AYEYARWADY DIVISION OVERVIEW |
| Geography |
Demographics |
Telephone |
Capital:Pathein
Location: Lower
Area: 35,138 km2
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Population: 6,663,000
Density: 189/ km2
Ethnicities: Bamar, Rakhine, Indians, Kayin
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Calling code |
| Town and Districts |
| Pathein,Hinthada, Myaungmya, Maubin, and Pyapon |
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| General Information
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The Ayeyarwady Division is a division of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River (formerly the Irrawaddy River). It is bordered by Bago Division to the north, Bago Division and Yangon Division to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south and west. It is contiguous with the Rakhine State in the northwest.
The division lies between north latitude 15o40' and 18o030' approximately and between cast longitude 94o15' and 96o15'. It has an area of 13,566 sq-miles. The population is over 6.5 million, making it the most populous of
Myanmar's states and divisions. The average population density per sq mile is 466 persons.
The Ayeyarwady Division is flanked by the Rakhine Yoma (Arakan Mountains) range in the west and large areas were cleared for paddy cultivation, leading to its preeminent position as the main rice producer in the country, a position it has retained into the twenty-first century.
The Chaungtha Beach and Ngwesaung Beach are popular resorts for both foreigners and Myanmar people. They are located in west side of Ayewarwaddy Division, one hours distance from Pathein city and four hours from Yangon city by road transportation.
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AYEYARWADY DIVISION PEOPLE |
| The Bamar and Karen form the majority of the population, with a small?minority of Rakhine in western coastal regions. The majority of the people are Buddhist, with small minorities of Christians and Muslims. Burmese is the lingua franca. |
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GETTING IN - OUT
AYEYARWADY DIVISION |
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The Bagan Airways is flying three time a week from Yangon to Pathein. The Yangon-Pathein Railway has a branch at Letpadan, going across the river to Hinthada. The railroad goes down to Pathein. The motor road from Yangon passes through Nyaungdon, Pantanaw and Kyaunggon before reaching Pathein. There also is a daily steamer service between Yangon and almost all delta towns. |
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GETTING AROUND
AYEYARWADY DIVISION |
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AYEYARWADY DIVISION RESOURCES |
Tourism
Ayeyarwady Division also has considerable tourist potential. The city of Pathein has numerous historic sights and temples. Outside Pathein are the beach resorts of Chaungtha Beach and the lake resort of Inye Lake. Inye lake is located in Kyonpyaw township, 59 miles north east of Pathein. Inye lake is also well-known for fishery, as the major supplier of fresh water fish. Chaungtha is located in Pathein township. However, hotel and transportation infrastructure is still very poorly developed.
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TRAVEL TIPS |
Travel Route
Until 1990's the Ayeyarwady Division has been ignored by majority of foreign tourists due to lack of proper transportation and accommodations. The road from Yangon to Pathein is now in somewhat good conditions, travel time being around 4 hours. The road between Pathein and the famous Ngwe Saung and Chaung Tha beaches on the Bay of Bangal is also improving. Up to March 2004 it is necessary to cross the Ngawun river by boat to the western side to continue to the beaches. The construction of a bridge may be finished in a few years. The road linking Pathein to Sagaing division (Monywa, Kale, etc.) is being developed. The road passes the plain of Magwe division between the Ayeyarwady river and the western hills of Rakhine and Chin states. Local people have been traveling on this route as well as to the northern Rakhine state, and Chin state. However foreign travellers are rarely seen on this route. There is no basic facilities such as toilets, rest areas, proper food shops, telephones, accommodations along many hundreds of kilometers long route. Travel to the towns and islands in the south of the division is possible by boats or combination of river and land. There are regular ferry boats linking major towns of the division and Yangon. Smaller towns and villages could be reached by hiring small private boats. Most tourists travel to Pathein for a night and continue to the beaches on the west. There is a plan to build an air field near Ngwe Saung beach. Kanthaya beach to the north of Chaung Tha, is beautifully located between the sea and the lower hills of Rankhine range. |
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AYEYARWADY DIVISION ECONOMY |
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The division is the largest rice producer of the country. Apart from rice it produces sesame, ground nut, jute, maize, tobacco, and fruits such as bananas, mangoes, coconuts and so on. Drainage is the main problem facing the agriculture industry due to heavy rains, river flooding, low land, and close proximity to the sea.
River and sea products are also popular. There are agriculture related industries such as rice mills, jute mills, as well as shipping and trading industries in the division. A cement production plant is in Kyangin on the western side of the Ayeyarwaddy river, in the north. The tidal and mangrove forests in the division produce firewood that is used within and outside the division. Due to the insufficient supply of gas, oil and electricity, firewood is still the main energy source for many parts of the country. Pathein, the capital of the division, is one of the major sea ports of Myanmar. It is located 104 km from the sea mouth via Ngawun river. Most of the rice export out of the division leave the country from Pathein port. |
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