| STATE & DIVISION |
| BAGO DIVISION |
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Location: Bago Division is in the south of the
big central plains. Magway and Mandalay Divisions are to its north; Kayin
State, Mon State and the Gulf of Mottama are to its east; Yangon Division is to
its south and Ayeyawady Division and Rakhine State are to its west. It is
located between North Latitude 46 degrees 45 minutes and 19 degrees 20 minutes
and East Longitude between 94 degrees 35 minutes and 97 degrees 10 minutes and
has 15214 sq.miles |
The southern part of Bago Division has the tropical
monsoon climate. The northern part has the tropical Savannah Climate. The
average temperatures of Bago, Taungoo and Pyay in April, the hottest month of
the year are 88°F and 90° respectively. The average temperature of Bago in
January, the coolest month, is 75°F. The average annual rainfall of the town of
Myitkyo is 132.36 inches. The average rainfall of Pyay, which receives less
rain than other towns, is 45.49 inches. |
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Inhabitants, religions and languages: Kayins,
Bamars, Mons, Chins, Rakhines and Shans reside in Bago Division. There are also
some Pa-Os. The total population of Bago Division is 5014,000. The average
population density is over 300 per-square mile. Buddhists account for majority
of the people. There are also residents who believe in Christian, Hindu and
Islam faiths. Myanmar language is the key linguafranca. |
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Organization of districts, townships and
ward/village-tracts: Bago Division occupies an area of 15214 square
miles. Bago Division is made up of Bago, Pyay, Thayawady and Taungoo Districts
which comprise 28 townships with 1,619 ward/village-tracts. Bago is the
divisional capital. It is the fourth largest town of Myanmar. Other big towns
of Bago Division are Taungoo and Pyay. Other well-known towns in the west of
Bago Mountain Range are Thayawady, Gyobingauk, Paungde and Shwedaung. Some
wellknown towns in the east of the Bago Mountain Range are Daik-U Nyaunglebin,
Pyu Yedashe and Shwekyin. |
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Forest area: Of the 7,698 square miles of forest area
5,144 square miles is designated to be the forest reserve. Evergreen forests
grow at the end of the eastern hilly region and the southern end of the Bago
Mountain Range. There are swamps (Seint-taw) between the Ayeyawady and the
Myitmakha Rivers. There are In (Dipterocarpus tuberculatus) forests at Pyay
hilly region near the town of Pyay. |
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Sown acreage and crops produced: Total
cultivated area in Bago Division stands at more than 3.7 million acres. The
major crop is paddy. Over 2.3 million acres is put under paddy. The cultivation
of summer paddy is being extended in addition to the cultivation of monsoon
paddy. Other major crops and plants are sugarcane, maize, groundnut, sesamum,
sunflower, beans and pulses, cotton, jute, rubber, Myanmar tobacco, tapioca,
banana, dhani (Nipa palm) and toddy. |
 Other
products: There are many fisheries in Bago Division. There are many
salt industries in Kawa Township, near the mouth of the Sittaung River. Timber
is extracted from more than 3 million acres of forest reserve and other forest
areas. The Pyay Mountain Range Oil Field in Shwedaung Township produces
petroleum. Major factories in the Division are Thayawady Ceramic Factory, sugar
I mills in Zeyawady and Yedashe, distilleries, Swa plywood factory, Yeni paper
mill , in Yedashe Township and Daik-U monosodium glutamate factory. Shauk
(Citrus lemon) and Tanyithee (djenkol bean) are important products of Shwekyin
Township,
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Historical sites: In Bago, there is the
Kanbawza Thadi Palace ground of King Bayintnaung. The ancient capital of Sri
Keshtra was located in Pyay District. There are also ancient pagodas such as
Bawbawgyi and Myinbahu built by ancient Myanmar kings. |
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Traditional, cultural and social festivals:
Well-known festivals of Bago Division are the annual procession of the Buddha's
tooth relic in Paungde, the procession of Lood Maedaw in Nyaunglebin, the
candle-floating of Shwekyin, the procession of 28 Buddha images in Taungoo and
Daik-U Township and the Thamma Sanda Festival in Thayawady-Thonze. |
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Radio, TV retransmission stations and microwave
stations: There is a TV retransmission station each in Pyay, Taungoo
and Bago. Thanks to the four retransmission stations, TV programmes can be
received in 18 townships of Bago Division, two townships of Ayeyarwady
Division, and one township each in Mandalay Division and Kayin State. There are
ten microwave stations. |
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