The Pegu Range (; Pegu Yoma or Bago Yoma) is a range of low mountains or hillsSeekins, Donald M. (2006) Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, page 357, and uplandsSeekins, Donald M. (2006) Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, page 191, between the Irrawaddy and the Sittaung River in central Burma (Myanmar). The range runs from Mount Popa in the north to Singuttara Hill (Theingottara Hill) in the south. Both the Pegu River and the Sittaung River originate in the Pegu Range.
High points Among the notable peaks or hilltops are high Mount Popa, a stratovolcano,Moore, Elizabeth H. (2007) Early landscapes of Myanmar River Books, Bangkok, page 44, Sinnamaung Taung 2,693 feet (820 m), Shwenape Taung 2,631 feet (802 m), TALAN Taung 2,050 feet (625 m), Binhontaung ,topographic map, 1:250,000 Thayetmyo, Burma, NE 46-4, Series U542, United States Army Map Service, October 1959 Kodittaung , Phoe-Oo Taung and Singguttara Hill (Theingottara Hill).
Geology The Pegu Range consists of folded and faulted Paleogene marine sediments combined with more recent volcanics.
History The Shwedagon Pagoda was built sometime before 1000 A.D. on Singuttara Hill.
The Pegu Range was the original site of the 1930–1931 Saya San uprising against the British. Saya San raised the flag of independence on Alantaung Hill near Tharrawaddy.Ghosh, Parimal (2000) Brave men of the hills: resistance and rebellion in Burma, 1825–1932 University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, page 174,
Later the Pegu Range became a center for the Communist Party of Burma.Seekins, Donald M. (2006) Historical dictionary of Burma (Myanmar) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, page 151,
Ecology
The northern end of the Pegu merges into the Burmese Dry Zone, while the south receives over of rainfall a year.Stamp, L. Dudley (1930) "Burma: An Undeveloped Monsoon Country" Geographical Review 20(1): pp.86-109, page 105 The hills of the Pegu Range were originally heavily forested with teak and other commercially exploitable hardwoods. The southern forests were "ironwood forests", while the central and northern forests were teak.de Terra, Hellmut (1944) "Component Geographic Factors of the Natural Regions of Burma" Annals of the Association of American Geographers 34(2): pp. 67-96, page 82 Extensive logging has caused the present deforestation and increased erosion in the area.
In 2016, the National League for Democracy government imposed a one-year moratorium on logging throughout the country, which was extended to a decade for the Pegu Range due to the extent of deforestation there.
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, illegal logging of teak and deforestation of the mountain's forests have intensified, involving both the military junta and the resistance People's Defence Force.
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