Arakan Yoma
Encyclopedia
The Arakan Mountains is a mountain range
in western Burma (Myanmar), between the coast of Rakhine State
and the Central Burma Basin, in which flows the Irrawaddy River. It is the most prominent of a series of parallel ridges that arc through Assam
, Nagaland
, Mizoram
and Burma. The Arakan Mountains run from Cape Negrais
in the south into the Manipur State of India
in the north. They include the Naga Hills
, the Chin Hills
, and the Patkai range
which includes the Lushai Hills
. These mountains are submerged in Bay of Bengal
for sufficiently long stretch and emerges again in the form of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
approximately along the boundary between India and Nepal.
at 3,094 meters (10,150 feet).
and by an all-weather road from Taungup to Pyay
on the Irrawaddy.
, both linguistically and culturally, from the Burmese
. the Arakan Mountains also served as a barrier inhibiting Burmese invasions, and allowing Arakan to develop as an separate political entity. Thus the coastal cities, such as Mrauk U
and Waithali
, formed the core of Arakan civilization.
There were fierce battles in these mountains between January 1943 and March 1944 during the Japanese conquest of Burma. The Japanese 33d and 55th Divisions faced the British military on the coastal side of the range.
which is home to an elephant population and also the critically endangered Arakan Forest Turtle
which was considered extinct.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in western Burma (Myanmar), between the coast of Rakhine State
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
and the Central Burma Basin, in which flows the Irrawaddy River. It is the most prominent of a series of parallel ridges that arc through Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
, Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
and Burma. The Arakan Mountains run from Cape Negrais
Cape Negrais
Cape Negrais is a cape in Burma , 193 kilometres from the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands....
in the south into the Manipur State of India
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
in the north. They include the Naga Hills
Naga hills
Naga hills, reaching a height of around 3825 metres, lie on the border of India and Burma . These hills are part of a complex mountain system, and the parts of the mountain ranges inside the Indian state of Nagaland and the Burmese region of Sagaing are called the Naga Hills.In British India, the...
, the Chin Hills
Chin Hills
The Chin Hills are a range of mountains in Chin State, northwestern Burma , that extends northward into India's Manipur state. They are part of the Arakan Mountain Range . The highest peak in the Chin Hills is Nat Ma Taung, or Khonumthung , in southern Chin State, which reaches 3,053 meters...
, and the Patkai range
Patkai
The Pat-kai meaning to Cut Chicken in Tai Ahom language are the hills on India's North Eastern border with Burma. They were created by the same tectonic processes that resulted in the formation of the Himalayain the Mesozoic . They are not as rugged as the Himalayas and its peaks are much lower...
which includes the Lushai Hills
Lushai hills
The Lushai Hills are part of the Patkai range in Mizoram and partially in Tripura, India.-Flora & Fauna:The hills are for the most part covered with dense bamboo jungle and rank undergrowth; but in the eastern portion, owing probably to a smaller rainfall, open grass-covered slopes are found, with...
. These mountains are submerged in Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
for sufficiently long stretch and emerges again in the form of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Geology and formation
The Arakan Mountains and the parallel arcs to the west and east were formed by compression as the Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian PlateEurasian Plate
The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia , with the notable exceptions of the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Chersky Range in East Siberia...
approximately along the boundary between India and Nepal.
High points
The Arakan Mountain Range is over 600 miles (950 km) long, with about 250 miles (400 km) of actual mountains. The highest point in the range is Mount VictoriaNat Ma Taung
Nat Ma Taung , is the highest mountain in the Chin State of western Burma. Located in Kanpalet Township, Mindat District, Mount Victoria is part of the Chin Hills range, and rises to above sea level....
at 3,094 meters (10,150 feet).
Infrastructure
The Arakan Mountains are crossed by the An route to Ngape and MinbuMinbu
Minbu is a city in Magwe Division, Myanmar. , the city has a population of 56,200. The area consists of low plain-land towards the Ayeyarwady River, and of undulating country inland rising higher and higher westwards towards the Arakan hills. Between the plain and the Arakan Yoma range is a...
and by an all-weather road from Taungup to Pyay
Pyay
Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon....
on the Irrawaddy.
History
Because the Arakan Mountains divide the Rakhine coast from the rest of Burma, they have acted as a barrier between the peoples of central Burma and those of the Indian subcontinent. This played a role in fostering the separate development of the Rakhine peopleRakhine people
The Rakhine , is a nationality in Myanmar forming the majority along the coastal region of present day Rakhine State or Arakan State. They possibly constitute 5.53% or more of Myanmar's total population but no accurate census figures exist. Rakhine people also live in the southeastern parts of...
, both linguistically and culturally, from the Burmese
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
. the Arakan Mountains also served as a barrier inhibiting Burmese invasions, and allowing Arakan to develop as an separate political entity. Thus the coastal cities, such as Mrauk U
Mrauk U
Mrauk U is an archaeologically important town in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is also the capital of Mrauk-U Township, a sub region of the Sittwe District. It was the capital of Mrauk U Kingdom, the most important and powerful Rakhine kingdom from 1433 to 1784.-Geography:Mrauk U lies...
and Waithali
Waithali
Waithali , located in today's northern Rakhine State, Myanmar, was the capital of the Waithali Kingdom from 788 to 1018. The former capital site is approximately 70 kilometers northeast of Sittwe, and east of Ram Chaung, a tributary of the Kaladan river. Like much of northern Rakhine State,...
, formed the core of Arakan civilization.
There were fierce battles in these mountains between January 1943 and March 1944 during the Japanese conquest of Burma. The Japanese 33d and 55th Divisions faced the British military on the coastal side of the range.
Ecology
The Arakan Mountains act as a barrier to the southwestern monsoon rains coming from central Myanmar, making their western slopes drier. They include the Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests ecoregionChin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests
The Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in western Burma . Surrounded at lower elevations by moist tropical forests, this ecoregion is home a diverse range of subtropical and temperate species, including many species characteristic...
which is home to an elephant population and also the critically endangered Arakan Forest Turtle
Arakan Forest Turtle
The Arakan forest turtle is an extremely rare turtle species which lives only in the Arakan hills of western Myanmar....
which was considered extinct.