Magwe
Magwe Division is located in the central part of
Myanmar. Its major part falls in the Dry Zone.
Magwe 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. Magwe
Division has an area of 17,305 sq-miles.
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 majority part of Magwe 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 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. And it is situated between North
Latitude 18° 50' and 22° 47' and East Longitude
between 93° 47' and 95° 55'.
Inhabitants, religions and Languages The
population of Magwe Division is 4.218,699. 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.
Magwe Division occupies an area of 177305.32
square miles. It is made up of Magwe, Minbu, Thayet,
Pakokku and Gangaw Districts where there are 25
townships and 1,696 ward village-tracts. Magwe 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 acreage 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 Magwe 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), ltalian
millet (Hsat), groundnut, sunflower, bean and
pulses, Virginia tobacco, toddy. chili, onion,
potato. etc. There are three water-pump stations,
nine electric water-pump 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.The
famous product of Magwe Division is Phangar (Chebulic
myorobalan) fruit. Magwe Division produces 694
million kyats worth of monsoon sesamum and 515
million kyats worth of monsoon groundnut each year.
Nearby Attractions
Myathalun Pagoda
Myathalun Pagoda or Magwe
Myathalun Pagoda is well-known among the locals in
Myanmar. The name of the Pagoda means, "The Jade
Throne Pagoda". It has a legend saying that the Jade
Throne was enshrined by two ogre brothers in the
ancient times. Therefore, regarding to the ogre
brothers, the flowery patterns on the side of the
pagoda are carved into faces of ogres and garlands.
The pagoda is situated on the bank of the
Ayeyarwaddy River in Magwe Division.
The Myathalun Pagoda festivals, which are common
in other parts of the country, are also held in
Magwe Division. The festivals of Myathalun Pagoda
in Magwe and of Shwesettaw Pagoda in Minbu are very
well-known throughout the country.
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