Bago Division
Encyclopedia
Bago Region is an administrative region of Burma, located in the southern central part of the country. It is bordered by Magway Region and Mandalay Region to the north; Kayin State
, Mon State
and the Gulf of Martaban
to the east; Yangon Region to the south and Ayeyarwady Region and Rakhine State
to the west. It is located between 46°45'N and 19°20'N and 94°35'E and 97°10'E.
founded the city of Bago in 573 AD. They saw a female goose standing on the back of a male goose on an island in a huge lake. Believing this was an auspicious omen, the princes built a city called Hanthawady (Pali
: Hamsavati) on the edge of the lake.
The earliest mention of this city in history is by the Arab
geographer Ibn Khudadhbin around 850 AD. At the time, the Mon capital had shifted to Thanton. The Bamar from Bagan
ruled the area in 1056. After the collapse of Bagan to the Mongols
in 1287, the Mon regained their independence.
From 1369-1539, Hanthawady was the capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
, which covered all of what is now lower Burma. The area came under Burman control again in 1539, when it was annexed by King Tabinshwehti
of Kingdom of Taungoo. The kings of Taungoo
made Bago their royal capital from 1539–1599, and used it as a base for their repeated invasions of Siam
. As a major seaport, the city was frequently visited by Europeans, who commented on its magnificence. The Burmese capital was relocated to Ava
in 1634. In 1740, the Mon revolted and briefly regained their independence, but Burmese King Alaungpaya
sacked and completely destroyed the city (along with Mon independence) in 1757.
Burmese King Bodawpaya
(1782–1819) rebuilt Bago, but by then the river had shifted course, cutting the city off from the sea. It never regained its previous importance. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War
, the British
annexed Bago in 1852. In 1862, with the formation of the province of British Burma, the capital was moved to Yangon
.
, Pyay
, Tharrawaddy and Taungoo
. Bago, the divisional capital, is the fourth largest town of Burma. Other major cities include Taungoo
and Pyay
.
Bago Region's seal are two sibling hintha (mythical ducks), due to historic Mon influences in the area.
, Karen
, Mon
, Chin
, Rakhine
, Shan, South Asians
, Chinese
, and Pa-O
ethnic groups represented. The majority of the people are Buddhists. Burmese language
is the lingua franca
.
trade. Taungoo, in the northern end of the Bago Region, is bordered by mountain ranges, home to teak
and other hardwoods. Other natural resources include petroleum
. The major crop is rice
, which occupies over two-thirds of the available agricultural land. Other major crops include betel nut
, sugarcane
, maize
, groundnut
, sesamum
, sunflower
, beans and pulses, cotton
, jute, rubber
, tobacco
, tapioca
, banana
, Nipa palm and toddy. Industry includes fisheries, salt
, ceramic
s, sugar
, paper
, plywood
, distilleries, and monosodium glutamate
.
The division also has a small livestock breeding and fisheries sector, and a small industrial sector. In 2005, the division had over 4 million farm animals and nearly 3000 acres (12.1 km²) of fish and prawn farms; about 3000 private factories and about 100 state owned factories.
The major tourist sites of Bago Region can be reached as a day trip from Yangon.
The Shwegyin Hydropower Plant was in the eastern part Bago Region. It was a 1,568 ft long, 135 ft wide and 2.5 ft thick zone type dam with a water storage capacity of 1,685,000 acre feet. The three concrete conduit pipes of it were 1,765 ft in length, 16 ft in width and 20 ft in height each. The intake infrastructure was 121 ft long, 127 ft wide and 137 ft high and the spillway was 2,542 ft long, 135 ft wide and 58 ft high. Two compressed steel pipe lines equipped at the dam were 25 ft in diameter and 1,100 ft in length each. The power plant is 295 ft long, 94 ft wide and 70 ft high. The plant was equipped with four 18.75-MW Francis-Vertical Shaft turbines and it could generate 262 million KW
hours per year. The construction of the dam was launched in 2003, and the first power station was opened on 29 December 2009, the second power
station on 25 March 2011, the third power station on 2 June 2011 and the fourth power station on 21 July 2011. It was inaugurated on 22 October 2011.
