Myanmar on Pixibot

The Union of Myanmar, formerly the Union of Burma, is the biggest country in mainland Southeast Asia. It is bordered by the People's Republic of China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the south east, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the north west, with the Andaman Sea to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the south west (for a total of over 2,000 kilometers of coast line). The country has been ruled by a military junta led by General Ne Win from 1962 to 1988, and its political system today remains under the tight control of the military junta.

(Pyi-daung-zu Myan-ma Naing-ngan-daw)Myanmar

Motto:

Anthem: Gba Majay Bma ("We Shall Love Burma")

Capital Yangon (Rangoon) 16Â°46â€² N 96Â°10â€² E

Largest city Yangon (Rangoon)

Official languages Burmese

Government Chairman, SPDC Prime Minister Military dictatorship Sr. Gen. Than Shwe Lt.-Gen. Soe Win

Independence - Date From the United Kingdom January 4, 1948

Area â€¢ Total â€¢ Water (%) 678,500 kmÂ² (39th) 3.06%

Population â€¢ 2004 est. â€¢ n/a census â€¢ Density 54 million (27th) n/a 62/kmÂ² (n/a)

GDP (PPP) â€¢ Total â€¢ Per capita n/a estimate $74.53 billion (60th) $1,800 (n/a)

Currency K; kyat (MMK)

Time zone â€¢ Summer (DST) (UTC6:30) (UTC6:30)

Internet TLD .mm (formerly .bu)

Calling code 95

Origin and history of the name

Explanation of the names of Burma/Myanmar

In 1989, the military junta officially changed the English version of its name from Burma to Myanmar (along with changes in the English versions of many place names in the country, such as its capital city, from Rangoon to Yangon). The official name of the country in the Burmese language, Myanma (), did not however change. The renaming proved to be politically controversial, seen by some as being less inclusive of minorities, and linguistically unscholarly.

History

History of Myanmar

Previously an independent kingdom, in 1824-26, 1851-52 and 1885-86 Burma was invaded by the British Empire and became a part of India. The Japanese expelled the British with Aung San and occupied the country during World War II but it was retaken by the British in 1945.

In 1948 the nation became sovereign, as the Union of Burma, with U Nu as the first Prime Minister. Democratic rule ended in 1962 with a military coup d'etat led by General Ne Win. Ne Win ruled for nearly 26 years, bringing in harsh reforms. In 1990 free elections were held for the first time in almost 30 years, but the landslide victory of the NLD, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi was voided by the military, which refused to step down.

One of the top figures in Burmese history in the 20th century is Army founder and freedom figure General Aung San, a student-turned activist whose daughter is 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate and worldwide peace, freedom and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi of the NLD, now under house arrest. The third most recognised Burmese figure in the world is U Thant, who was UN Secretary General for two terms and highly respected throughout United Nations' history.

The map on the history page shows Burma as it was at its height before 1886. Burmese kings occasionally occupied some parts of China, India, small parts of Bangladesh, Laos and most of hearts of Thailand's ancient kingdoms at various times in history.

Politics

Politics of Myanmar Myanmar Travel Map of Myanmar

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current head of state is General Than Shwe who holds the title of "Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council." His appointed prime minister was Khin Nyunt until 19 October 2004, when he was replaced by Lt.-Gen. Soe Win. Almost all cabinet offices are held by military officers. US sanctions against the military government have been largely ineffective, due to loopholes in the sanctions and the willingness of mainly Asian business to continue investing in Myanmar and to initiate new investments, particularly in natural resource extraction. For example, the French petroleum company Total is able to buy Myanmar's oil despite the country being under sanctions, although Total (formerly TotalFinaElf) is the subject of a lawsuit in French and Belgian courts for alleged connections to human rights abuses along the gas pipeline jointly owned by Total, the American company Unocal, and the Myanma military.1 The United States clothing and shoe industry could also be affected if all the sanctions loopholes were to be closed, although they were already subject to boycotts prior to US sanctions imposed in June of 2002.2

The regime is accused of having a poor human rights record, and the human rights situation in the country is a subject of concern for a wide number of international organizations. There is no independent judiciary in Myanmar and political opposition to the military government is not tolerated.

