MEKONG RIVER
G'day folks,
Today I feature my favourite river - the mighty Mekong.The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia.
It is the world's 12th longest river and the 7th longest in Asia. Its estimated
length is 4,350 km, and it drains an area of 795,000 km², discharging 457 km³
of water annually.
Here are some more facts about this river:
- The Mekong River is the 12th longest river in the world. It is about 2,700 miles long.
- Its source is the Lasagongma Spring in Mount Guozongmucha in the Tibetan Plateau, and its mouth is the Mekong Delta (South China Sea).
- The Mekong River is known by many names. It is called Lancang Jiang (meaning Turbulent River) by the Chinese, Mae Nam Kong (meaning Mother Water) by the Lao and Thai, and Cuu Long (meaning Nine Dragons) by the Vietnamese.
- The Mekong River flows through China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.
Cambodians
heavily rely on the Mekong River for their food supply and livelihood. Almost
80% of the protein intake of Cambodia is dependent on the fish caught from the
Mekong River.
The Vietnamese people rely on the
Mekong River for almost half the water used to irrigate their crops.
The Mekong River serves as a
significant transport channel for the Vietnamese people. It is also a trading
centre; as the Vietnamese hold their floating markets on the river.
About 60 million people live in the
Mekong River basin.
Laos is planning on building a
hydroelectric dam on the Mekong River. This has been highly controversial due
to its possible effect on the river’s ecosystems.
The Irrawaddy Dolphin, an endangered
species, can be found in the Mekong River, and it is also home to the giant
river carp (often over a metre long), the Mekong Freshwater Stingray, the
smooth-coated otter and the Siamese Crocodile.
CT in Laos, taking
snaps of the Mekong.
Construction of the Myanmar-Laos Friendship
Bridge began in 2013 and there are several Thai-Lao Freindship Bridges. These
bridges span the Mekong River in places where the river acts as an
international border.
In 1540, Antonio de Faria, a
Portuguese man, was the first person from Europe to see the Mekong River.
Now, here are some some sensational photographs on or near this amazing river, courtesy of Michael Sullivan, 'Mouth of The Mekong' :
Clancy's comment: I love this river. Coming from Australia, it is wonderful just sitting on one side of the Mekong and looking at another country on the other side. This river provides food, irrigation, water, entertainment and a massive avenue of transportation for many people. Many thanks to Microsoft, and to Michael Sullivan for some exquisite shots.
I'm ...
Think about this!
No comments:
Post a Comment