Mogok
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| Mogok | |
  Mogok
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| Coordinates: 22°55′N 96°30′E / 22.917°N 96.5°E | |
| Country |  Burma |
|---|---|
| Admin. division | Mandalay Division |
| District | Pyin Oo Lwin District |
| Township | Mogok Township |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 150,000 |
| - Religions | Buddhism |
Mogok (Burmese: မိုးကုတ်; population 150,000) is a city in the Pyin Oo Lwin District of the Mandalay Division of Myanmar, located 200 km north of Mandalay and 148 km northeast of Shwebo.
[edit] Geography
At 1170 meters in elevation, the city has fairly temperate climate year-round, and is home to mostly Bamar, with large minorities of Shan, Lisu, Palaung, Karen ethnic groups, as well as Chinese, Indians and Nepali.
[edit] Repute for gemstones
Mogok has been famous since ancient times for its gemstones, especially ruby and sapphire, but semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, garnet, moonstone, peridot and chrysoberyl are also found. The gems are found in alluvial limestone gravels by means on panning, tunneling and digging pits by hand. There is little mechanization of the mining.
Gems are sold in markets in Mogok; however, foreigners require special permits to visit the town, and purchase/export of gems from Myanmar at non-government licensed dealers is illegal.
90% of the world's rubies come from Myanmar. The red stones from there are prized for their purity and hue. Thailand buys the majority of Myanmar's gems. The "Valley of Rubies", the mountainous Mogok area, 200 km (125 miles) north of Mandalay, is noted for its rare pigeon's blood rubies and blue sapphires. Working conditions in the mines, however, are said to be horrendous. Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma stated that mining operators used drugs on employees to improve productivity, with needles shared, raising the risk of HIV infection: "These rubies are red with the blood of young people." Brian Leber (jeweler who founded The Jewellers' Burma Relief Project) stated that "for the time being," Burmese gems should not be something to be proud of. [1]
[edit] References
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