MANDALAY DIVISION OVERVIEW |
| Geography |
Demographics |
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Capital: Mandalay
Location: Central
Area: 37,023 km2
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Population: 6,442,000
Density: 174/ km2
Ethnicities: Bamar, Anglo-Burmese, Chinese,
Shan, Chin, Kayin, Burmese_Indians
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| Town and Districts |
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| General Information
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The Mandalay Division is a large lowland area of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the west, Shan State to the east, and Bago Division and Kayin State to the south. The general elevation is around 150 meters above the sea, however the places on the east on the foot hills of Shan plateau and the southern part situated on the northern Bago range are much higher. Ayeyarwaddy river is the divisional border between Sagaing and Mandalay, as well as between Magwe and Mandalay. Mandalay and Magwe divisions, together with lower Sagaing division form the central low land dry zone of the country.
In the south of the division lies the national capital of Naypyidaw, located in Pyinmana Township. It consists of 7 districts, which are subdivided into 30 townships and 2,320 wards and village-tracts.
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MANDALAY DIVISION PEOPLE |
| The majority of the population in Mandalay Division are Bamar (Burmans). However, particularly in Mandalay and its surrounding areas, a large community of Chinese and Indians exists. The city of Mandalay has perhaps the largest Panthay (Chinese Muslims) community in Myanmar. A dwindling community of Anglo-Burmese still exists in both Maymyo and Mandalay, particularly in an area formerly known as Civil Lines or New Civil Lines. Along the eastern borders, there are large numbers of Shan.
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GETTING IN - OUT
MANDALAY DIVISION |
* Plane: The Mandalay Division is about 1.5 hours by air from Yangon. There are daily fights from Yangon, Bagan and Heho to Mandalay. The new Mandalay International Airport has been opened and operated since November 2000, with direct flights of some regional airlines.
* Train: The express trains are running from Yangon to Mandalay, which take about 14 hours. The overnight train with cabin is available on this route.
* Bus: The private express coaches also run everyday along Yangon-Mandalay highway, which is over 700 km long. If you travel overland you can also break the journey at Taungoo (280 km) or at Meiktila (540 km), where there are hotels for overnight stay.
* Boat: There is also a double-decker steamer service between Mandalay and Bagan and the cruises " the Road to Mandalay" operated by E & O Express, RV Pandaw 1947 operated by Ayravata Cruises, and Irrawaddy Princess.
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GETTING AROUND
MANDALAY DIVISION |
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MANDALAY DIVISION RESOURCES |
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TRAVEL TIPS |
* Climate In the lowland the weather is hot, and the dry season is long. The hottest month is April when the temperature could reach 40ºC at day time. The summer generally occurs in February till July. Then comes the rainy season from June to October. November to middle of February is the cool season. The temperature difference between day time and night time is larger in the central plain than in other parts of the country. However the north-eastern parts such as May Myo (now called Pyin Oo Lwin) and Mogok both are on the Shan hills are much cooler. The nights in January could be as cold as near zero.
* Travel Route
Mandalay is well connected to all major cities in the country. Yangon - Mandalay highway and rail road are the country's two most travelled land routes. By car people can travel to southern Shan state (Kalaw, Pindaya, Inle, Taunggyi). Train route to Taunggyi is also finished, though it is a slow motion, in some places zip-zap climb, travel and not so popular among tourists. Yangon airways and Air Mandalay fly Mandalay to Heho, Kyaing Tone and Tachileik (border town between Shan state and Thailand's north) regularly. Mandalay to the China border at Muse is done by road which is not bad and used the whole year. Mandalay to Myitkyina in Kachin state is done by train that takes 24 to 30 hours. The rock and roll train leaves Mandalay and Myitkyina daily if there is no such problem as bad weather and rail damage. In the high water months (June to January) the double or triple decker boats run between Mandalay and Bhamaw 3 or 4 times a week. It takes two days and a night onboard. Perhaps, one of the most famous river route used often by foreign tourists is Mandalay to Bagan by Inland Water Transport (IWT). The boat leaves Mandalay at about 6AM and arrives Bagan in the evening. The arrival time depends on the water level and whether or not there are sand banks in the river. The tourist boat runs 3 or 4 days a week. On the other days there are other boats which are normally used by the local people and traders. Tourist boat is said to be cleaner and more comfortable. Being centrally located, Mandalay should be a base for expeditions to upper Myanmar such as Kachin, northern Sagaing, and northern Shan state. However, because these remotely located places require foreign tourists apply for the special permit at central government office in Yangon, most of the travel and tour operators' headquarters are located in the capital Yangon. Mandalay and Bagan have wide range of accommodations from budget to luxury hotels. May Myo, Mogok, Myithtila and Pyinmana have tourist class simple hotels. |
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MANDALAY DIVISION ECONOMY |
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The agriculture is the primary economical source of livelihood in the Mandalay Division. Primary crops grown within Mandalay Division are rice, wheat, maise, peanut, sesame, cotton, legumes, tobacco, chilli, and vegetables. Industry, including alcoholic breweries, textile factories, sugar mills, and gem mines also exists.
The timber extractions could be seen in the southern tip and northern tip of the Mandalay Division. Teak and Pyinkado (iron wood) are extracted among others. Mogok is the country's leading producer of precious stones, and is famous for its rubies and sapphires. Most of the industries in the division are related to agriculture and forest products. Repair and building of transport equipment and accessories are found along the rail road and the water ways.
Mandalay is the second biggest city in the country, and the center of commerce and trading for the upper Myanmar. It has a close trading relationship with both China and India. There are markets, distribution centers of both imported and local goods, private companies, government departments, schools and universities, private training schools, and so on. Cottage industries also play important role in the local economy. Mandalay is famous for sculpture works, gold and silver embroidery. Bagan and Nyaung U are popular for their lacquerware items.
Tourism now forms a substantial part of Mandalay Division's economy, as it contains many historical sites including Mandalay, Amarapura, Bagan, Pyin U Lwin, Mount Popa, and Ava. Hardwoods such as teak and thanaka are also harvested.
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