Indawgyi Lake
Encyclopedia
Indawgyi Lake is one of the largest inland lakes in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

. It is located in Mohnyin Township
Mohnyin Township
Mohnyin Township is a township of Mohnyin District in the Kachin State of Burma . The principal town and administrative centre is Mohnyin...

 in the Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...

 of Burma. The lake measures 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) east to west, and 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) north to south. There are over 20 village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

s around the lake. The predominant ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

s living in the surroundings of the lake are the Shan and the Kachin
Kachin people
The Kachin people are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than half of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians - while a significant minority follow Buddhism and some also adhere...

, who mainly practice agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

. It is 546 feet above the sea level. it is the main part of the Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve of Burma. It is located in Mohnyin Township in Kachin State. It occupies an area of and was established in 1999...

.

it has the vertical width of 14 miles, the horizontal width of seven miles and the area of 100 square miles. there are 11 village-tracts, 36 villages around the lake; 13 villages are on the bank of the lake.

Flora and fauna

Indawgyi Lake is within the confines of Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, which was established in 1999 by the Ministry of Ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

. The sanctuary, which encompasses 780 km² (301.2 sq mi), contains a variety of animal species, including rare mammals and birds.

One of Burma's important bird areas, 10 endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 can be found. Of these species, Greylag Geese
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....

, Oriental Darter
Oriental Darter
The Oriental Darter or Indian Darter , sometimes called Snakebird, is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia.-Taxonomy:...

 and Purple Swamphen
Purple Swamphen
The Purple Swamphen , also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Pūkeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae . From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird...

 are prominent during the month of January. A tour of the lake by motor canoe allows one to view a large array of wetland species. It appears that the lake and surrounding wetlands provide an important winter feeding habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

. Many local fisher folk ply its waters and surrounding village waste threaten water quality. However annual monsoons serve to flush and refresh its waters.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK