Mekong River

Mekong River 湄公河 (Méigōng Hé) / 澜沧江 (Láncāng Jiāng) မဲခေါင်မြစ် (Megaung Myit) ແມ່ນ້ຳຂອງ (Maenam Khong) แม่น้ำโขง (Maenam Khong) ទន្លេមេគង្គ (Tônlé Mékôngk) Sông Mê Kông / Sông Cửu Long (九龍)
Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Laos
Mekong River watershed
Location
Country	China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Physical characteristics
Source	Lasaigongma (拉赛贡玛) Spring
- location	Mt. Guozongmucha (果宗木查), Zadoi, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, China
- coordinates	33°42.5′N 94°41.7′E / 33.7083°N 94.6950°E / 33.7083; 94.6950
- elevation	5,224 m (17,139 ft)
Mouth	Mekong Delta
- location	Vietnam
- coordinates	10°11′20″N 106°44′56″E / 10.189°N 106.749°E / 10.189; 106.749, 10°15′41″N 106°45′11″E / 10.261291334222218°N 106.75297696603432°E / 10.261291334222218; 106.75297696603432
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	4,350 km (2,700 mi)
Basin size	795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi)
Discharge
- location	Mekong Delta, South China Sea
- average	16,000 m3/s (570,000 cu ft/s)
- minimum	1,400 m3/s (49,000 cu ft/s)
- maximum	39,000 m3/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
- left	Srepok, Nam Khan, Tha, Nam Ou
- right	Mun, Tonlé Sap, Kok, Ruak

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The Mekong River is a river in southeast 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, 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 Khmer language "Mother Ganga". Me means Mother^[2] and Kong means Ganga (Ganges).^[3]

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.^[4] However, the Mekong River is also used extensively for navigation.

"Cambodia's plan to build a canal from the Mekong River basin to the Cambodian coast", has support (2024) from Vietnam's authorities, according to media.^[5]

1. ↑ "Source of the Mekong River (Langcang Jiang)". Archived from the original on 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
2. ↑ 1.Headley Jr. 2.Chim 3.Soeum, 1.Robert 2.Rath 3.Ok (1997). "Modern Cambodian-English Dictionary". www.sealang.net.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
3. ↑ 1.Headley Jr. 2.Chim 3.Soeum, 1.Robert 2. Rath 3. Ok (1997). "Modern Cambodian-English Dictionary". www.sealang.net.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. ↑ "BIodiversity and Fisheries in the Lower Mekong Basin" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-24. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
5. ↑ https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2851172/vietnam-backs-cambodias-mekong-canal-urges-cooperation-on-impacts. Retrieved 2024-08-21