RANGOON, ran-goon', or RANG-UN. The capital and chief port of Burma, India, on the Rangoon River, the eastern branch of the Irra waddy, about 25 miles from the sea, in latitude 16° 42' N. and longitude 96° 13' E. (Map: Burma, C 3). Rangoon is finely situated for internal as well as foreign commerce, having a continuous water communication with the vast re gion on the Irrawaddy. The town, well laid out with straight streets crossing at right angles, ex tends for over a mile along the river front, and three-quarters of a mile inland. Rangoon is a stronghold of Buddhism, and on every side are seen monuments to Gautama. The most remarkable of these is the Shoay-Dagon, a shrine, the founda tion of which is said to have been laid 588 years B.C. It stands on an artificial elevation within the military cantonment on the north, is 370 feet high, 1355 feet in circumference, and con tains personal relics of Buddha; it is annually visited by thousands of pilgrims. The European buildings include the Government House, the court houses, post and telegraph offices, a cathedral, college, museum, free library, and hospital. Other
notable features are the native bazaars, Dal housie Park, and the several pretty lakes in the vicinity. Street railways give access to all the principal points. The chief industrial establish ments are the lumber, rice, and oil mills; there are also manufactures of silk and cottons, mats, pottery, salts, and fish paste. The river front is lined with wharves, and two-thirds in value of the exports of Burma are shipped, and almost all the imports are received at this port, which is the third in importance of British India. The. principal exports are teak and rice; the imports include cotton, cutlery, petroleum, hardware, liquors, wines, silks and woolens, and raw silk. The city was rebuilt by Alompra in 1755; the British captured it in 1824, but it was retaken by the Burmese. The British again took possession in 1852, since which time the city has been held by them. Population, in 1891, 180,324; in 1901, 2:34,881.