Thonze | |
Other Name: | သုံးဆယ်မြို့ |
Settlement Type: | Town |
Pushpin Map: | Myanmar |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Myanmar |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Myanmar |
Subdivision Type1: | Region |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name2: | Tharrawaddy District |
Subdivision Type3: | Township |
Subdivision Name3: | Tharrawaddy Township |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.05 |
Population Footnotes: | [1] |
Population Total: | 22482 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Timezone: | MMT |
Utc Offset: | +6.30 |
Coordinates: | 17.6278°N 95.7871°W |
Elevation Footnotes: | [2] |
Thonze (my|သုံးဆယ်, also spelt Thonse) is a town in Tharrawaddy Township in western Bago Region, Myanmar. The town borders the town of Tharrawaddy's south side. It is divided into 13 urban wards and had a population of 22,482 people in 2019.[1]
During British colonial rule, Thonze was a logging hub where the taungya variety of teak was first grown in plantation style. In 1883, the Thonze forests were mapped and divided into compartments for the purpose of creating forest resource reserves.[3] The missionary Marilla Baker Ingalls settled in Thonze in 1859, describing it as a remote village, requiring a two-day boat trip from Rangoon up the Hlaing River. She set up a mission and created a community of Baptists through her life in the village.[4] The first rail line to Thonze was built in 1877, and the village grew into a station town.[5]