Annamese Cordillera

Also known as the Chaine Annamitique, this 700-mile mostly forested range follows the border between Laos and Viet Nam, running near and parallel to the Gulf of Tonkin. This range is moderate in height  and drops steeply to a narrow band of plain along the coast. The highest peak in the range is Ngoc Linh (8,530 ft/2,600 m). The mountains are traversed by short, narrow valleys, in which the rivers are torrents during the rainy season (September through June), but dry in the summer. The abundant rainfall produces lush jungle vegetation which supports a tremendous variety of wildlife.