| Taungoo တောင်ငူမြို့ |
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Taungoo
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Burma |
| Division | Bago Region |
| Government | |
| • Type | District Peace and Development Council and Township Peace and Development Council |
| • Mayor | |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Total | 121,000 (est.) |
| • Ethnicities | Burman, Karen |
| • Religions | Theravada Buddhism, Christianity |
| Time zone | MST (UTC+6:30) |
Taungoo (Burmese: တောင်ငူမြို့; MLCTS: taung ngu mrui., pronounced [tàuɴŋù mjo̰]; also spelled Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northeastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. The main industry is in forestry products, with teak and other hardwoods extracted from the mountains. The city is also known for its areca palms, to the extent that a Burmese proverb for unexpected good fortune is equated to a "betel lover winning a trip to Taungoo".
The city is famous in Burmese history for the Toungoo Dynasty which ruled the country for over two centuries between the 16th and 18th centuries.
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Taungoo was founded in 1280 in the waning days of Pagan as part of frontier expansion southwards. After the fall of Pagan Empire in 1287, Taungoo came under the rule of Myinsaing Kingdom, and later Pinya Kingdom. In 1313, Uzana (later King Uzana of Pinya) was appointed governor of Taungoo.[2] In the late 14th century, Taungoo became a nominal part of the Ava Kingdom but its rulers retained a large degree of autonomy, playing larger Ava and Hanthawaddy kingdoms against each other. In 1470, Ava put down another rebellion, and made Sithu Kyawhtin, the general who defeated the rebellion, governor. Sithu Kyawhtin's grandson Mingyinyo became governor of Toungoo in 1486. Under Mingyinyo's leadership, the principality grew powerful. In October 1510, Mingyinyo formally broke away from Ava and founded the Taungoo Kingdom.[3]
Mingyinyo's successors Tabinshwehti and Bayinnaung went on to found the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia.[4] Taungoo's stint as capital was short-lived, however. Tabinshwehti moved the kingdom's capital to Pegu (Bago) in 1539. The city briefly again became capital of a rebellion in 1599 when viceroy Minye Thihathu of Taungoo declared himself king. In December 1599, Taungoo's forces in collaboration with the Arakanese armies aided by Portuguese mercenaries, sacked Pegu. The rebellious city state remained independent for another 10 years when Natshinnaung ascended the Taungoo throne in 1609. In the following year, King Anaukpetlun captured Taungoo, and ended the city's long line of rulers.[5] Although few visible historic remains survive, all four sides of the brick city wall remain from the dynastic period, with the exception of the part of the southern wall. The 9.6 m wide moat has largely dried up, except for a section on the eastern side, which is still maintained.
By the mid-19th century, Taungoo was governed by a local governor appointed by the Konbaung kings. The Taungoo District consisted of 52 wards, including today's Pyinmana (and Naypyidaw) regions. The Taungoo District was cut in half after the Second Anglo-Burmese War. The British annexed the southern half, including the city of Taungoo while the northern portion, including Pyinmana and Ela, remained Burmese.[6]
In 1940, the British Royal Air Force built an airfield north of the town, which from August 1941 through February 1942 served as a training and support base for the 1st American Volunteer Group, popularly known as the Flying Tigers.
Taungoo is preparing to celebrate its 500th birthday on 16 October 2010, by reconstructing and renovating many city attractions.[3]
| Climate data for Taungoo | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.6 (97.9) |
37.9 (100.2) |
35.2 (95.4) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
31.6 (88.9) |
32.4 (90.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
30.2 (86.4) |
32.64 (90.76) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
16.1 (61.0) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.6 (76.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.0 (73.4) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.4 (61.5) |
21.18 (70.12) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 7 (0.28) |
1 (0.04) |
4 (0.16) |
430 (16.93) |
193 (7.6) |
376 (14.8) |
419 (16.5) |
449 (17.68) |
277 (10.91) |
157 (6.18) |
44 (1.73) |
13 (0.51) |
2,370 (93.31) |
| Source: HKO | |||||||||||||
Taungoo's population is estimated be about 121,000.[1] The population was 66000 in 1983 when the last official census in Myanmar was conducted.[7] The Bamar (Burmans) make up the majority with a significant Kayin (Karen) population on the eastern side of the city. The Chinese, Indians, Shan and Kayah people make up the rest. The majority of residents are Theravada Buddhists, followed by Baptist and Roman Catholic Christians. Taungoo is home to a number of Karen Christian association headquarters and 15 churches. Taungoo today is the best known as the home of Okkthar United FC, the football team in Myanmar.
The main transport options to Taungoo is rail and motorways. The Taungoo Railway Station is on the main north line of Myanmar Railways, and the Taungoo Highway Bus Station is served by domestic bus lines. Taungoo Airport is the area's only airport, and served only by Myanma Airways with regular flights to Yangon, Mandalay, Naypyidaw, Loikaw, Tachilek, and Taunggyi. Intra-city transport is mainly through a circular railway line which serves around the Taungoo District and bus lines, which serve downtown, and suburban areas.
There are two main bridges: Sittaung Bridge and Kaphaung Bridge.
Taungoo has six high schools, four public universities, a divinity school and two nursing/midwifery training schools.
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