Loikaw

Loikaw လွိုင်ကော်မြို့ Lwègaw
Loikaw clock tower
Loikaw Location in Burma
Coordinates: 19°40′27″N 97°12′34″E / 19.67417°N 97.20944°E / 19.67417; 97.20944
Country	Burma
Division	Kayah State
District	Loikaw
Township	Loikaw
Elevation	2,900 ft (884 m)
Population (2013)[1]	140 670
Time zone	MST (UTC+6.30)

Loikaw (Burmese: လွိုင်ကော်မြို့; MLCTS: lwing kaw mrui., pronounced: [lwàikɔ̀ mjo̰]) is the capital of Kayah State in Myanmar. It is located in the Karen Hills area, near the State's northern tip, just above an embayment on the Pilu River. The inhabitants are mostly Kayah (Karenni). Myanmar's largest hydropower plant built (by the Japanese as war reparation) is located about 20 km east of Loikaw at Lawpita Falls.

Loikaw was the Headquarters of the Political Officer in Charge of the Karenni States, part of the Princely States of British Burma, in 1922 during British rule in Burma. The town was located in the only flat part of the Karenni area. In 1892 it numbered four huts. As an Agent of the British government he was exercising control over the local Karenni Rulers, being supervised by the Superintendent at Taunggyi. The headquarters of the American Baptist Mission to Hill Karens was also located in Loikaw.

Loikaw is linked by the newly constructed Aungban-Pinlong-Loikaw rail line. Loikaw is also linked to Yangon by air.