Irrawaddy River

E48425

The Irrawaddy River is Myanmar’s largest and most important waterway, serving as a vital transport route and lifeline for agriculture, fisheries, and riverine communities from the north to the Andaman Sea.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf geographical feature
river
alternativeName Ayeyarwady River
biodiversityImportance habitat for freshwater and estuarine species
climateZone tropical monsoon
continent Asia
country Myanmar
culturalSignificance considered a lifeline of Myanmar
features in Burmese history and literature
deltaUse dense rural settlement
intensive rice cultivation
drainageBasinArea approximately 413700 square kilometers
economicImportance main inland waterway of Myanmar
major transport route for goods and people
supports agriculture in its floodplain and delta
supports inland fisheries
etymology name likely derived from Pali or Sanskrit origins
floodRegime monsoon-fed with peak flows in rainy season
flowsInto Andaman Sea
flowsThrough Ayeyarwady Region
Magway Region
Mandalay Region
Myanmar
Sagaing Region
hasDelta Irrawaddy Delta
historicalRole key transport corridor during British colonial period
principal artery of precolonial Burmese kingdoms
languageOfName Burmese
length approximately 1350 miles
approximately 2170 km
locatedIn Southeast Asia
majorCityNearDelta Yangon
majorCityOnRiver Bhamo
Mandalay
Myitkyina
Pyay
majorTributary Chindwin River
mouth Andaman Sea
Bay of Bengal
notableSpecies Irrawaddy dolphin
sourceRegion Eastern Himalayas foothills
Northern Myanmar
supportsActivity inland navigation
irrigated rice cultivation
riverine fisheries
sand and gravel extraction
threat deforestation in catchment
hydropower dam development
pollution from agriculture and industry
sedimentation

Referenced by (12)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Bhamo region ("Ayeyarwady River")
Mandalay
locatedOnRiver
Irrawaddy River ("Ayeyarwady River")
alternativeName
Southeast Asia
contains
Upper Burma ("Irrawaddy River valley")
containsValley
Shan Hills ("Irrawaddy River basin")
drainage
Myanmar
hasRiver
Third Anglo-Burmese War
location
Bay of Bengal
receivesRiver
Bamar ("Irrawaddy River valley")
region
Tibetan Plateau
sourceOf
Upper Burma
traversedBy

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