| STATE & DIVISION |
| MAGWAY DIVISION |
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Location : magway Division is located in the
central part of Myanmar. Its major part falls in the Dry Zone. Magway Division
has a common boundary with Mandalay and Bago Divisions as well as Rakhine and
Chin States. Sagaing Division is to its north; Mandalay Division, to its east;
Bago Division, to its south, and Rakhine and Chin States, to its west. Magway
Division has an area of 17,305 sq.miles and is situated between North Latitude
18° 50' and 22° 47' and East Longitude between 93° 47' and 95° 55'. |
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The western hilly region whose rainfall is slightly
more than other parts of the Division, Bago Mountain Range and the southernmost
part have the tropical Savannah Climate. As the majorit y part of Magway
Division falls within the Dry Zone, it is very hot during the hot season and is
relatively cold during the cold season. The average temperature of April, which
is the hottest month of the year, is 90° Fahrenheit and the temperatures during
daytime range between 100° - 110° Fahrenheit.The average temperature of
January, which is the coolest month of the year, is 70° Fahrenheit and the
temperature sometimes falls as low as 50° Fahrenheit. |
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Inhabitants, religions and Languages: The population
of Magway Division is 4,464,000. The majority of the people are Bamars and
there are also Chins, Rakhines, Kayins, Shans and others. A total of 98 percent
of the people are Buddhists and the rest are Christians, Hindus, Muslims or
Animists. |
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Organization of districts, townships and
village-tracts: Magway Division occupies an area of 17,305.32 square
nines. It is made up of Magway, Minbu, Thayet, Pakokku and Gangaw Districts
where there are 25 townships and 1,696 ward villagetracts. Magway is the
divisional capital. Its population in 1994 was about 300,000. Other major towns
of the Division are Pakokku and Minbu. Other well-known towns are Taungdwingyi,
Thayet, Aunglan, Natmauk, Pwintbyu, Chauk, Yenangyaung, Pauk, Gangaw and
Yesagyo. |
Sown acerage and crops produced: Farmland occupies 1.6 million acres of
about 2.5 million acres of total arable land in the Division. The rest are
paddy land, silt land (Kaing-kyunmya) hill-side cultivated land
(taungya-myay)and vegetable land. Multiple cropping is practised at paddy land
and farmland. In Magway Division 500,000 acres is put under paddy. The major
crop is sesamum and over one million acres is put under the crop. Other crops
grown are millet, maize, common millet (lu), Italian millet (Hsat), groundnut,
sunflower, bean and pulses,. Virginia tobacco, toddy,chili, onion, potato,
etc.There are three water-pump stations, nine electric waterpump sites, and 32
diesel-powered water-pump sites. There are Thanakha (Limonia acidissima)
plantations and the Shinmataung Thanaka variety is well-known in the country. |
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The famous product of Magway Division is Phangar
(Chebulic myorobalan) fruit. Magway Division produces 694 million kyats worth
of monsoon sesamum and 515 million kyats worth of monsoon groundnut each year. |
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Other products: The principal product is oil. Magway
Division produces most of the oil of Myanmar. Mann, Yenangyaung, Chauk,
Kyauk-khwet Letpando, and Ayadaw Oil fields produce 8,197 US barrels per-day.
Natural gas is produced at Payye,which is near the town of Thayet. The Thayer
cement factory is powered by the natural gas from Pay-ye. There are also cotton
weaving, tobacco, iron and bronze industries. As Magway Division produces a
large quantity of groundnut and sesamum edible oil, it is also known as the oil
pot of Myanmar. |
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Sites of historical interest: As the fossils of
the earliest primates were excavated in Pondaung and Ponnya areas in Magway
Division. It has become a place of historical interest. The findings are known
as Pondaung fossils. The Beikthano ancient town in Taungdwingyi Township,
Sandaku natha Kyaungdawya Pagoda in Pwintbyu Township, Sale-yokson Monastery in
Chauk Township, Minhla Fort in Minhla Township and Pakhan Kyaungdawgyi in
Yesagyo Township, among others, are also places of historical interest. |
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Traditional cultural and social festivals: The
pagoda festivals, which are common in other parts of the country, are also held
in Magway Division. The festivals of Myathalun Pagoda in Magway and of
Shwesettaw Pagoda in Minbu are very wellknown throughout the country. |
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Radio & TV retransmission and microwave
stations: There are three TV retransmission station in Minbu, Magway
Division. TV Myanmar programmes can be received in 13 townships of Magway
Division. Myawady Television has a retransmission station at Gwecho Village,
Chauk Township. There are 17 microwave stations in the Division. |
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