Kathar

Katha is a town in Sagaing Region, Myanmar, on the west side of the Irrawaddy River on a bluff with an average elevation of 124m. Most of the town is more than 10m above the river. Katha is known for having inspired Kyauktada, the fictional setting of George Orwell's Burmese Days.LocationKatha is 12 hours by rail north of Mandalay through the railroad junction town of Naba which is 23km to the west of Katha. A small branch of railway runs east from Naba to Katha. Katha can also be reached by ferries that run on the Irrawaddy River between the upstream town of Bhamo down to Mandalay. There is also direct bus service from Mandalay to Katha, but it is a bumpy ride.ClimateKatha has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year, with milder winter months (December–February). There is a winter dry season (November–March) and a summer wet season (April–October).EconomyKatha is the administrative seat of Katha District which comprises seven small townships. Katha is populated with government offices and many of the early town settlers were from every part of Burma and usually had background history of civil service under at least one of ministerial departments. The main economy of the town is fisheries and farming of kidney beans. Production of rice in the Katha Township is less than its consumption and Katha has to depend on imports from the nearby townships such as Indaw or Kawlin. Katha is a legendarily bureaucratic stronghold, and its prosperity is crippled by it.