mountain arc in western Myanmar (Burma), between the Rakhine (Arakan) coast and the Irrawaddy River valley. The arc extends northward for about 600 miles (950 km) from Cape Negrais (Myanmar) to Manipur ( India) and includes the Naga (Nāga Hills), Chin (Chin Hills), Mizo (Mizo Hills) (Lushai), and Patkai hills. The mountain range itself is about 250 miles (400 km) long. Its highest point is Mount Victoria (10,150 feet 【3,094 m】). Dividing the Rakhine coast from the rest of Myanmar, the range historically has been a barrier between Myanmar and the Indian subcontinent. It functions as a climatic barrier, cutting off the southwestern monsoon rains from central Myanmar. The Rakhine Mountains are crossed by the An route to Ngape and Minbu and by an all-weather road from Taungup to Pyay on the Irrawaddy.