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.