Pathein Township ပုသိမ်မြို့နယ် | |
|---|---|
  | |
 Location in Pathein district | |
| Coordinates:16°46′N94°43′E / 16.767°N 94.717°E /16.767; 94.717 | |
| Country |  Myanmar |
| Region |  Ayeyarwady Region |
| District | Pathein District |
| Capital | Pathein |
| Area | |
• Total | 644.88 sq mi (1,670.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 27 ft (8.3 m) |
| Population (2023)[1] | 364,369 |
| • Ethnicities | |
| Time zone | UTC+6:30 (MMT) |
Pathein Township is atownship ofPathein District in theAyeyawady Region ofMyanmar. The administrative seat of the Township, District and Region isPathein. The city of Pathein is the largest city in the Region and has historically been an important center of trade, including adeepwater port.[2]
Pathein Township is located in west-central Ayeyarwady Region and in the central part of Pathein District. The Township includesNgwesaung Subtownship andShwethaungyan Subtownship, both unofficial divisions used by the Township for statistical and administrative ease. Shwethaungyan subtownship spans the border between Pathein Township andThabaung Township to its north. To its east, it bordersKangyidaunt Township and to its south it bordersNgapudaw Township. TheBay of Bengal forms the Township's western shore.
The Township is divided into 1 city and 4 towns, 25 urban wards, 54 village tracts and 285 villages. It separately contains two subtownships.
Pathein is the main city of the Township and is located on thePathein River and had a population of 190,560 in 2019.[3] The area of Pathein township outside of the two subtownships, sometimes called the"Town of Pathein" was 287,071 in 2014.[4]
The Town has two subtownships. The town ofNgwesaung lies withinNgwesaung Subtownship on the coast, is divided into 4 wards. WithinShwethaungyan Subtownship, there are two towns- Shwethaungyan andChaungtha each divided into 3 wards.[5] Ngwesaung and Chaungtha are both beach resorts serving mostly tourists fromYangon andPathein.
Pathein Township is located in theIrrawaddy Delta, spans over the southern edges of theArakan Mountains and includes a significant coastline with theBay of Bengal. Most of the Townships is low-lying delta plains. Steep forested mountains characterize the western quarter of the township starting 12 miles west of the Pathein River. The Township has 8 islands, mostly in the vicinity of Ngwesaung and Chaungtha beaches.
TheNgawun, Pathein and Thandwe Rivers are the most major waterways of the township. Besides major rivers, the Township contains 328 smaller streams. The highest peak within the township is Mount Kyarlay at an elevation of 844 feet (257 m). Pathein Township is located in a mountainous tropical zone with a heavy monsoon presence, seeing 129 days of rain in an average year. Average highs and lows range between 40.7°C and 15.0°C with lows mostly in the Arakan Mountains.
The western part of the township is largely undeveloped and is home to a diverse variety of flora and fauna. The 39 primary tree species identified by the township include trees include hardwoods liketeak andBurmese ironwood, fruit trees likemango andtamarind as well as coastal trees likeCoconut trees. Prominent animals in the township includeelephants,gaur,black bears,iguana,water buffalo,deer,hog badgers and many more.[3]
As the administrative capital of the Region, Pathein Township enjoys both political and economic prominence with strong infrastructure for trade on land and water. However, the primary industry of the township isagriculture. The primary crop is rice, with the largest export market beingYangon Region andUpper Burma. Other crops include fruits likebananas and coconuts. Theanimal husbandry industry in the township is growing with manygoat herders shifting intopork,poultry ordairy. The township also has a sizeable fishing industry as well asfish hatcheries and fish farms. 27.4% of the township is wildlife preserve or undeveloped lands, mostly in the west.
The primary produce of Pathein's industrial sector isfabrics andtextiles within the Pathein Industrial Zone. Beyond the textile industry, there are many traditional artisan workshops like hand-madebuckets and the iconicPathein parasols.[6] Rice milling andcharcoal production are other traditional industry present in the Pathein city area. The Township has one airport -Pathein Airport and a majorrail terminal at the end of four intercity railroads.[3]
| Year | Pathein Township | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | — | |
| 1983 | — | |
| 2014 | 287,071 | — |
| 2018 | 339,015 | +18.1% |
| 2019 | 339,212 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 366,160 | +7.9% |
| 2023 | 364,369 | −0.5% |
| Source: Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population data,[4] General Administration Department | ||
Pathein Township has two distinct characteristic demography with an urban and suburban deltaic east and a much more rural mountainous west. 51% of the overall Township lives within a city or town, with 58% of the population in the East living in the City of Pathein.[4] The most common religion isBuddhism at 86.9% withChristianity second at 10.8%. There are 76,575 households; the mean household size was 4.4 people. The median age was 24.5 years, and 93 males per 100 females.[3]
