KYAUKPYU, a district in the Arakan division of Lower Burma, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal. It consists of, first, a strip of mainland along the Bay of Bengal, extending from Hunter's bay to the Ma-i river, and, secondly, the large islands of Ramree and Cheduba, with many others to the north. The mainland in the north and east is highly mountainous and forest clad, and the lower portion is cut up into numerous islands by a network of tidal creeks. Between the mainland and Ramree lies a group of islands separated by deep, narrow, salt-water inlets, forming the north-eastern shore of Kyaukpyu harbour. The prin cipal mountains are the Arakan Yomas, which send out spurs and sub-spurs almost to the sea-coast. The An pass, allowing access by bullock cart with the heart of Burma, rises to a height of ft. above sea-level. The Dha-let and the An rivers are navigable by large boats for 25 and 45 m. respectively. Above these dis tances they are mere mountain torrents. Considerable evergreen forests of hardwood trees occur on the hills, but large areas are occupied by useless bamboo "brake" and there are only small tracts of cultivated land. Kyaukpyu contains numerous "mud
volcanoes," caused by the disruption of mud charged with inflam mable gas. From time to time evanescent islands have been formed along the coast by the mud volcanoes which are also numerous in the heart of Cheduba. Mud volcanoes are usually in dicative of the presence of oil. Petroleum does occur in small quantities in Kyaukpyu, but the production, despite extensive exploration by modern methods, is very small. Area 4.767 sq.m.; pop. (1931) 222,292, showing an increase in the decade of 20,419.
The chief town, Kyaukpyu, had a population in 1931 of 4,232. It is a municipality and is a port under the Indian Ports Act (X. of 1889), and the steamers of the British India Navigation com pany call there once a week going and coming between Rangoon and Calcutta.