Educational opportunities in Myanmar are extremely limited outside the main cities of Yangon
and Mandalay
. In 2005, Bago Region had 578 post-primary schools, 119 middle schools and 132 high schools.
The following is a summary of the division public school system for the academic year of 2002-2003.
The division is home to one national university, Pyay Technological University
and two local universities, Pyay University and Taungoo University
.
and Mandalay
is extremely poor. For example, in 2003, Bago Region had less than a quarter of hospital beds than Yangon Region whose population was just slighter greater. More shocking still, in 2005, this division of five million had only 399 doctors in its public hospitals.
Kayin State
Kayin State is a state of Burma . The capital city is Hpa-an.-History:The region that forms today's Kayin State was part of successive Burmese kingdoms since the formation of the Pagan Empire in mid-11th century...
, Mon State
Mon State
Mon State is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is sandwiched between Kayin State on the east, the Andaman Sea on the west, Bago Region on the north and Tanintharyi Region on the south, and has a short border with Thailand's Kanchanaburi Province at its south-eastern tip. The land area is...
and the Gulf of Martaban
Gulf of Martaban
The Gulf of Martaban is an arm of the Andaman Sea in the southern part of Burma. The gulf is named after the port city of Mottama . The Salween Sittaung and Yangon rivers empty into it....
to the east; Yangon Region to the south and Ayeyarwady Region and Rakhine State
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
to the west. It is located between 46°45'N and 19°20'N and 94°35'E and 97°10'E.
History
According to legend, two Mon princes from ThatonThaton
Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. Thaton lies along the National Highway 8 and is also connected by the National Road 85.-Etymology:...
founded the city of Bago in 573 AD. They saw a female goose standing on the back of a male goose on an island in a huge lake. Believing this was an auspicious omen, the princes built a city called Hanthawady (Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
: Hamsavati) on the edge of the lake.
The earliest mention of this city in history is by the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
geographer Ibn Khudadhbin around 850 AD. At the time, the Mon capital had shifted to Thanton. The Bamar from Bagan
Bagan
Bagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
ruled the area in 1056. After the collapse of Bagan to the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
in 1287, the Mon regained their independence.
From 1369-1539, Hanthawady was the capital of the Hanthawaddy Kingdom
Hanthawaddy Kingdom
The Hanthawaddy Kingdom was the dominant kingdom that ruled lower Burma from 1287 to 1539. The Mon-speaking kingdom was founded as Ramannadesa by King Wareru following the collapse of the Pagan Empire in 1287 as a nominal vassal state of Sukhothai Kingdom, and of the Mongol Yuan dynasty...
, which covered all of what is now lower Burma. The area came under Burman control again in 1539, when it was annexed by King Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti
Tabinshwehti was a king who unified Burma in 1539 and known as the founder of the Second Burmese Empire.Tabinshwehti succeeded his father Mingyinyo as ruler of the Toungoo dynasty in 1530...
of Kingdom of Taungoo. The kings of Taungoo
Taungoo
-Administration:*Taungoo District Peace and Development Council - List of Six Townships*Taungoo Township Peace and Development Council*Taungoo Ward Peace and Development Council - 22 Wards*Taungoo Municipal*District and Township Immigration Dept...
made Bago their royal capital from 1539–1599, and used it as a base for their repeated invasions of Siam
Siam (disambiguation)
Siam is an exonym that was used as the name of Thailand before 24 June 1939 and again from 8 September 1945 to 20 July 1949; see History of Thailand...
