Mekong River
The Mekong River is a river in the south-east of Asia. It flows through many countries: China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam. The Mekong begins in the Lasagongma Spring which is in the plateaus of Tibet, disputed part of China, and flows about 2,703 miles (4,350 km) south-east to the South China Sea. Its watershed covers 307,000 square miles (797,000 square kilometers).[1] Its name comes from the Thai language's Mae Num, or literally, "Mother Water".
| Mekong | |
| Mae Num Khong, Lancang Jiang, Mae Khaung, Menam Khong, Mekongk, Tonle Thom, Song Cu'u Long | |
| River | |
 The Mekong in Laos
| |
| Countries | China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Source | Lasagongma Spring |
| - location | Mount Guozhongmucha, Qinghai, China |
| - elevation | 5,224 m (17,139 ft) |
| - coordinates | 33°42′31″N 94°41′44″E / 33.70861°N 94.69556°E |
| Mouth | Mekong Delta |
| - location | South China Sea, Vietnam |
| Length | 4,350 km (2,703 mi) |
| Basin | 795,000 km² (306,951 sq mi) |
 Map of the Mekong River watershed.
| |
The Mekong is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, with hundreds of types of fish, as well as river dolphins, crocodiles, and otters. Fishing is a very important activity on the river.[2] However, the Mekong River is also used extensively for navigation.
DamsEdit
The river has dams:
Dams that are being built in China, are:
Dams that are being built in Laos, are:
Dams that are planned (as of 2017), include:
- Pak Beng Dam (planned finished in 2022)
- Latsua (planned finished in 2023)
- Sanakham (planned finished in 2024)
Related pagesEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ "Source of the Mekong River (Langcang Jiang)". Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ↑ "BIodiversity and Fisheries in the Lower Mekong Basin" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-03-29.
- ↑ Murder on the Mekong: Death by a Thousand Dams
Other websitesEdit
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mekong. |
Government, corporate, environment and technical
- Mekong River Commission
- Thailand National Mekong Committee
- Vietnam National Mekong Committee
- Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law Peace Palace Library
Travel, culture and history
- NYTimes: The Mysterious Mekong Starts to Reveal Itself
- First raft and kayak descents of the Mekong in China, 1994 - 2004
