| STATE & DIVISION |
| CHIN STATE |
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Location: Chin State is located in the west of
Myanmar Naing-Ngan It lies between North Latitude 21 ° 0' and 24° 15' and East
Longitude between 93 ° 15' and 94°0'. India is to its north and west; Rakhine
State, to its south; Sagaing and Magway Division are to its cast. It has an
area of 13.907 sq. miles. |
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Climate: Chin State has a mild hot, wet
climate. April and May are the hottest months of the year. Average temperatures
of the months range from 60°F (15.5 Degrees Centigrade) to 70°F (21 Degrees
Centigrade). Average temperature in the cold season is below 40°F (4.4 Degrees
Centigrade). In the cold season, temperatures fall as low as freezing point of
water in the higher parts of towns like Haka, Foshaik and Kanpetlet. |
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Average annual rainfall is 80-100 inches. The southern
part of Chin State gets more rain due to the storms that come from Bay of
Bengal. |
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Inhabitants, religions and languages: The
population of Chin State is 473,000. Population density is 32 persons per
square mile. A large majority of the people are Chins. Mros (Mago) Khamis and
Bamars form significant parts in southern and western parts of Chin State.
Majority of the people are Christians. There are Buddhists too. Because Chin
State is hilly and acess is difficult, there is a slight difference in
languages spoken in one region and another. |
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Organization of districts, townships and village-tracts:
There are 505 wards/ village-tracts, nine townships and two districts-Mindat
and Falam in Chin State. Haka is the capital of Chin State. |
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Forests and natural plants: There are over 400,000
acres of forest reserve; 600,000 acres of reserve and 1.3 million acres of
protected reserves. Pine trees grow especially in areas with an alitude of more
than 3,000 feet. Taungzalat or tree rhododendron grows in areas of higher
altitudes. Tree rhododendron and orchids beautify the Chin State. There are
also many kinds of orchids which grow naturally. |
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Sown acreage and agricultural produce: Shifting
cultivation is the most widely used practice. Of the total 240,000 cultivated
acreage, about 200,000 acres is under shifting cultivation. About 10,000 acres
put under monsoon paddy. Paddy is the major crop being grown in Chin State.
Monsoon paddy is also grown through terrace farming on over 20,000 acres. Paddy
is also grown by means of hill side cultivation on over 70,000 acres. Paddy is
the main crop grown on farmlands at lower altitudes while millet is the major
crop in areas of higher altitudes. Other crops and plants grown are maize,
beans and pulses, potatoes, sunflower, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, coffee,
mulberry, various kinds of vegetables, banana and fruits such as orange and
apple. But few of them can be grown commercially yet due to difficult of access
to the market. |
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Other products: Cattle are raised on a
manageable scale. Goats, pigs and chickens are raised for family consumption.
Nanauk (Mythuns) are raised but they are tended in the wild. There are a few
places in Falam where fish is cultured. |
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There is a backstrap loom for domestic use at
almost every household. Turpentine and resin are produced at factories near the
towns of Falam and Haka |
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Traditional cultural and social festivals:
There are quite a few traditional festivals among Chin nationals. Most
well-known among them are Harvest Festival called Hla-ma-ka House-warming
Festival called Ein-ka Festival called Yu-hlak. New Year Festival called
Khwar-do and Khwang-Kywe Festival. Chin State Day falls on 20 February. |
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TV retransmission and microwave stations: TV
Myanmar programmes can be received in nine townships of Chin State because
there are retransmission stations in seven townships, namely, Tiddim, Haka,
Falam, Mindat, Tunzan, Paletwa and Matupi. |
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Construction activities: Electricity is
produced through mini-hydroelectric power stations. There is Nga-hsit-ba hydel
station in Falam Township, Za-lwi station in Tiddim Township, Mindat station in
Mindat Township and Twi-Zawng station in Tunzan Township. There are Dawng-va
and Liva hydel stations in Haka Township. |
