Maungdaw
Geography
Maungdaw Township is located in northern Arakan (Rakhine State), along the western frontier of Myanmar with Bangladesh. Together with neighbouring Buthidaung, it forms part of the geographically distinctive northern Arakan region. The township occupies a strategically important position between the Bangladesh border, the Naf River, the Bay of Bengal coastal zone and the hill systems separating Maungdaw from the interior of Arakan.
Location and boundaries
The Naf River forms an important part of the international boundary between Maungdaw Township and Bangladesh. Across the river lie the Teknaf and wider Cox’s Bazar areas of southeastern Bangladesh. The river has therefore long been one of the defining geographical features of Maungdaw and an important element in cross-border movement, transportation, fishing and local economic life.
Maungdaw lies west of Buthidaung Township. The two townships are separated by hilly and mountainous terrain, with routes through the hills providing connections between the Maungdaw coastal-border plain and the Buthidaung valley farther east.