Chauk
{{For|the village in Iran|Chauk, Iran}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Chauk
|native_name = ချောက်
|other_name =
|settlement_type = Town
|image_skyline = Bagan-Chauk Road - Anawrahta Road crossing.jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = The Bagan-Chauk Road crossing, close to Bagan
|pushpin_map = Myanmar
|pushpin_label_position = right
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Myanmar (Burma)
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Myanmar}}
|subdivision_type1 = Division
|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Magway Region}}
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name2 = Chauk District
|subdivision_type3 = Township
|subdivision_name3 = Chauk Township
|subdivision_type4 =
|subdivision_name4 =
|leader_title =
|leader_name =
|established_title =
|established_date =
|area_total_km2 =
|population_as_of = 2014 Census
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 44,289
|population_density_km2 =
|timezone = MMT
|utc_offset = +6.30
|coordinates = {{coord|20|53|N|94|49|E|region:MM|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m =
|elevation_ft =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
Chauk ({{langx|my|ချောက်}}) is a town and river port in Magway Region, north-central Myanmar (Burma), on the Irrawaddy River. It is located across the river from Seikphyu (ဆိပ်ဖြူ) and is connected by a bridge.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} It is the capital of Chauk District
History
In 1902, the Chauk-Lonywa oil field was discovered near Chauk, which is presently a major source of income for the town.
On January 2, 2014, Singapore's Interra Resources announced that its jointly controlled entity, Goldpetrol Joint Operating Company Inc., had commenced drilling development well CHK 1177 in the Chauk oil field in Myanmar.{{cite web|title=Interra starts drilling in Myanmar's Chauk field|url=http://oilpatchasia.com/2014/01/interra-starts-drilling-in-myanmars-chauk-field/|publisher=Oil Patch Asia|accessdate=2 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191044/http://oilpatchasia.com/2014/01/interra-starts-drilling-in-myanmars-chauk-field/|archive-date=2 January 2014|url-status=dead}}
Climate
Located in the “Dry Valley” of central Myanmar in the rain shadow of the Arakan Mountains, Chauk has a borderline hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), being a little too dry to qualify as a tropical savanna climate (Aw) due to the extreme heat and high potential evapotranspiration. Unlike most monsoonal semi-arid climates, the rainy season in the “Dry Valley” is relatively long at around five to seven months, while variability and extreme monthly and daily rainfalls are much lower than usual with this type of climate.See {{cite journal |last=Camberlin |first=Pierre |doi=10.3354/cr00856|url=http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/49/82/26/PDF/camberlin_CR_revised.pdf|title=More variable tropical climates have a slower demographic growth|year=2010|journal=Climate Research|volume=41|pages=157–167|doi-access=free}}
{{Weather box
| location = Chauk (1991–2020)
| single line = Y
| metric first = Y
| width = auto
|collapsed = Y
|Jan high C = 31.0
|Feb high C = 34.6
|Mar high C = 38.4
|Apr high C = 40.7
|May high C = 38.7
|Jun high C = 35.6
|Jul high C = 35.2
|Aug high C = 34.6
|Sep high C = 34.2
|Oct high C = 33.9
|Nov high C = 32.8
|Dec high C = 30.8
| year high C = 35.0
|Jan mean C = 22.1
|Feb mean C = 24.9
|Mar mean C = 29.1
|Apr mean C = 32.6
|May mean C = 32.4
|Jun mean C = 30.7
|Jul mean C = 30.5
|Aug mean C = 30.1
|Sep mean C = 29.7
|Oct mean C = 28.9
|Nov mean C = 26.5
|Dec mean C = 23.0
| year mean C = 28.4
|Jan low C = 13.1
|Feb low C = 15.3
|Mar low C = 19.8
|Apr low C = 24.4
|May low C = 26.1
|Jun low C = 25.9
|Jul low C = 25.8
|Aug low C = 25.6
|Sep low C = 25.2
|Oct low C = 24.0
|Nov low C = 20.1
|Dec low C = 15.3
| year low C = 21.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 4.9
|Feb precipitation mm = 1.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 3.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 8.8
|May precipitation mm = 81.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 70.4
|Jul precipitation mm = 38.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 99.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 138.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 132.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 20.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 3.8
| year precipitation mm = 603.4
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 0.3
|Feb precipitation days = 0.1
|Mar precipitation days = 0.4
|Apr precipitation days = 1.2
|May precipitation days = 5.3
|Jun precipitation days = 6.8
|Jul precipitation days = 4.8
|Aug precipitation days = 8.4
|Sep precipitation days = 9.8
|Oct precipitation days = 7.5
|Nov precipitation days = 1.8
|Dec precipitation days = 0.6
|year precipitation days = 47.0
|source 1 = World Meteorological Organization{{cite web
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Myanmar/CSV/Chauk_48052.csv
| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| access-date = 16 October 2023}}
}}
Earthquake
The 6.8 Mw Myanmar earthquake shook north-central Myanmar on August 24, 2016, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). Four people were killed and several ancient temples were damaged.
Economy
A refinery was built in Chauk for the Chauk-Lonywa oil field that also processes crude oil that comes down a pipeline from Yenangyaung.Bečka, Jan (1995) "Chauk" Historical Dictionary of Myanmar Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New Jersey, p. 58, {{ISBN|0-8108-2840-5}} The Chauk field was still producing natural gas as of 1995.
Notes
{{Reflist}}
{{Clear}}
{{Magway Division}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Populated places in Magway Region
Category:Township capitals of Myanmar
{{Magway-geo-stub}}