Rangoon

Rangoon, a district and seaport in the Pegu division of British Burmah. Since 1880 the district has been limited to the area of 22 square miles, in which the town is included. The latter stands on the left bank of the Hlaing or Rangoon river (a branch of the Irawadi) at the junction with the Pegu, 21 miles from the sea. The river harbour is accessible to ships of large draught, and a large trade is carried on, the exports being teak, rice, cotton, hides, petroleum, catechu, shellac, and tobacco, and the imports consisting of all kinds of European manufactures. Ship-building employs many hands. Rangoon was founded in 1753, taken by the British in 1824, and finally annexed in 1852.