Everything about The Irrawaddy Delta totally explained
The
Irrawaddy Delta or
Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the
Irrawaddy Division, the lowest expanse of land in
Burma that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at
Myan Aung to the
Bay of Bengal and
Andaman Sea, 290 km to the south at the mouth of the
Ayeyarwady River. The
delta region is densely populated, and plays a dominant role in the cultivation of
rice in rich
alluvial soil as low as just 3 metre above sea level, although it also includes fishing communities in a vast area full of rivers and streams. On 2 May 2008, the delta suffered a major disaster, devastated by
Cyclone Nargis, which reportedly killed over 77,000 people with over 55,900 missing, and left about 2.5 million homeless.
Geography
Arms and terrain
The Irrawaddy Delta is comprised of the main arms of Pathein River, Pyapon River, Bogale River, and Toe River. Mortin Point, formerly
Cape Negrais, is a famous landmark in the Irrawaddy Division, and it also marks the south west end of Myanmar. The highest point of the delta, Waphu Mount(1325 ft) lies between Pathein and Mortin Soon (point), on the western strip of the delta. A major portion of the area is covered with low lying lands just 3m above sea level. This alluvial plain is bounded to the west by the
Arakan Yoma and to the east by the
Bago Yoma. It is dissected into peninsulas and islands by the large southward flowing rivers which are subject to tidal intrusion. The lower seaward third of the delta is completely flat with no local relief and stretches for 130 km from east to west. Most of the rain falls during the
monsoons between mid-May and mid-November. It is cool and dry from mid-October to mid-February when temperatures begin to rise with premonsoon squalls in April and early May., .
River banks
Islands
The principal islands include
Haingyi Kyun, Lake Kyun (Turtle Island), Pyin Salu Kyun, and Meinmahla Kyun (Pretty Women Island).
Major cities
Major cities include
Bogale,
Maubin,
Myaungmya,
Moulmeingyun,
Pantanaw,
Pathein,
Pyapon,
Dedaye up to
Twante, and
Kyauktan.
Canals
There is no extensive system of irrigation or water transport canals except Twante Canal, constructed during the colonial period. It is much beneficial to the delta region for communication and commerce through water transportation with Yangon. Delta culture hence shifted to Yangon, its influence evident in places and products such as Bogale Market, Mortin Quarter, Yay Kyaw Quarter, Danubyu Restaurants, Pathein Halawa (
halva dessert), Tinphyu mats from
Pantanaw, and Pathein umbrella.
History
The delta was dominated by the
Mon kingdoms in the past. It has seen many wars between the
Burmese from the kingdom of
Ava farther north and the
Mon kingdom of
Pegu, renamed Bago, notably in the 15th and 16th centuries, but finally culminating in Burmese supremacy in the latter half of the 18th century. Pegu itself along with
Pathein, formerly Bassein, and
Thanlyin, formerly Syriam, were major ports. Haingyi Kyun or Negrais Island was seized by the
British in 1753 when the Mon proved resistant to a request to establish a trading post. It was however ceded to the British in addition to permission to build a factory in Pathein by the Burmese king
Alaungpaya after he'd defeated the Peguans in 1757. The British on Haingyi Kyun were massacred by Alaungpaya's men in 1759 when the king felt he'd been betrayed by the British. The entire province of Pegu eventually fell to the British in 1852 and became part of British Burma.
Marshes, swamp forests, and lakes both permanent and seasonal covered the area until the latter half of the 19th century. The British colonial administration drained the marshes and built dykes and embankments starting from 1861 for rice cultivation as the
Burmese began to migrate south into British Burma in search of greener pastures. There now exist 1,300 km of major embankments in the delta to protect 600,000
hectares of paddyland.
Inhabitants
It is mainly populated by farming and fishing communities in several villages besides market towns, mostly located along the main rivers. At 100 per sq km, it's one of the most densely populated regions in the country with a total population of 3.5 million.
Current inhabitants include, apart from the
Mon and
Bamar, a majority
Pwo Kayin, and Muslims.
Economy and development
The region is Myanmar's largest rice producer, so its infrastructure of road transportation has been greatly developed during the 1990's and 2000's. Two thirds of the total arable land is under rice cultivation with a yield of about 2,000-2,500 kg per hectare. Fishing is carried out from fixed fishing frames as well as from small boats. Prawn fishery and harvesting sea turtle eggs are also major commercial activities both of which are now threatened by the loss of mangrove forests as clearing of land proceeds for agriculture. Since communication throughout the delta is easiest by water, almost every household possesses a boat and major towns such as
Bogale,
Mawlamyinegyun and
Myaungmya are served by
steamer.
National heritage sites and nature reserves
Meinmahla Kyun Reservation is a national
heritage site as well as a
natural habitat to many mangrove forests and diverse sea life. The
Irrawaddy dolphin isn't a true river dolphin native to the Delta region, but it was named after the river, and these sea dolphins are known to enter the rivers of
South East Asia.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Irrawaddy Delta'.
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