Thandwe ( ; formerly
Sandoway) is a
town and major
seaport in
Rakhine State, the westernmost part of
Myanmar. Thandwe is very ancient, and is said to have been at one time the
capital of
Rakhine State, then called Arakan. The district has an area of . The country is
mountainous, the Arakan Mountains sending out spurs which reach the
coast. Some of the peaks in the north attain 4,000 and more ft. The
streams are only mountain torrents to within a few miles of the coast; the mouth of the Khwa forms a good
anchorage for
vessels of from 9 to .
draught. The rocks in the
Arakan Range and its
spurs are
metamorphic, and comprise
clay,
slates,
ironstone and indurated
sandstone; towards the south, ironstone, trap and rocks of
basaltic character are common; veins of
steatite and white fibrous
quartz are also found. Between 1961 and 1990, the mean annual rainfall was . Except a few acres of
tobacco, all the cultivation is
rice.