The Dry Zone (also called the Central Dry Zone) or Anyar (Burmese: အညာ) is a region of Myanmar located in central Upper Myanmar - including most of Magway, Mandalay, and Sagaing regions. The Dry Zone is home to between one-fourth to one-third of the country's population, 80% of whom are farmers and farmhands. As the ancestral heartland of the Bamar, the Dry Zone has been the seat of governments throughout Myanmar's history to the present.

The Dry Zone is named for its semi-arid climate and sparse, erratic rainfall, caused by the Arakan Mountains, which prevents monsoons from reaching the region. It is the country's most water-stressed region. The region has been especially impacted by land degradation and desertification, due to factors like water and wind erosion, soil fertility depletion, and deforestation. Consequently, the Dry Zone is one of Myanmar's most chronically food insecure regions.

The Dry Zone spans 53 townships under 13 districts across 3 regions - Magway, Mandalay, and Sagaing, covering 19,539,494 acres (79,073.53 km²), or 10% of the country's total land mass. The Dry Zone is bounded by Shwebo and Katha Districts to the north, the Shan plateau to the east, Arakan Mountains to the west and Pyay District to the south. The region measures 250 miles (400 km) at its longest, and 120 miles (190 km) to its widest. Approximately 46% of the area is dedicated to agriculture, while forested areas make up 30% of the remainder. 270 miles (430 km) of the Irrawaddy River runs through the Dry Zone.

According to the MIMU, the Dry Zone encompasses the parts or all of the following districts:

The Dry Zone contains a variety of climates ranging from semi-arid to semi-humid. The region receives comparatively little rainfall and frequently experiences dry spells during the Monsoon of South Asia and rainy seasons. This is due to the Dry Zone being surrounded by the Arakan Mountains to the west and the Pegu Range to the south, as well as the Shan Hills to the east; its location creates a rain shadow. Annual average rainfall is only 28.44 inches (722 mm), and typically occurs during two seasons: May to June, and September to October, depending on the monsoon's onset.

The Dry Zone is also home to several rivers, most importantly the Irrawaddy and its tributaries, including the Chindwin and Mu Rivers. During the monsoon, the Irrawaddy frequently floods, but in the Dry Zone it is otherwise mostly sanded off.

The Dry Zone's summer occurs between March to April, during which the mean maximum temperature is 90 °F (32 °C). The region's winter occurs between November to February, during which the mean minimum temperature is 50 °F (10 °C).

With its large population of ethnic Bamar, the Dry Zone has been referred to Myanmar's "heartland". Prior to the migration of the Bamar, the region was home to several Pyu city-states. Beginning in the 9th century CE, the Dry Zone became a regional center of power with the emergence of the Bagan Kingdom, which unified much of the country. This unification involved the consolidation of smaller city-states and the establishment of a centralised administration. The Dry Zone's strategic location, with its access to several rivers, including the Ayeyarwady River, played a crucial role in facilitating trade, communication, and military campaigns. Several historic dynasties, such as the Pagan Kingdom, Kingdom of Ava, and Konbaung dynasty, have relied on the region to exert political power.