In 1988 protests against economic mismanagement and political opression were violently repressed, when military opened fire on the demonstrators. Nonetheless, the 1988 protests paved way for the 1990 elections, which were however invalidated by the military. Aung San Suu Kyi, whose opposition party won 83% of parliamentary seats in a 1990 national election, but who was prevented from becoming prime minister by the military, has earned international praise as an activist for the return of democratic rule to Myanmar. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. She has been repeatedly placed under house arrest, although in recent years the regime has been willing to enter into negotiations with her and her party, the National League for Democracy. She was most recently placed under house arrest on May 31, 2003, following an attack on her convoy in northern Myanmar. She remains under house arrest. [1]

Administrative divisions

Administrative divisions of Myanmar Myanmar News

Myanmar is divided into seven divisions and seven states, based on the dominant ethnic groups. Divisions are primarily Burman, while states predominantly consist of other ethnic groups.

Divisions (taing):

Ayeyarwady Division (formerly Irrawady Division)
Bago Division (formerly Pegu Division)
Magway Division
Mandalay Division
Sagaing Division
Tanintharyi Division (formerly Tenasserim Division)
Yangon Division (formerly Rangoon Division)

States (pyi):

Chin State
Kachin State
Kayin State (formerly Karen State)
Kayah State (formerly Karenni State)
Mon State
Rakhine State (formerly Arakan State)
Shan State

Geography

Geography of Myanmar

Myanmar is located between Bangladesh and Thailand, with China to the north and India to the north-west, with coastline on the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The country has a total area of 678,500 kmÂ², of which almost half is forest or woodland. Topographically, the country has mountains along its borders with India and China, and in the west, which surround a central lowland around the river Ayeyarwady, which forms a fertile delta where it flows into the sea. Most of the country's population live in this central lowland.

Economy

Economy of Myanmar Myanmar Tour

In 1989, the government of Myanmar began decentralising economic control and has since liberalised some portions of the economy. However, the lucrative industries of gems, oil, forestry remain under the control of the military. The United Nations lists Myanmar as a LLDC (least developed country). Tourism is being encouraged by the government; however, fewer than 750,000 tourists enter the country yearly. Private enterprises are often co-owned or indirectly by the Tatmadaw. The gap between the wealthy and the poor continues to grow larger.

Some nations, such as the United States and United Kingdom have placed trade sanctions on Myanmar. Foreign investment comes primarily from China, Singapore and Thailand.

Myanmar lacks adequate infrastructure, and has suffered as a result. Goods travel primarily through the Burmese-Thai borders, from which most illegal drugs are exported, and through the Ayeyarwady River. Railroads are rudimentary, with few repairs since their construction in the 18th century. Highways are normally unpaved, except in the major cities. Energy shortages are common throughout the country. Myanmar is the second-largest producer of heroin in the world. Other industries include agricultural goods, textiles, wood products, construction materials, and metals. The lack of an educated workforce also contributes to the growing problems of the Burmese economy.

Demographics

Demographics of Myanmar

Myanmar is ethnically diverse. The dominant ethnic group are Bamar, and speak Burmese, a Tibeto-Burman language. 10% of the population are of Shan descent, who speak Shan, a Tai-Kadai language. The Karen (Kayin) make up 7% of the population. The remainder are Rakhine (Arakan), Chin, Chinese, Mon, and Indian.

Burmese is the offical language of Myanmar. English is commonly spoken as a second language.

Therevada Buddhism is the religion of most Bamar (and Rakhine), Shan, Mon, and Chinese, while Christianity is dominant among Chin and Karen. Indians practice either Hinduism or Islam.

Culture

Culture of Myanmar

The culture of Myanmar is an mixture of centuries of Chinese, Indian, and Thai influences. This is reflected in its language, cuisine, and music. The arts have historically been influenced by Theravada Buddhism, as well as literature. However, in modern times, the culture of Myanmar has increasingly become westernized; this is most apparent in urban areas. Many, both women and men wear a sarong called longyi.

Literature of Myanmar
Music of Myanmar
Cuisine of Myanmar
Myanmar Travel Info

Miscellaneous topics

Communications in Myanmar
- Myanmar Wide Web
Foreign relations of Myanmar
Golden Triangle
Military of Myanmar
Myanmar Baptist Convention
Transportation in Myanmar
Wa State

Footnotes

1. See:

"Dilemma of dealing with Burma". Article retrieved from BBC.co.uk on 2nd November, 2004.
"Myanmar: Promoting Human Development in a Heavily-Criticized Country" from Total.com
"TotalFinaElf in the line of fire" from Earthrights International

2. See:

"How Best to Rid the World of Monsters" from Washingtonpost.com
"Belgian group seeks Total boycott over Myanmar", Reuters report reproduced on Ibilio.

Myanmar Love Story