The whole of central Basin is built up of sedimentary rocks and have folded into synclines and anticlines. The harder sand stones from this structure remain as Pon-nya, Pon-taung, Tant-kyi-taung and Nwa-me-taung mountains, and the softer clays as the upper valleys of such streams as Myitthar, Yaw, Salin, Mone and Man.
The region is drained by the Ayeyarwady and its tubutaries; those on the west are the Yaw, Salin, Mone, Mand and Mindon; and those on the east are Pin, Yin and Bwet-Kyee. The Mone, Man, and Mindon are perennial streams, and have Chin Hills as their source. The Pin and Yin are broad, sandy and intermittent streams which have only a few inches of water during the hot rainless season. The Minbu plain is built up by the Mone, the man and the Salin streams; and the Taungdwingyi plain by the Yin Chaung.
The Ayeyarwady river forms the divisional boundary between Magway and Mandalay division; the Chindwin river between Magway and Sagaing divisions. The upper reaches of the Myitthar river lies within the Taungdwingyi District.
The Magway division is fairly dry; the amount of rainfall and the number of rainy days very; average annual rainfall varies between 30" and 60". During the hot season, the temperature exceeds 100° F and during the coal season, the temperature drops up to 51°F.
Most of Magway Division is covered with scrubs and shrubs. A form of dry farming is practiced and irrigation is extensively used in the intermontanne valleys, where the rainfall ranges between 50" and 60", rice is cultivated. Tobacco, oilseed, chillies, onions, and potatoes are also grown. A sketch map of Magaway Division is shown in Figure (1).
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