THE PALAEOTROPICS 



195 



These north and south ranges exert a great influence upon the 

 climate, as much of the moisture from the southwest monsoon 

 over the Bay of Bengal is intercepted by the Arakan range, so 

 that Burma has a much heavier rainfall than Siam. 



In Burma, however, there is by no means a uniform climate. 

 The northern mountain region, next to Assam, has practically no 

 diy season; but over most of the country, as in central India, the 



Fig. 56. — Great pagoda, Rangoon, Burma. The trees are toddy -palms 



(Borassus flabelliformis) . 



monsoons, especially the southwest monsoon, have a marked effect 

 upon the climate. 



The coastal region of Burma, including the deltas of the Ir- 

 rawaddy and Salween, and the coast south of Rangoon, have a very 

 heavy rainfall, and correspondingly luxuriant vegetation. The 

 delta-lands below Rangoon, when reclaimed are extremely fertile. 

 This is a region of immense rice ("paddy") fields, rice being the 

 great food crop of the country; but all the characteristic tropical 

 products abound. Oranges, bananas, mangoes, bread-fruit, 

 Jack-fruit, and others less familiar, are associated with bamboos, 

 palms of many kinds, cinnamon, tamarinds and many other tr< 

 shrubs and herbs. 



