Britannica Sources used in this answer

Where does the Irrawaddy River begin?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Irrawaddy River is formed by the confluence of two primary branches, the Nmai River and the Mali River.1

Both of these rivers originate in the glaciers of the high, remote mountains located in northern Myanmar, near 28° N latitude. Specifically, the eastern branch, the Nmai, rises in the Languela glacier along the border with Tibet.1