’s navigable route.
2008 Cyclone Nargis: A powerful tropical cyclone that struck Myanmar in May 2008, causing catastrophic flooding and loss of life in the Irrawaddy Delta. Its storm surge and flooding devastated communities across the river’s delta.
Mali River: A river in northern Myanmar that joins the N’mai River at the head of the Irrawaddy. Its confluence with the N’mai marks the beginning of the main river.
Paddy field: A flooded field used to cultivate rice, especially in monsoon climates. Irrawaddy basin irrigation and floodplain soils support extensive rice cultivation.
Mandalay: A city in central Myanmar that served as the last royal capital of the Burmese kingdom. The Irrawaddy runs beside Mandalay and connected it to the rest of the country.
Irrawaddy River dolphin conservation: Efforts to protect freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins and their river habitats in Myanmar. Fishing practices, habitat change, and river development threaten the dolphin population in the Irrawaddy.
Chindwin River: A major river of western Myanmar and the largest tributary of the Irrawaddy. Its flow substantially enlarges the Irrawaddy in central Myanmar.
Ayeyarwady dolphin: A small, rounded-headed dolphin species found in coastal and freshwater habitats of South and Southeast Asia. A freshwater population inhabits a stretch of the Irrawaddy in Myanmar.

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