The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Irrawaddy Division, the lowest expanse of land in Myanmar that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, 290 kilometres (180 mi) to the south at the mouth of the Ayeyarwady River.[1] The delta region is densely populated, and plays a dominant role in rice cultivation in its rich alluvial soil as low as just 3 metres (9.8 ft) above sea level. It also includes fishing communities in a vast area full of rivers and streams. On 2 May 2008, the delta suffered a major disaster, devastated by Cyclone Nargis, which reportedly killed at least 77,000 people with over 55,900 missing, and left about 2.5 million homeless.[2]
- ^ "Irrawaddy Delta". ARCBC (ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation). Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
- ^ "Myanmar death toll soars, devastation 'huge' " Reuters 17 May 2008