MERGUI, the southernmost district of Burma, in the Tenas serim division, hounded on the west by the Andaman sea of the Bay of Bengal and on the east by Siam. Area 10,906 sq.m. Two principal ranges cross the district from north to south, running almost parallel to each other for a considerable distance, with the Tenasserim river winding between them till it turns south and flows through a narrow rocky gorge in the westernmost range to the sea. The whole district, from the water's edge to the loftiest mountain on the eastern boundary, may be regarded as almost unbroken forest. The timber trees found towards the interior, and on the higher elevations, are of great size and beauty, the most valuable being the teak (Tectona grandis) of the drier, shel tered valleys only, thin-gan (Hopea odorata), ka-gnyeng (Diptero carpus laevis), etc. The coast-line of the district, off which lies an archipelago of two hundred and seven islands, is much broken, and for several miles inland is very little raised above sea-level, and is drained by numerous muddy tidal creeks. Southwards of Mergui town it consists chiefly of low mangrove swamps alternat ing with small fertile rice plains. After passing the mangrove limits, the ground to the east gradually rises till it becomes moun tainous, even to the banks of the rivers, and finally culminates in the grand natural barrier dividing Burma from Siam. The four principal rivers are the Tenasserim, Le-nya, Pakchan and Palauk, the first three being navigable for a considerable distance. Coal is found on the banks of the Tenasserim and its tributaries, but is little worked. Gold, copper, iron and manganese are also found
in various parts of the district, and there are tin mines at Maliwun and elsewhere, but the tin mines are less important than in the Tavoy district to the north.
From the notices of early travellers it appears that Mergui, when under Siamese rule, before it passed to the Burmese, was a rich and densely peopled country. On its occupation by the British in 1824-1825 it was found to be almost depopulated— the result of border warfare and of the cruelties exercised by the Burmese conquerors. At that time the entire inhabitants numbered only io,000. Pop. (1931), 161,987, showing an increase of 26,522 in the decade and giving a density of 14 inhabitants to the square mile. Mergui carries on a flourishing trade with Ran goon and the Straits Settlements. The chief exports consist of rubber, tin ore, rice, rattans, dried fish, areca-nuts and edible birds' nests. The staple imports are piece goods, tobacco, cotton, earthenware, tea and sugar. The climate is remarkably healthy, the heat due to its tropical situation being moderated by land and sea breezes. The rainfall is very heavy and usually exceeds 15o inches, the dry season is short, so that these two factors combined have led to the development of rubber planting.
Mergui town has risen into prominence in recent years as the centre of the rubber and tin ore exporting trade, which has eclipsed its earlier importance as the centre of the pearling trade in the neighbouring archipelago. Pop. (1931), 20,405.