The great river of Myanmar, running the length of the country from the Himalayas to the sea.
Length
2,170 km
Source
Confluence in northern Myanmar
Mouth
Andaman Sea (Irrawaddy Delta)
Continent
Asia
Countries
Myanmar
Did you know?
The Irrawaddy is home to rare Irrawaddy dolphins that cooperate with fishermen, herding fish into their nets.
Little-known fact
Its banks hold Bagan, a plain studded with thousands of ancient Buddhist temples and pagodas.
Highlights
- The main river of Myanmar
- Home to fishing-partner dolphins
- Flows past the temples of Bagan
Life in the Irrawaddy
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Waterbirds
Sarus crane
The tallest flying bird on Earth; its lifelong pairs dance and call in duet across Asian wetlands.
Common kingfisher
A dazzling blue-and-orange dart that plunges from a perch to spear fish in an instant.
Water plants & reeds
Sacred lotus
A revered Asian water plant whose leaves are so water-repellent that dirt rolls straight off them.
Mangrove
Salt-tolerant trees whose stilted roots build the nurseries of the great river deltas.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here