Mergui Archipelago
| Mergui Archipelago | ||
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| Waters | Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) | |
| Geographical location | 12 ° 0 ′ N , 98 ° 0 ′ E | |
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| Number of islands | 1000 | |
| Main island | Kadan Kyun (King Island) | |
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The Mergui Archipelago (also Myeik Archipelago or Myeik Kyunzu ) is an archipelago in the northern Andaman Sea on the west coast of Myanmar in the Indian Ocean . It consists of 800 small and large islands, which are sparsely populated and mostly densely forested. Sometimes the islands are also referred to as Pashu Islands because the Malay people there are called Pashu .
Surname
The Mergui Archipelago takes its name from the largest city of the same name in southern Myanmar Mergui , also called Myeik .
Islands
The largest islands in the archipelago are (with size in square kilometers):
Kadan Kyun 450 Kanmaw Kyun 409 Saganthit Kyun 257 Letsok-aw Kyun 250 Lanbi Kyun 188 Zadetkyi Kyun 176 Thayawthadangyi 120 Daung Kyun 110 Mali Kyun 99 Bentinck Kyun 78
history
The islands have been inhabited for centuries by the Moken , who lead a secluded life in harmony with nature on their boats. They feed almost exclusively on traditional fishing and have almost no contact with the outside world. They feel under no obligation to the government and so there have been and continue to be problematic incidents. Due to the isolation from the outside world, the archipelago is one of the last natural island landscapes on earth, some islands have never been entered by humans. Until the end of the colonial period in 1947, the Mergui archipelago was administered by the British.
For decades, visitors have been banned from entering and inhabiting the islands by the government. This regulation has only been relaxed since 1997, and overnight trips are now possible on the archipelago.
Flora and fauna
The archipelago has a tropical climate and there are rainforests, white sandy beaches, rocky bays and some mangrove forests . Off the coast there are also the coral reefs of the Burma Banks . The isolation of the islands from human influence on the environment gave the archipelago a rich and diverse fauna and flora. It also laid the foundation for the region's great popularity as a diving destination. There are many different species of animals on the islands themselves, including a. Tigers , elephants , monkeys , wild boars and deer . Unconfirmed reports have been reported to be home to Sumatran rhinos on Lampi Island , one of the larger islands in the archipelago .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 29, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
