Sittwe is situated on an estuarial island at the confluence of the Kaladan River , Myu River, and Lemyo River.
Originally a small fishing village, Sittwe became an important seat of maritime commerce, especially as a port for the export of Rice after the British occupation of Arakan following the First Anglo-Burmese War . In 1826, the seat of government was transferred from the old Arakan capital of Myohaung to Sittwe on the sea-coast. During the first forty years of British rule it increased from a village to a town of 15,536 inhabitants, and by 1901 it was the third port of Burma with a population of 31,687. During colonial times, Sittwe had a bad reputation for Malaria and Cholera , although historical records indicate that it was no better or worse than many other locations along the India coast.
The Scottish author Hector Hugh Munro ( Saki ) was born in Sittwe in 1870.
|
