Mekong

Mekong (Tibetan Dza-chu; Chinese, Lancang Jiang [ Lan-ts'ang Chiang]; Thai Mae Nam Khong), river, south-eastern Asia, one of the principal rivers of the region. From its sources, in the eastern Tibetan highlands, it flows generally south-east to the South China Sea, a distance of about 4,184 km (2,600 mi). The Mekong crosses Yunnan Province, China, forms the border between Myanmar and Laos and most of the border between Laos and Thailand, and flows across Cambodia and southern Vietnam, emptying into the South China Sea. In the upper course are steep descents and swift rapids, but the river is navigable south of Louangphrabang, Laos, and is a major artery of trade in the region. The first bridge over the River Mekong in Cambodia opened in December 2001, in Kompong Cham province, encouraging internal trade and providing an important commercial link with neighbouring countries. An internationally sponsored project to develop water-based resources of the lower Mekong basin was unveiled in early 2002.