Rakhine State

Rakhine State (Burmese: ရခိုင်ပြည်နယ်, Răhkaing Pyinae) is one of the seven states of Myanmar. It is located in the country's west, and is bordered by Bangladesh and Chin State to the north, the Magway Region to the east, and the Ayeyarwady Region to the southeast. The state lines the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal.

The state capital is Sittwe, located in the north west of the state. The state is home to the Rakhine people, an ethnic group closely related to the Bamar/Burmese. They speak a dialect of Burmese called Arakanese, and is often considered a seperate language. Rakhine State is ethnically religiously and diverse.

Districts
Rakhine State is divided into four districts.
 * Maungdaw District
 * Sittwe District
 * Kyaukphyu District
 * Thandwe District

Geography
Rakhine State is a long and narrow state that stretches along the west coast of Myanmar on the Bay of Bengal, with the Rakhine Mountains forming the state's eastern boundary. The state's land is made up of mountains, hills, coastal plains, river valleys, mangroves, and islands. The largest island in Myanmar (Ramree Island) is located here, as well as the smaller Manaung Island nearby.

The peninsula and river plains around Sittwe and the Kaladan River is the most populated area of the state, containing over half the state's population.

Transport
Rakhine State is relatively well connected by road, air, and ferry, with the most airports of any division in Burma. The Rakhine Highway stretches the entire length of the state between Maungdaw and Thandwe, and there are only 4 roads connecting the state to the rest of Burma; one to Chin State, one to Magway, one to Pyay, and one to Pathein. Rakhine State imports most of its domestic goods from Pyay by truck, with foreign goods coming from Bangladesh and India via the port of Sittwe.

The state has 5 airports, the second most of any state after Shan State, with regular domestic flights to all nearby major cities such as Monywa, Magwe, Mandalay, Pyay, Pathein, and Yangon, as well as intra-state flights to Ramree Island, Manaung Island, Ann, and Thandwe.