. As a major seaport, the city was frequently visited by Europeans, who commented on its magnificence. The Burmese capital was relocated to Ava
Ava
Innwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
in 1634. In 1740, the Mon revolted and briefly regained their independence, but Burmese King Alaungpaya
Alaungpaya
Alaungpaya was king of Burma from 1752 to 1760, and the founder of the Konbaung Dynasty. By his death in 1760, the former chief of a small village in Upper Burma had reunified all of Burma, subdued Manipur, recovered Lan Na, and driven out the French and the English who had given help to the...
sacked and completely destroyed the city (along with Mon independence) in 1757.
Burmese King Bodawpaya
Bodawpaya
Bodawpaya was the sixth king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma. Born Maung Shwe Waing and later Badon Min, he was the fourth son of Alaungpaya, founder of the dynasty and the Third Burmese Empire. He was proclaimed king after deposing his nephew Phaungkaza Maung Maung, son of his oldest brother...
(1782–1819) rebuilt Bago, but by then the river had shifted course, cutting the city off from the sea. It never regained its previous importance. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War
Second Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
, the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
annexed Bago in 1852. In 1862, with the formation of the province of British Burma, the capital was moved to Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
.
Administration
Bago Region occupies an area of 15214 square miles (39,404.1 km²) divided into the four districts of BagoBago District
Bago District is a district of the Bago Division in central Burma . The capital lies at Bago.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*...
, Pyay
Pyay District
Pyay District is a district of the Bago Division in central Burma . The capital lies at Pyay.-Townships:The district contains the following townships:*...
, Tharrawaddy and Taungoo
Taungoo District
Taungoo District is a district of the Bago Division in central Burma . The capital lies at Taungoo.-History:...
. Bago, the divisional capital, is the fourth largest town of Burma. Other major cities include Taungoo
Taungoo
-Administration:*Taungoo District Peace and Development Council - List of Six Townships*Taungoo Township Peace and Development Council*Taungoo Ward Peace and Development Council - 22 Wards*Taungoo Municipal*District and Township Immigration Dept...
and Pyay
Pyay
Pyay is a town in the Bago Division in Burma. It has an estimated population of 123,800 . Pyay is positioned on the Ayeyarwady River and is northwest of Yangon....
.
Bago Region's seal are two sibling hintha (mythical ducks), due to historic Mon influences in the area.
Demographics
The total population of Bago Region is about 5.1 million (2007), with BamarBamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
, Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
, Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
, Chin
Chin
In the human anatomy, the chin is the lowermost part of the face.It is formed by the lower front of the mandible.People show a wide variety of chin structures. See Cleft chin....
, Rakhine
Rakhine people
The Rakhine , is a nationality in Myanmar forming the majority along the coastal region of present day Rakhine State or Arakan State. They possibly constitute 5.53% or more of Myanmar's total population but no accurate census figures exist. Rakhine people also live in the southeastern parts of...
, Shan, South Asians
Burmese Indians
Burmese Indians are a group of people of Indian subcontinental ethnicity who live in Myanmar . While Indians have lived in Burma for many centuries, most of the ancestors of the current Burmese Indian community emigrated to Burma from the start of British rule in the mid 19th century to the...
, Chinese
Burmese Chinese
The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...
, and Pa-O
Pa-O
The Pa-Oh form an ethnic group in Burma, comprising approximately 600,000. The Pa-Oh form the second largest ethnic group in Shan State, and are classified as part of the "Shan National Race" by the government, although they are believed to be of Tibeto-Burman stock, and are ethnolinguistically...
ethnic groups represented. The majority of the people are Buddhists. Burmese language
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
is the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
.
Economy
The division's economy is strongly dependent on the timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
trade. Taungoo, in the northern end of the Bago Region, is bordered by mountain ranges, home to teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
and other hardwoods. Other natural resources include petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
. The major crop is rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, which occupies over two-thirds of the available agricultural land. Other major crops include betel nut
Betel nut
The Areca nut is the seed of the Areca palm , which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as "betel nut" as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves.-Description:...
, sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, groundnut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
, sesamum
Sesamum
Sesamum is a genus of approximately 20 species in the flowering plant family Pedaliaceae. The plants are annual or perennial herbs with edible seeds. The best-known member of the genus is sesame, Sesamum indicum , the source of sesame seeds. The species are primarily African, with some species...
, sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, beans and pulses, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, jute, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, tapioca
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch extracted Manihot esculenta. This species, native to the Amazon, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and most of the West Indies, is now cultivated worldwide and has many names, including cassava, manioc, aipim,...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, Nipa palm and toddy. Industry includes fisheries, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, distilleries, and monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
.
The division also has a small livestock breeding and fisheries sector, and a small industrial sector. In 2005, the division had over 4 million farm animals and nearly 3000 acres (12.1 km²) of fish and prawn farms; about 3000 private factories and about 100 state owned factories.
The major tourist sites of Bago Region can be reached as a day trip from Yangon.
The Shwegyin Hydropower Plant was in the eastern part Bago Region. It was a 1,568 ft long, 135 ft wide and 2.5 ft thick zone type dam with a water storage capacity of 1,685,000 acre feet. The three concrete conduit pipes of it were 1,765 ft in length, 16 ft in width and 20 ft in height each. The intake infrastructure was 121 ft long, 127 ft wide and 137 ft high and the spillway was 2,542 ft long, 135 ft wide and 58 ft high. Two compressed steel pipe lines equipped at the dam were 25 ft in diameter and 1,100 ft in length each. The power plant is 295 ft long, 94 ft wide and 70 ft high. The plant was equipped with four 18.75-MW Francis-Vertical Shaft turbines and it could generate 262 million KW
hours per year. The construction of the dam was launched in 2003, and the first power station was opened on 29 December 2009, the second power
station on 25 March 2011, the third power station on 2 June 2011 and the fourth power station on 21 July 2011. It was inaugurated on 22 October 2011.
Education
- Bago Degree College
- Computer University, Pyay
- Computer University, Taungoo
- Pyay Education College
- Pyay Technological University
- Pyay University
- Taungoo Educational College
- Taungoo University
- Technological University, Taungoo
- Paku Divinity School
Educational opportunities in Myanmar are extremely limited outside the main cities of Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
. In 2005, Bago Region had 578 post-primary schools, 119 middle schools and 132 high schools.
The following is a summary of the division public school system for the academic year of 2002-2003.
| AY 2002-2003 | Primary | Middle | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 3972 | 227 | 95 |
| Teachers | 17,400 | 6600 | 2000 |
| Students | 544,000 | 194,000 | 71,000 |
The division is home to one national university, Pyay Technological University
Pyay Technological University
Pyay Technological University , located in Pyay, is one of three senior engineering universities in Myanmar. The university offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in architecture and various engineering disciplines...
and two local universities, Pyay University and Taungoo University
Taungoo University
Taungoo University or the University of Taungoo is a public liberal arts university, located in Taungoo, Bago Division, Myanmar. The university mainly offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in liberal arts and sciences, and law, mostly to students from the Taungoo District and its...
.
Health
The general state of health care in Myanmar is poor. The military government spends anywhere from 0.5% to 3% of the country's GDP on health care, consistently ranking among the lowest in the world. Although health care is nominally free, in reality, patients have to pay for medicine and treatment, even in public clinics and hospitals. Public hospitals lack many of the basic facilities and equipment. Moreover, the health care infrastructure outside of YangonYangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
is extremely poor. For example, in 2003, Bago Region had less than a quarter of hospital beds than Yangon Region whose population was just slighter greater. More shocking still, in 2005, this division of five million had only 399 doctors in its public hospitals.
| 2002–2003 | # Hospitals | # Beds |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist hospitals | 0 | 0 |
| General hospitals with specialist services | 2 | 400 |
| General hospitals | 28 | 958 |
| Health clinics | 46 | 736 |
| Total | 76 | 2094 |
External links
- "Bago Region (East), Myanmar" map, 21 March 2011, Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU)
- "Bago Region (West), Myanmar" map, 21 March 2011, Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU)