Myanmar
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Name: Myanmar (Union of Myanmar) Independence Day: 4 January 1948, (from the United Kingdom) Borders: Myanmar is bordered by China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Andaman Sea to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. One-third of Myanmar's total perimeter, 1,930 km, forms an uninterrupted coastline. Location: Myanmar is located between Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and Assam, Nagaland and Manipur of India to the northwest. It shares its longest borders with Tibet and Yunnan of China to the northeast for a total of 2,185 km. Much of Myanmar lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. Administrative divisions: Myanmar is divided into seven states and seven divisions. The states are, Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin (Karen) State, Kayah (Karenni) State, Mon State, Rakhine (Arakan) State and Shan State. The divisions are Ayeyarwady Division, Bago Division, Magway Division, Mandalay Division, Sagaing Division, Tanintharyi Division and Yangon Division. People: Myanmar has a population of about 40 to 55 million. Myanmar is ethnically diverse. The government recognises 135 ethnic groups, consisting mainly of Tibeto-Burman peoples, but with sizable populations of Daic, Hmong-Mien, and Austroasiatic (Mon-Khmer) peoples. The Bamar form an estimated 68% of the population. 10% of the population are Shan. The Kayin make up 7% of the population. The Rakhine people constitute 4% of the population. Mon, who form 2% of the population, are ethno-linguistically related to the Khmer. Overseas Indians comprise 2%. The remainder are Kachin, Chin, Anglo-Burmese, Anglo-Indians and other ethnic minorities. Politics: Myanmar is governed by a military regime. The current Head of State is Senior General Than Shwe, who holds the posts of "Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council" and "Commander in Chief of the Defence Services". General Soe Win became the prime minister in October 2004. The majority of ministry and cabinet posts are held by military officers, with the exceptions being the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, posts which are held by civilians. Economy: Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in the world. In 1989, the Burmese government began decentralising economic control. Lucrative industries of gems, oil and forestry remain heavily regulated. Since 1992, when Than Shwe became head of state, the government has encouraged tourism. Private enterprises are often co-owned or indirectly owned by the Tatmadaw. In recent years, both China and India have attempted to strengthen ties with the government for economic benefit. Many nations have imposed trade sanctions on Myanmar. Foreign investment comes primarily from China, Singapore, South Korea, India, and Thailand. Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of opium. Other industries include agricultural goods, textiles, wood products, construction materials, gems, metals, oil and natural gas. The major agricultural product is rice which covers about 60% of the country’s total cultivated land area. Rice accounts for 97% of total food grain production by weight. Religion: Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada sect intermingled with local beliefs. It is practised by 89% of the population, especially among the Bamar, Rakhine, Shan, Mon, and Chinese. Buddhism was officially acknowledged in the 1974 Constitution. In a traditional Burmese village, the monastery is the centre of cultural life. Monks are venerated and supported by the lay people.4% of the population practises Islam, mainly of the Sunni sect. Christianity is practised by 4% of the population, primarily among the Kachin, Chin and Kayin, and Eurasians. Culture: Although a diverse range of indigenous cultures exist in Myanmar, the majority culture is primarily Buddhist and Bamar. The arts, particularly literature, have historically been influenced by the Burmese form of Theravada Buddhism. Considered the national epic of Myanmar, the Yama Zatdaw, an adaptation of Ramayana, has been influenced greatly by Indian, Thai and Mon versions of the play. Buddhism is practised along with nat worship which involves elaborate rituals to propitiate one from a pantheon of 37 nats. Burmese culture is most evident in villages where local festivals are held throughout the year, the most important being the pagoda festival. Many villages have a guardian nat, and superstition and taboos are commonplace in Burmese life. Language: Burmese, the mother tongue of the Bamar and official language of Myanmar, is related to Tibetan and to the Chinese languages. It is written in a script which comes from the Mon script. The Mon script was developed from a southern Indian script in the 700s. The Burmese script is also used to write several ethnic minority languages, including Shan, several Karen dialects, and Kayah (Karenni), with the addition of specialised characters and diacritics for each language. The Burmese language incorporates widespread usage of honorifics and is age-oriented. Myanmar is home to four major linguistic families: Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian, Tai-Kadai, and Indo-European. Sino-Tibetan languages are most widely spoken. They include Burmese, Karen, Kachin, Chin, and Chinese. The primary Tai-Kadai language is Shan. Mon, Palaung, and Wa are the major Austroasiatic languages spoken in Myanmar. Cuisine: Burmese cuisine has been influenced by Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisines. The staple of Burmese cuisine is rice. Noodles and breads are also eaten. Burmese cuisine often utilises shrimp, and fish, fermented fish paste and meat. Curries, such as masala and chilli are also used. Mohinga, widely considered Myanmar's national dish, consists of curried catfish broth with chickpea flower, rice vermicelli and fish sauce. Tropical fruits are often served as