HANTHAWADDY

hanthawaddy, a district in the pegu division of lower burma, the home district of rangoon, from which the town was detached to make a separate district in 1880. it has an area of 3023 sq. m., with a population in 1901 of 484,811, showing an increase of 22% in the decade. hanthawaddy and henzada are the two most densely populated districts in the province. it consists of a vast plain stretching up from the sea between the to or china bakir mouth of the irrawaddy and the pegu yomas. except the tract lying between the pegu yomas on the east and the hlaing river, the country is intersected by numerous tidal creeks, many navigable by large boats and some by steamers. the headquarters of the district are in rangoon, which is also the sub-divisional headquarters. the second sub-division has its headquarters at insein, where there are large railway works. cultivation is almost wholly confined to rice, but there are many vegetable and fruit gardens.