PROMS, a district in the Pegu division of Lower Burma, with an area of 2,938 sq.m. and a pop. (1931) of 410,651. It occupies the breadth of the valley of the Irrawaddy, between Thayetmyo district on the north and Henzada and Tharrawaddy districts on the south, and originally extended to the frontier of Independent Burma, but in 1870 Thayetmyo was formed into an independent jurisdiction. There are two mountain ranges forming respectively the eastern and western boundaries. The Arakan Yoma extends along the western side. The portion of the district on the right bank of the Irrawaddy is broken up by thickly wooded spurs running south-eastwards. Cultivation is confined to the parts adjacent to the river. On the eastern side lies the Pegu Yoma, and north and north-east of the district its forest-covered spurs form numerous valleys and ravines, the torrents from which unite in one large stream, the Na-weng. The principal river is the Irra waddy, which intersects the district from north to south; next in importance are the Tha-ni and its tributaries and the Na-weng sys tem of rivers. The district lies on the southern borders of the dry belt and the rainfall ranges from about 35 to 6o inches. The
staple crop is rice, but cotton and tobacco are grown, while the custard apples are famous. The forests yield teak and cutch.
The early history of the once flourishing kingdom of Prome is veiled in obscurity. After the conquest of Pegu in 1758 by Alompra, the founder of the last dynasty of Ava kings, Prome remained a portion of the Burman kingdom till the close of the second Burmese war in 1853, when the province of Pegu was annexed to British territory.
Prome, the chief town, is on the Irrawaddy, 161 m. N. of Rangoon, pop. (1931) 28,295. It has a somewhat evil reputation for infectious diseases.
South and south-east the town is closed in by pagoda-topped hills, on one of which stands the conspicuous gilded Shwe Tsan daw. The town was taken by the British in 1825 and in 1852. In 1862 it was almost entirely destroyed by fire. It became a munici pality in 1874. Other towns are Shwedaung (pop. 8,408) and Paungde (pop. 13.479).