desserts. Major cities offer a wider variety of cuisines, including Shan, Chinese, and Indian. Terrain: The Ayeyarwady delta, which is approximately 50,400 km˛ in area, is largely used for rice cultivation. In the north, the Hengduan Shan mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 m, is the highest point in Myanmar. Three mountain ranges, namely the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, and the Shan Plateau exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas. The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Ayeyarwady, Thanlwin, and the Sittang rivers. The Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 km long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains. The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Ayeyarwady valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau. Climate: Myanmar lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm, while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone, which is located in central Myanmar, is less than 1,000 mm. Northern regions of the country are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C. Coastal and delta regions have mean temperatures of 32 °C. Flora: Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country. Other trees indigenous to the region include rubber, acacia, bamboo, ironwood, mangrove, coconut, betel palm. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine, and various rhododendrons cover much of the land. The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits. In the Dry Zone, vegetation is much more sparse and stunted. Fauna: Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers and leopards are common in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild buffaloes, wild boars, deer antelopes and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity, for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes and tapirs. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, peafowl, pheasants, crows, herons, and paddybirds. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources. History: The Pyu, in the 1st century BCE, established several city kingdoms which traded with India and China. The Burmans, or Bamar, began migrating to the Ayeyarwady valley from present-day Tibet sometime before the ninth century CE. By 849, they had established a powerful kingdom centred on Pagan. During the reign of Anawratha, Burman influence expanded throughout much of present-day Myanmar. By the 1100s, large portions of continental Southeast Asia were controlled by the Pagan Kingdom, commonly called the First Burmese Empire. In 1364 the Burmans re-established their kingdom at Ava, where Burmese culture entered a golden age. Burmans established the Toungoo Kingdom in 1531 at Taungoo, under Tabinshwehti, who re-unified Burma and founded the Second Burmese Empire. Anaukpetlun founded a new dynasty at Ava in 1613. Internal rebellion by the Mon, aided by France, led to the kingdom's downfall in 1752. Alaungpaya established the Konbaung Dynasty and founded the Third Burmese Empire in the 1700s. In 1767, King Hsinbyushin conquered Ayutthaya kingdom. During the reign of King Bagyidaw, in 1824, Burmese general Mahabandoola captured Assam leading to the First Anglo-Burmese War. The Treaty of Yandabo in 1826 ceded control of the coastal territories of Rakhine (Arakan) and Tanintharyi to British interests. In 1851, King Bagan imprisoned some British officials for murder, which led to the Second Anglo-Burmese War. This time, the British annexed the remaining coastal provinces. In 1885, Burmese tax collectors discovered that the Bombay-Burma Teak Company had been illegally logging teak. King Thibaw Min fined the company, which resulted in the Third Anglo-Burmese War. Thibaw Min and the royal family were exiled first to Madras, and then to Ratnagiri. Burma became a province of British India by late November 1885. On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered territory, independent of the Indian administration. In the 1940s, the Thirty Comrades, led by Aung San, founded the Burma Independence Army. The Thirty Comrades received training in Japan. During World War II, Burma became a major front lines in the Southeast Asian Theatre. Initially the Japanese-led Burma Campaign succeeded and the British were expelled from most of Burma. But by July 1945, the Allies had retaken the country. In 1943, the Chin Levies and Kachin Levies were formed in the border districts of Burma still under British control. The Burma Rifles fought as part of the Chindits under General Orde Wingate from 1943-1945. Later in the war, the Americans created American-Kachin Rangers who also fought for the Allies. Many other Burmese fought with the British Special Operations Executive. The Burma Independence Army under the command of Aung San and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942-1944, but rose up against the Japanese in 1945. On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities. The geographical area Myanmar encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British. In 1961, U Thant, then Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations. Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi. Democratic rule ended in 1962 with a military coup d'état led by General Ne Win, who ruled for nearly 26 years and pursued policies under the Burmese Way to Socialism. In 1988, an uprising led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country. In response, General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état. He formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1990, free elections were held for the first time in almost 30 years. The NLD, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 489 seats, but the election results were voided by SLORC, which refused to step down. SLORC renamed Burma 'Myanmar' in 1989. On 27 March 2006, the military junta, moved the national capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw. |