Thandwe is very ancient, and is said to have been at one time the
capital of Rakhine State, then called Arakan. The district has an area of . The area is mountainous, and spurs of the Arakan Mountains reach the coast. Some of the peaks in the north are over high. The streams are only mountain torrents to within a few miles of the coast; the mouth of the Khwa forms a good anchorage for small boats. The rocks in the
Arakan Range and its spurs are
metamorphic, and include
clay,
slates,
ironstone and indurated
sandstone; towards the south, ironstone, trap and rocks of
basaltic character are common; veins of
steatite and white fibrous
quartz are also found. Nearby Ngapali Beach is popular among tourists.
Climate Thandwe has a
tropical monsoon climate (
Köppen Am). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October). Torrential rain falls from June to September, with over falling in each of the months of June, July and August. Between 1991 and 2020, the mean annual rainfall was . The
rainfall in 1905 was . {{Weather box ==References==