Geography of Myanmar

Myanmar (also known as Burma) is the northwesternmost country of mainland Southeast Asia located on the Indochinese peninsula. With an area of 261,228 sq mi (676,578 km²), it is the second largest country in Southeast Asia and the largest on mainland Southeast Asia. The kite-shaped country stretches from 10'N to 20'N for 1,275 miles (2,050 km) with a long tail running along the western coast of the Malay Peninsula.

Myanmar lies along the Indian and Eurasian Plates, to the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau. To its west is the Bay of Bengal and to its south is the Andaman Sea. The country is nestled between several mountain ranges with the Arakan Mountains on the west and the Shan Plateau dominating the east. The central valley follows the Irrawaddy River, the most economically important river to the country with 39.5 million people, including the largest city Yangon, living within its basin. The country is home to many diverse ethnic groups, with 135 officially recognized groups. It is strategically located near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes and was historically home to overland trade routes into China from the Bay of Bengal. The neighboring countries are China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos.

The southern maritime boundary follows coordinates marked by both Myanmar and Thailand towards the maritime tripoint with India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The maritime India-Myanmar border resumes end south of Coco Islands before heading towards Myanmar's narrow boundary with international Bay of Bengal waters. Myanmar has a total coastline of 1,384 mi (2,227 km) and has several islands and archipelagos- most notably the Mergui Archipelago. The county has a total water area is 8,910 square miles (23,100 km²) and an Exclusive Economic Zone covering 205,706 sq mi (532,780 km²).

Myanmar has a land border totaling 4,053 miles (6,523 km) bordering five countries and encompassing a total land area of 261,228 square miles (676,580 km²).

The Bangladesh-Myanmar border begins at the mouth of the Naf River at the Bay of Bengal and head north around the Mayu Range in a wide arc before head back north through the Chittagong Hill Tracts to the tripoint with India at the peak of Teen Matha for a total of 168 miles (270 km).

The India-Myanmar border heads north through the Chin Hills towards the Tiau River. It follows this river upstream and then through various rivers near Manipur before going northeast through the Patkai range to the Chaukan Pass and the Mishmi Hills for a total of 912 miles (1,468 km).

The tripoint with China and India is disputed due to the Sino-Indian border dispute but lies de facto north of the Diphu Pass. The China-Myanmar border heads northeast to Hkakabo Razi just one mile west of its summit. It then turns southeast following the Hengduan and Gaoligong Mountains through many irregular lines towards the Taping River and Shweli River. It then heads south-eastwards across the far Shan Hills, following hills and rivers, until it reaches the Mekong river. It follows the Mekong until the tripoint with Laos for a grand total of 1,333 miles (2,145 km).

The Laos-Myanmar border runs entirely along the Mekong river from the tripoint with China the tripoint with Thailand at the confluence of the Kok and Mekon Rivers for 148 miles (238 km)