Dângrêk Range
Range/mtn · 55,940 km²
Dângrêk Range is a range/mtn in Asia, covering an estimated 55,940 km². It extends across Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
The Dângrêk Mountains (; Khmer: ជួរភ្នំដងរែក, Chuŏr Phnum Dângrêk [cuə pʰnom ɗɑːŋrɛːk]; Thai: ทิวเขาพนมดงรัก, RTGS: Thio Khao Phanom Dongrak [tʰīw kʰǎw pʰānōm dōŋrák], lit. 'Mountain of Carrying stick shape'), also the Dângrêk Range, is a mountain range forming a natural border between Cambodia and Thailand. The dense jungle of Anlong Veng became the final headquarters of the Khmer Rouge of Democratic Kampuchea and Pol Pot is buried there.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Dângrêk Mountains (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 55,940 km²
- Size rank
- #75 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Asia
- Countries
- Thailand, Cambodia, Laos
- Coordinates
- 14.4595°, 102.5963°
- Summits:
- Phou Bia (2,830 m), Phu Soai Dao (2,120 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Arakan Yoma (Asia), Dalou Mountains (Asia)
- Settlements:
- Pakxe (80 km), Savannakhet (245 km), Thakhek (336 km)
More about Dângrêk Range
Geography
Despite the length of the range, the Dângrêk are a relatively low mountain system, the average elevation of the summits being around 500 m. The highest peak is Phu Khi Suk (Thai: ภูขี้สุข), an inconspicuous 753 metres at the eastern end, in the Chong Bok (603 m) area, where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia intersect. Other summits are Phu Khok Yai (693 m), Phu Chep Thong (692 m), Phu Tangok (689 m), Phalan Sun (670 m), Phanom Ai Nak (638 m), Phanom Thaban (582 m) and 374 m high Khao Banthat (เขาบรรทัด) at the western end.
The northern side of the Dângrêk Mountains is gently sloping, while the sides facing south are usually a steep escarpment that dominates the plain of northern Cambodia.
Geology
The mountains are formed mainly of massive sandstone with slate and silt. A few characteristic basalt hills such as Dong Chan Yai (293 m) and Dong Chan Noi (290 m) are found on the northern side of the mountain chain in Ubon Ratchathani Province.
Ecology
The Dângrêk Mountain range is mostly covered by dry evergreen forest, mixed dipterocarp forest, and deciduous dipterocarp forest. Tree species like Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Shorea siamensis and Xylia xylocarpa var. kerrii dominate. There has been much illegal logging both on the Thai as well as on the Cambodian side, leaving large hill stretches denuded, vulnerable tree species such as Dalbergia cochinchinensis have also been affected. Forest fires are also common in the hills during the dry season.
There is not much wildlife left in the Dângrêk Mountains. Wild hog, deer, barking deer, rabbit, squirrel, gibbon and civet are some of the animals to be found in the areas where there has been no habitat loss due to human encroachment.
History
The Dângrêk Mountains were part of the ancient Khmer Empire, which spread northwards across them, culminating with the almost complete control of the Isan area in 1220 under Jayavarman VII. Among the archaeological remains in the mountain area there are stone carvings on the Pha Mo I-Daeng cliff, ancient stone-cutting quarries, as well as the Sa Trao reservoir. There are also remains of sanctuaries that were built as homes to spirits called phi ton nam ('watershed spirits') in different spots along the border area of the Dângrêk mountain chain. However, the largest and most important archaeological site in these mountains is Preah Vihear, a Shaivite temple compound of the Khmer imperial times dated from the reign of Suryavarman I in a dramatic location on top of a high hill.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Dângrêk Mountains (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Dângrêk Range: Key Facts
| Length | 300 km |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Phu Khi Suk |
Facts from Wikidata Q939398 (CC0).