Southeast Asia Physical Geography

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Mekong

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Mekong , Chinese Lancang, one of the great rivers of SE Asia, c.2,600 mi (4,180 km) long. From its marshy source (definitively identified in 1994) on the Rup-sa Pass in the highlands of Tibet, it rises as the Za Qu (Dza Chu) and flows generally S through Yunnan prov. in deep gorges and over rapids. Leaving Yunnan, the Mekong forms the Myanmar-Laos border, then curves E and S through NW Laos before marking part of the Laos-Thailand border.

From SW Laos the river descends onto the Cambodian plain, where it receives water from Tônlé Sap during the dry season by way of the Tônlé Sap River; during the rainy season, however, the floodwaters of the Mekong reverse the direction of the Tônlé Sap River and flow into Tônlé Sap, a lake that is a natural reservoir. The Mekong River finally flows into the South China Sea through many distributaries in the vast Mekong delta (c.75,000 sq mi/194,250 sq km), which occupies SE Cambodia and S Vietnam. The delta, crisscrossed by many channels and canals, is one of the greatest rice-growing areas of Asia. It is a densely populated region; Vinh Long, Can Tho, and Long Xuyen are the chief towns there. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is located just east of the delta. The Mekong delta was the scene of heavy fighting in the Vietnam War .

The Mekong River is navigable for large vessels c.340 mi (550 km) upstream; Phnom Penh is a major port. North of the Cambodian border, the Mekong was navigable in short sections, but dams and other developments have increased the reach of river traffic in the 21st cent. At Khone Falls, a series of rapids (6 mi/9.7 km long) in S Laos, the Mekong drops 72 ft (22 m). The falls are the site of a hydroelectric power station, part of the Mekong Scheme, a project undertaken by the United Nations in the early 1960s to develop the potentials of the lower Mekong basin. The project sought to improve navigation, provide irrigation facilities, and produce hydroelectricity.

The Mekong River Commission, whose members consist of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, have agreed to pursue sustainable hydropower and irrigation projects and to explore the establishment of fisheries and the construction of a trans-Indochinese roadway system. Laos in particular is undertaking an extensive hydroelectric development of the river and its tributaries. China is developing the upper Mekong, constructing a series of dams to provide hydroelectric power and a navigable waterway; the first, at Manwan, was completed in 1993. In 2010 a report to the commission recommended that no dams that span the full breadth of the river channel be built on the lower Mekong for 10 years because of projected losses to fisheries and other environmental damage that could worsen poverty despite the revenues from producing hydroelectricity.

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"Mekong." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Mekong." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Mekong.html

"Mekong." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Mekong.html

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Mekong

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Mekong, China‐Laos‐Cambodia‐Vietnam A river which, besides flowing through four countries, also acts as the border between Laos and Burma (Myanmar), and Laos and Thailand. Its names are Lancang Jiang ‘Turbulent Flood’ in Chinese, Za Qu ‘Water on the Rocks’ in Tibetan, Mènam Khong in Laotian, Mékôngk in Khmer, Sông Tiên Giang in Vietnamese, and Mae Nam Khong in Thai. It is the Thai name from which Mekong is derived from menam ‘river’ and khong ‘water’.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mekong." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mekong." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Mekong.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mekong." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Mekong.html

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Mekong

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Mekong River in se Asia. It rises in Tibet as the Lancang Jiang and flows s through Yünnan province, China. It forms the Burma-Laos border and part of the Laos-Thailand border and then flows s through Cambodia and Vietnam, creating a vast river delta that is one of the most important rice-producing regions in Asia. Length: c.4180km (2600mi).

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Mekong River

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | Copyright

Mekong River a river of Southeast Asia, which rises in Tibet and flows southeast and south for 2,600 miles (4,180 km) through southern China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to its extensive delta on the South China Sea. It forms the boundary between Laos and its western neighbors Burma and Thailand.

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"Mekong River." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Mekong River." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-MekongRiver.html

"Mekong River." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-MekongRiver.html

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Mekong

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

Mekong •along, belong, bong, chaise longue, dong, Geelong, gong, Guangdong, Haiphong, Heilong, Hong Kong, Jong, King Kong, long, mah-jong, Mao Zedong, Mekong, nong, pong, prolong, prong, sarong, Shillong, song, souchong, strong, thong, throng, tong, Vietcong, wrong •billabong • dingdong • Wollongong •Chittagong • headlong • livelong •sidelong • lifelong • oblong • oolong •singalong • furlong • pingpong •Armstrong • headstrong • part song •plainsong • evensong • singsong •swansong • birdsong • biltong •diphthong

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	The Mekong: Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future.(Review) Magazine article from: Contemporary Southeast Asia; 8/1/2001
	The Strategic Significance of the Mekong.(Mekong River) Magazine article from: Contemporary Southeast Asia; 12/1/2000
	A united plan for the Mekong.(ASIAN PERSPECTIVES: Progress)(The Mekong... Magazine article from: Ecos; 4/1/2005