Tanintharyi [key], region (1983 pop. 917,628), 21,297 sq mi (55,159 sq km), extreme S Myanmar. Dawei (Tavoy), the capital, and Myeik (Mergui) are the chief towns. A narrow strip of coast between Thailand on the east and the Andaman Sea on the west, Tanintharyi extends south for c.400 mi (650 km) from Mon State to the Isthmus of Kra and includes many offshore islands. The rainfall is heavy (about 200 in./508 cm a year); rice, vegetables, coconuts, and rubber are grown. Tin and tungsten are extracted, and teak is cut. The people speak a distinct dialect of Burmese, and their culture shows many Thai and Malay influences. Tanintharyi was long subject in turn to Siam and Myanmar, but remained in Burmese hands when the long wars of the Thai and Burmese ended late in the 18th cent. As a result of the first Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26), Tanintharyi passed under British rule.
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