• Mesa
  • Markam County

A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.

Mangkang County is located in the southeast of Tibet Autonomous region, the easternmost part of Changdu City, and at the confluence of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet provinces. It is located between 98 °00mm east longitude 99 °05m, 28o 37m m / m 30o 20' north. It is bordered by Batang County in Sichuan Province in the east, Deqin County in Yunnan Province in the south, Zuogong County in the west and Gongjue County and Chaya County in the north. Mangkang means "wonderful area" in Tibetan. In 2014, Mangkang County has a total area of 11431 square kilometers and has jurisdiction over 2 towns and 14 townships (including one ethnic township). Mangkang County has a total population of 73155 (2000), and its GDP has reached 511.5445 million yuan (the first half of 2012). The main tourist attractions are Tea Horse Road, Mangkang Yunnan Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, Mangcuo Scenic spot and Niguo Temple.
Travel Notes In Markam County