Overview
The Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia and the twelfth longest in the world, with a length of approximately 4,350 kilometers. It rises on the Tibetan Plateau and flows through China's Yunnan Province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where it empties into the South China Sea through a vast delta.
Geography and Physical Features
The Mekong's drainage basin covers about 795,000 square kilometers and is divided into the Upper Mekong, which flows through narrow mountain gorges in China, and the Lower Mekong, which broadens through the floodplains of Indochina. Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, connected to the Mekong, dramatically reverses its flow during the monsoon season.
Significance
The Mekong supports more than 60 million people who depend on it for food, water, and transportation, particularly through fisheries and rice cultivation. It is the world's largest inland fishery, producing about 25 percent of the global freshwater catch. Its delta is one of the most productive agricultural regions on the planet.
Notable Facts
The Mekong is home to the endangered Mekong giant catfish, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, capable of growing over three meters long. The river's name comes from a contraction of "Mae Nam Khong," meaning "Mother of Water." Several major hydroelectric dam projects have raised significant environmental concerns.