Sidoktaya, also Sitoktaya or Setoketaya (in Burmese

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...

: ေစတုတၱရာ) is a town and seat of Sidoktaya Township

Sidoktaya Township

Sidoktaya Township is a township of Minbu District in the Magway Division of Myanmar. The principal town is Sidoktaya....

 in Minbu District

Minbu District

Minbu District is a district of the Magway Division in central Myanmar. The city of Minbu is the administrative centre.-Borders:Minbu District is bounded to the south by Thayet District, to the east by Magway District, to the north by Pakokku District and Gangaw District, to the northwest by Mindat...

 of Magway Division

Magway Division

Magway Region is an administrative division in central Burma . Magway Region is the largest of Myanmar's seven divisions, with an area of .-Geography:...

, situated in middle west region of Burma. It is bordered with Salin

Salin

Salin is a town of Minbu District in the Magway Division of Myanmar....

 township to the east, with Pwintbyu

Pwintbyu

Pwintbyu is the principal town of Pwintbyu Township in Minbu District in Magway Region of Myanmar....

 township to the south-east, with Ngape township to the south, with Minbya

Minbya

Minbya is a town in the Rakhine State of westernmost part of Myanmar.All 567 permanent shops of Minbya central market were burnt down in a fire accident on 12 November 2011. -External links:*-References:...

 township (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, with Kanpelek township (Chin State

Chin State

Chin State is a state located in western Burma . The Chin State is bordered by Rakhine State in the south, Bangladesh in south-west, Sagaing Division and Magway Division in the east, Indian state of Manipur in the north and Indian state of Mizoram in the west. The Chin ethnic group make up the...

) to the north-west and with Saw

Saw

A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...

 township to the north. It is a hilly region of Rakhine. Mount Sun Taung, the highest mountain in Rakhine, 6527 feet (1,989.4 m) high, is in Sidoktaya township.

History

Sidoktaya is one of the oldest ancient towns in Myanmar. It is established by Prince Yazakumar (a. Min Zaya Khittaya or Min Thiri Khittaya) in Year 460 (Myanmar Era) (about 1098 A.D.). Now it is over 900 years of age. there are many archaeological places including Si-kyek-taung Pagoda, Aung-kyar Thiri Pagoda, and Sutaungpyi Pagoda. The ancient city wall had been found buried in some places.

Geography

Sidoktaya is situated at Latitude (lat): 20°25'29"N and Longitude (lon): 94°15'36"E and Elevation (approx.): 108m. The area is about 1025 square miles (2,654.7 km²), and it is the second largest area township next to Taungdwingyi township in the Magway division. Mone Creek which is the largest in the sub region flows through the Sidoktaya township. This creek is started from Mount Khaw Nu Thon which is the highest mount in the Chin Hills. The area is very mountainous and most of the mountains are above 3000 feet (914.4 m).

Demographical Condition

About 80% of the population are Chins and 20% are Bamars. Almost all are Theravada Buddhists.

Administration

Sidoktaya is a township level town and the township consists of 46 village tracts (total of 120 villages). The large villages include Pa-Aing, Kyee-Wa, Dabwin, Buywa, Ohnwah, Khwemalaung and Myaynigone.

Transportations

As it is a hilly region, there is an only one main land road to Salin (37 miles). airports close to Sidoktaya, Myanmar are: the closest airport is KYP - Kyaukpyu, located 135.8 km south west of Sidoktaya. More nearby airports include AKY - Sittwe 148.1 km west, SNW - Thandwe 220.3 km south, MDL - Mandalay Intl 226.8 km north east. There are no railways and flight to Sidoktaya.

Production

The main products of Sidoktaya township are teak woods and bamboo. Annual production of bamboo is over 300,000 bamboos. Although there are agriculture, the area is only a small amount. The main crops are paddy, sesame, corn, vegetables and some kinds of beans. Industries include only rice mills and sesame mills.

Education

There is only one Basic Education High School in Sidoktaya, and five Basic Education Middle Schools, and 98 Basic Education Primary Schools.

External Links

1. Geography of Sidoktaya
2. Map of Sidoktaya