Area: 62,500 square mile (160,000 square kilometers)
Population: About 7-8 million (est.)

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.