Arakan Mountains

The Arakan Mountains form a long barrier between the Irrawaddy basin and the Bay of Bengal coast. Their wooded ridges extend south from the Chin Hills, with steep valleys carrying streams eastwards into central Burma and westwards towards Arakan. Passes through the mountains connect two regions whose histories were often shaped by their separation. On the eastern side the hills descend towards the dry plains around Minbu and the Irrawaddy River.