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Introducing Myanmar |
| Historical
Background |
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Early civilization in Myanmar dates back to the 1st Century with
archaeological evidences of the Pyu Kingdoms of Thayekhittaya (Sriksetra),
Beikthano (Visnu) and Hanlin.
Myanmar greatness in history dates back to 11th Century when King
Anawrahta consolidated the whole country into the First Myanmar Empire
in Bagan well before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The
Bagan Empire encompassed the entire Menam valley in Thailand and lasted
two centuries. The Bagan
Empire produced a glorious civilization whose monuments still
endure. The Bagan Dynasty collapsed with the invasion of
the Mongols under Kublai Khan in the 13th Century.
The Second Myanmar Empire with its capital in Bago
was created in the middle of the 16th Century by King Bayinnaung.
King Alaungpaya founded the Third Myanmar Empire in 1752 and had a
number of capitals, the last being Mandalay.
It was
during the zenith of the Konbaung Dynasty that the British moved into
Myanmar. Myanmar became a British Colony after three Anglo-Myanmar
Wars in the period of 1824 to 1885.
During the World War II, Myanmar was occupied by the Japanese from 1942
till the return of the Allied Forces in 1945. Myanmar became a
sovereign independent state on 4th January, 1948 after more than 100
years of British colonial administration.
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| Today
Myanmar |
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| Flag |
Crest |
The Flag
: Red, blue, and white are colours
of the flag. They represent bravey and upright nature of the
people, peace and stability of the land, and purity of the
country. The flag also consist of 14 white stars, paddy
stalks, and a pinion. White stars represent 7 States and 7
Divisions. Paddy stalks represent the peasants and the
pinion represents the work forces of the country.
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| The Land |
Myanmar, also known as the Golden Land (Suvannabhumi in ancient
times) for its rich natural resources, rich cultural heritage,
glittering temples and pagodas, unspoilt beauty and diversity of attractions, has a total area of 676,577 sq. km and
boasts a coastline of 2,832 km. It is twice the size of
Vietnam and about the size of United Kingdom and France combined.
Geographically, Myanmar is the largest country in South-East Asian
Peninsula sharing borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and
Thailand. Myanmar lies between latitude 10 and 28 degrees North
and longitude 92 and 101 degrees East, with most of its area in the
Tropics.
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Its geographical features are varied and striking; ranges
of mountains running north to south, a vast plateau, extensive river
systems and a large delta. The most important watercourse of
Myanmar is the Ayeyarwaddy,
which originates in the Eastern part of Tibet. It flows for more than
2,000 km from North to South and thus divides the country into a Western and
an Eastern half. The Ayeyarwaddy
is passable for ships for a length of about 1,450 km. The valley and
the delta of the Ayeyarwaddy
compose one of the most fertile, agricultural regions of the world. On
three sides, the Northwest, Northeast and Southeast, Myanmar is flanked by
high and almost impassable mountain ranges. In the Southwest the
Andaman Sea forms its natural border. The highest peak is Hkakaborazi
(5881m or 19,290 ft). A forest cover on half of the land is
also a great help, weather-wise.
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| The Climate |
Myanmar enjoys a tropical climate with three general seasons; namely, hot
season (March to May), rainy season (June to October) and dry cool
season (November to February). Myanmar has the effects of the monsoon in different parts of the country.
The coastal and deltaic areas have an annual rainfall of about 250
cm. In the central Belt, rainfall averages about 70 cm per
annum. An average annual temperature of about 32 degrees
Celsius. Temperature varies from
38 to 19 degrees Celsius;
humidity from 82.8% to 66%. The best time to visit Myanmar is from
October to February.
|
Monthly Mean
Temperatures in Yangon |
| January |
19 degrees
C |
| February |
23 degrees
C |
| March |
29 degrees
C |
| April |
32 degrees
C |
| May |
33 degrees
C |
| June |
33 degrees
C |
| July |
32 degrees
C |
| August |
32 degrees
C |
| September |
33 degrees
C |
| October |
28 degrees
C |
| November |
18 degrees
C |
| December |
16 degrees
C |
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| The People |
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Myanmar is a union of many nationalities; as many as 135 groups,
speaking over one hundred languages and dialects. The term Myanmar
embraces all nationalities. The major races are the Kachin, Kayin,
Kayah, Chin, Mon, Bamar, Rakhine, and Shan. The Bamar is the
largest group forming 70 percent of the total population of over 50 million.
The people of Myanmar are descendants of three main branches: The
Mon-Khmer, the Tibeto-Burman, and the Thai-Chinese.
The Kaya, Mon, Wa, La, Palaung, Pale, Yao, Riang, Padaung, Yinbaw,
Zayein, and others originated from the Mon-Khmer group, while the Shan,
Kayin, and Taungthu, etc., find their roots in the Thai-Chinese
community. The Bamar, Chin, Kachin, Hpon, Maru, Lashi, Rawang, Azi,
Nung, Daru, Yaw, Mro, Inthat, Naga, Gauri, Lisu, Lahu, among others,
evolved from the Tibeto-Burman group.
The official language is Myanmar and it is spoken by at least 80 percent
of the population. The spoken Myanmar language differs slightly
from region to region and the minority ethnic groups have their own
languages and dialects. English is spoken by many and is widely
understood.
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| The Culture |
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Myanmar lies in a meeting place of two of the world's great
civilizations - China and India - but is culture is neither that of
India nor China exclusively, but a blend of both interspersed with
Myanmar native traits and characteristics. Early civilization
dating back to 5th Century and Myanmar greatness in history dating back
to 11th Century have left a legacy of rich cultural heritage and
numerous historical and archaeological places.
Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion with 80 percent of the
people embracing it. There are also Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and
Animists. Buddhism has a great influence on the daily lives of the
Myanmar people. The people have preserved the traditions of close
family ties, respect for elders, devotion to Buddhist teachings and
wearing the simple native dress. They are a people easily
contented and cheerful in the face of adversity. Myanmar people
are known for their friendliness and simple hospitality.
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| The Economy |
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Since late 1988, the Government has changed its policy from
centrally-planned to market-oriented economy and taken a wide range of
measures to liberalize trade and open up investment opportunities.
The Foreign Investment Policy mainly seeks to promote and expand
exports, to exploit natural resources, to acquire high technology and to
support capital intensive production and services.
In line with the new economic direction, such laws as the Foreign
Investment Law, Central Bank of Myanmar Law, Financial Institutions of
Myanmar Law, and Myanmar Tourist Law have been enacted and Chambers of
Commerce reactivated.
Agriculture remains the main sector of the economy and measures are
being taken to increase productivity, promote crop diversification,
increase agricultural exports and develop agro-based industries.
Under the new economic policy, Myanmar's rich natural and human
resources are being utilized and developed not only by the state sector
but also by local and foreign investors.
Myanmar is also rich in tourist attractions and there is enormous
potential for the tourism industry.
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| Myanmar Style : Art,
Architecture and Design of Burma
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George Orwell's Burmese Days
is an interesting, if depressing, novel set in Burma in British
colonial times
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| Paul
Theroux's The Great Railway Bazaar includes chapters on
the train from Yangon to Mandalay and Mandalay to Pyin U Lwin
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