Kra Isthmus - Geography

Geography

The east part of the landbridge belongs to Thailand, while the west part belongs to the Tanintharyi division of Myanmar. To the west of the Isthmus is the Andaman Sea, and to the east is the Gulf of Thailand.

The narrowest part between the estuary of the Kra River and the bay of Sawi near the city Chumphon has a width of 44 km (27 mi), and has a maximum altitude of 75 m (246 ft) above sea level. The Isthmus is named after the town Kra Buri, in the Ranong province of Thailand, which is located at the west side of the narrowest part.

The Isthmus of Kra marks the boundary between two sections of the central cordillera, the mountain chain which runs from Tibet through all of the Malay peninsula. The southern part is called the Phuket chain, which is a continuation of the greater Tenasserim range, extending further northwards for over 400 km (250 mi) beyond the Three Pagodas Pass. The Titiwangsa Mountains are located southwards, 45 km (28 mi) from Songkhla.

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