MAGWE, a district and di vision of Burma. In 1921 the division included the district of Thayetmyo, Minbu, Magwe, Pakokku and Pakokku hill tract ; to these the Chin hills have been added. The district has an area of 3,724 sqJn.; pop. (1931) 499,573. Magwe may be divided into two portions : the low, flat country in the west, forming part of the surrounding valley, and the undulating high forested ground in the east forming part of the Pegu Yomas, which at some parts reaches a height of 1,500 feet. In the heart of the district there is a low fertile plain ; now served by a railway which is about 45 m. from north to south and as much as 3o m. wide in places. The chief streams are the Yin and the Pin, which form the northern boundary. The only perennial stream is the Yanpe. The annual rainfall averages about 27 inches. The maximum temperature rises to a little over F in the hot season, and falls to an average minimum of F and F in the cold season. Rice is the staple product, and considerable quantities are exported. Sesamum, maize, and millet are also cultivated, as well as cotton, whilst an important new crop in the light sandy soil is ground nuts (peanuts).
In this district are included the well-known Yenangyaung oil field. A block of 8o sq.m. was demarcated by the Government
as the area of the oilfield but only about two or three sq.m. are occupied by the actual field and the bulk of the production has been from an area of only 1/ sq. miles. The State lands were leased to the Burmah Oil company but two large blocks in the richest part (the Beme and TwingOn reserves) were reserved for the hereditary Burmese owners called twinsa. Although there are still some primitive hand-dug wells nearly all the native owners have sold their rights to companies operating with modern plant. Hence it is in these reserves that competition between the competing companies has been extraordinarily keen, though methods of working have been carefully and wisely supervised by Government agents. There is now scarcely a well site of value left. The town of Yenangyaung had a pop. (1931) of 11,098. A great advance has been made in recent years by electrifying the field. The oil is sent by pipe line to the refineries at Syriam near Rangoon.
The town of MAGWE, on the Irrawaddy, is the headquarters of the district and of the division; pop. (1931) 8,209.