Sittwe

Port and capital of Rakhine (Arakan) state, western Myanmar, situated on the Bay of Bengal at the mouth of the Kaladan River; population (1998 est) 142,700. Its chief export is rice.

Sittwe grew rapidly from a small fishing village into a leading port after British annexation (1852–1942). The city is situated on Akyab Island which was strategically important during World War II. It was taken by the Japanese in 1942, recaptured by the British in 1945, and was used as a major base in the reconquest of what was then the British colony of Burma.