Pakokku

Town of Magwe division, west central Myanmar, on the Irrawaddy River, south of the confluence with the Chindwin; population (2001 est) 111,100. The surrounding arid regions are interspersed between the fertile valleys of the Yaw, Myittha, and Mon-Sesamum rivers, where millet, sugar, maize, vegetables, rice, and tobacco are cultivated. The husks of the maize are used to make wrappers for cheroots. The town is a commercial centre, trading in timber, especially teak. The nearby oilfield at Yenangyat has declined, but new deposits have been discovered in the area.