Kyangin Township
Kyangin Township is a township of Myanaung District in the northern Ayeyarwaddy Region, Myanmar. Before 2022, the township was part of Hinthada District.
Kyangin Township is the northernmost township of Ayeyarwaddy Region. Its western border with Rakhine State follows the Arakan Mountains dividing it from Taungup Township. It borders Bago Region's Pandaung Township to the north and Shwedaung Township to east with the Irrawaddy River dividing it on the eastern border. To the south, it only borders Myanaung Township within Ayeyarwady Region. The township has 2 towns: the principal town of Kyangin and the town of Batye with 3 and 2 urban wards respectively. The township additionally has 30 village tracts grouping together 251 villages.
Geography
Kyangin Township's landscape is sloped with higher elevations in the north with waterways flowing southwards towards Myanaung Township and the Irrawaddy Delta. The vast majority of the townships' settlements straddle the eastern portion near the main run of the Irrawaddy River. Besides settlements on the Irrawaddy, other major waterways include the Hpatashae and Padaw streams. The western part of the township mostly consists of protected forests and hills leading up to the peaks of the Arakan Mountains. The second highest peak in Ayeyarwady Region, Mt. Myinwa, lies on the township's border with Rakhine State at above sea level. The pathway and flow of the Irrawaddy River within the township has significant variation from year to year based on river erosion and siltation- especially near Thauk Kyar Du village where the river splits into a few channels.57.8% of the township's land area is protected natural areas with the primary western reserve consisting of the North Myanaung Forest Reserve and the Myinwa Mountain Forest Reserve. In the northeast, the Kyangin Forest Reserve protects areas between the Monywa-Kyangin road and the township's northeastern villages. Three smaller reserves- the Padaw Forest Reserve, the Mt. Yaenan Forest Reserve and the Golden Deer Forest Reserve- protect areas on the township's southeastern border. The Myinwa Mountain Forest reserve is used for teak plantations by the government and has been subject to illegal logging.
With various forest reserves, Kyangin Township is home to many fauna species including tigers, elephants, gaur, deer, monkeys, owls, woodpeckers, peafowl and the myna bird. The township also has a diverse array of flora from teak, bur trees, lebbek trees and mango trees to various species of bamboo, grasses and sugarcane plants.
Demographics
Kyangin Township is mostly rural with 20.4% of the population living in the two urban towns of Kyangin and Batye as of 2023. The population declined between 2022 and 2023, but saw consistent growth beforehand. In 2019 the population of the township was 97,717 people.The 2014 census showed the township having a relatively higher median age at 33.7 years of age. The township also had a 19.9% electrification rate and nearly 40% of its population using motorbikes to commute to work daily. In 1983, the population was less urbanised with only 16.1% of the township living in the then singular town of Kyangin.