Shan state Moung Tai

CLIMATE
The Shan plateau located in the northeastern part of Burma is generally cooler than the rest of Burma and Thailand, since it is mountainous and higher in elevation. There is a cool, dry season from November to February, and a hot season or summer from February to May, a hot,rainy season from June to October.

One town can reach over 100F while just a few hours drive away 77F is normal. Coldness in winter brings the temperature down to 40F in hill-station towns and 60F on the plains. Annual rainfall averages between 40-60 inches. Flash flood of rivers and streams occur during the rainy season causing landslides and floods in the lowlands.


VEGETATION
In the areas where the elevation is over 4,000 feet, pine and evergreen forest can be found in abundance; teak and woods of ‘Shorea Robusta’ and ‘diptercarpus grandiflora’ abound in the hot lowlands. Valuable woods such as teak, padauk or pterocarpus, sandalwood and ironwood cover over 42,210 square miles. Mong Mit, Hsipaw, Mong Kung, Tong Lao, Mawk-mai, Lawk-sawk, Mong-nai, Keng-tawng, Keng-kham, Pa-lai, Mong-ton, Mong-sat are all hardwood and teak producing areas. All kinds of vegetables and fruits are grown according to each region’s soil and climatic conditions. Many forest products such as lac, cutch, honey, beewax and wild orchids can be found.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Shan State is rich in natural resources.The majority land surface of the Shan State is covered with primitive hard rocks and mineral ores such as silver, lead, gold, copper, iron, tin, wolfram, tungsten and manganese, have been discovered. The Burmese government is exploiting mineral developments.For example, Bawdwin-Namtu silver and lead deposit in the north is one of the largest in the world. Local Chinese traders discovered it in the 14th century. In 1909 the British started to take over under the name of "Burma Corporation Limited." After the Union of Burma was established, it was registered as a joint venture with the Burmese government under the name "Burma Corporation Limited 1951". In 1965 the Burmese government nationalized the whole enterprise. The newly discovered silver, nickel and tungsten deposits are found in the Naungkieo township area called Yadana Theingi Mine, where produces silver and lead sent to Namtu to be refined.

The Bawsai Mines in the south produces lead and pyrites. In the surrounding hills of the southern town of Kalaw, dolomite, pyrites, Fluorides can be found in abundance. At Loi Ma, near another southern town of Hpe-Khoung, lead deposits remain undeveloped. Besides these known deposits the geological survey discovered in 1963, there also is tin and wolfram deposits at Pangpek near the Shan State capital of Taunggyi, estimated at over 63 million tons. Diamond is found in the environs of Mong mit and gems in Namhkan Township.
Many undiscovered or unexplored natural resources in the Shan State still remain hidden to be used later for the development of the Shan State and its people. Mogok (Mong Kut in Shan) which is world famous for its rubies and sapphires lies within the State of Mong Mit in the north but has been nationalized and drawn into the Mandalay Division of Burma.

PEOPLE
Ethnic groups: It is composed of more than 20 ethnic national groups in Shan state. the majority of whom are Shan (Tai). It is a multiethnic nation and the main ethnic groups are: Shan (Tai), Palawng, Pa-O, Kachin, Wa, Lahu, Akha and Kokang Chinese.
Shan or Tai (Thai Yai in Thai): 68% of the total population are Shan and therefore Shan are the dominant ethnic group. Most Shan are farmers and livestock breeders who predominantly live in the valleys and lowlands.
Palawng or Ta-arng: About 7% of the total population are the Palaungs who call themselves “Ta-arng”. They are concentrated in the northern mountainous region of Namhsan or Palaung Tawngpeng State. They are mostly dependent upon tea plantations producing English tea and pickled tea (Chinese tea) for consumers throughout the Union. Due to socio-political upheavals, some of them migrated into the central and southern mountains of the Shan State using their Knowledge about tea planting for their livelihood.

Pa-o: The Pa-o ethnic group is also about 7% and are found in the Southern part of the Shan State. The Pa-o grow agricultural cash crops such as potatoes, cabbages, garlic and especially the cheroot-leaves for local and Burmese cheroot industries.
Wa: About 5% of the population are the Wa people. They inhabit the eastern mountains along the Salween and the areas bordering China. The Wa make their living on the harsh mountain slopes and valleys using the old slash and burn methods.