| Karen Hills | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Karen Hills | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Nattaung[1] |
| Elevation | 2,623 m (8,606 ft) |
| Coordinates | 18°49′N 97°2′E / 18.817°N 97.033°E |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | Burma |
| Range coordinates | 19°12′N 97°17′E / 19.200°N 97.283°E |
| Parent range | Shan Hills |
| Geology | |
| Rock type(s) | Granite, limestone |
The Karen Hills, (S'gaw Karen: တီအူကစၢၢ်ခိၣ်, Burmese: ကရင်တောင်တန်း) also known as Kayah-Karen Mountains, are one of the main hill ranges in eastern Burma. They are located at the SW corner of Shan State and in Kayah State, a mountainous region where the only relatively flat area is Loikaw, the capital. The southern end runs into Kayin State. One of the first all-weather roads in Burma was across the Karen Hills connecting Taungoo with Loilem.
Lawpita Falls, Myanmar's largest hydropower plant, built by the Japanese as war reparation, is located in these mountains.[2]
The name of the range is derived from the Karen people who occupy the highland area. In colonial times these mountains were often referred to as the "Toungoo Hills", for they rise east of Taungoo (formerly "Toungoo").[3]