The island of Ramree does not have an officially posted population, except for the township of Ramree, which is the capital city on the island. The population of Ramree as per the census of 2014 was 97,891.
Ramree Island is an island that is situated off the coast of the Rakhine State. It is governed by the Burmese government of Myanmar, which is sometimes called Burma due to its etymology. Ramree island is the largest island on the entire Rakhine Coast and is also the largest island that is controlled by Myanmar. In the Burmese language, the island is called Yanbye island. Ramree Island is separated from the mainland by a narrow strait which is only 150 meters wide on average. The bridge over the strait connects the island with the rest of the continental shore. The highest point on Ramree island is a 300m high mountain located near the shore in the western part of the southern region of the island. There are famous mud volcanoes still active on the island.
The island was originally known as a trading post for the Kingdom of Mrauk-U where there were many fishing villages located across it. Ramree Island is also known as the location of the famous Battle of Ramree Island, which was fought near the end of the war as part of the British 14th Army. The battle was an offensive for the Burma Campaign on the Southern Front. When the battle came to a close, Japanese soldiers were eventually forced to retreat into the marshes that surround the island. It is claimed that most of the survivors were eaten by saltwater crocodiles.
Although this was the tale from the surviving members, it is more likely that a vast majority of the nearly 1000 Japanese soldiers that retreated had died due to other reasons, such as dysentery and dehydration. In addition, occasional British gunfire would be peppered within the marshlands to scare them into submission and retreat, but would also kill some of the remaining survivors due to stray bullets.
Ramree Island is the location of an important gas pipeline system that is responsible for transporting most of the oil and gas from the Indian Ocean coast to the Yunnan province within the nation of the People's Republic of China. There is a deep water port on Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State from Ramree Island, oil from the Middle East reservoirs and gas from the coast of Myanmar's position to the ocean is transported through pipelines into China. These pipelines are of crucial importance to China to stop relying solely on ocean-transported oil and gas through the Malacca Strait. This reduces transport time, but also greatly reduces cost and the possibility of tanker spills.
The Burmese government places transport fees for the pipeline, which is a major source of revenue for Myanmar, added to the sale of gas.