Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia, formerly known as Burma, which until 1989 was called Burma. Bathed by the Gulf of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, it borders Bangladesh in the northwest, India in the north, China in the northeast, and Laos and Thailand in the east. It covers an area of 678 500 km2. The most important cities are Yangon, the capital, with 4,454,500 residents (2004), Mandalay (1,176,900 residents), Moulmein (405,800 residents), Pegu (200,900 residents) and Bassein (215,600 residents). ). The country is quite mountainous in the North and flatter in the South, with the floodplain drained by the Irrawadi River standing out, ending in an extensive delta.
Climate
The climate is tropical monsoon with a dry season that occurs from November to April and in which temperatures are lower whenever the cold winds that blow from the interior are felt. The wet season is dominated by the southeast monsoon, which causes heavy rainfall and is felt from May to October.
Economy
Myanmar’s economy is mainly based on agriculture and trade. The dominant crops are rice, sugar cane, vegetables, peanuts, bananas, sesame, corn, potatoes, cotton, tobacco and jute. The country has several deposits of silver, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, tin, oil, natural gas, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. The industry covers cement, petroleum products, refined sugar, peanut oil, food products, beverages, fertilizers, clothing and cigarettes.
The most exported products are rice, teak (wood), metals and precious stones. Natural gas may, in the short term, be a strong export product. Tourism begins to be an activity with an impact on the economy. The main trading partners are Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
Population
The population is estimated at 47 382 633 (est. 2006) residents, which corresponds to a density of approximately 63.24 residents/km2. The birth and death rates are, respectively, 17.91% and 9.83%. Average life expectancy is 60.97 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.549 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) was not assigned (2001). The largest ethnic groups in the country are Burmese (69%), chan (9%) and karen (6%). The majority religion is Buddhist (89%). The official language is Burmese.
History
Myanmar was annexed by Britain in 1885, after three border wars, and became an Indian province. During World War II, the country was occupied by the Japanese. In 1947 he became independent and left the Commonwealth. In 1962, a socialist regime was established after a military coup. The largest economic sectors were immediately nationalized, rapid industrialization failed and isolation from the rest of the world increased. For Burma democracy and rights, please check homeagerly.
In the late 1980s, government corruption and mismanagement made Myanmar one of the poorest countries in the world. In 1990, the first multiparty elections were held in thirty years. The National League for Democracy (LND) won the victory, but military forces continued to control power, after impeding party leaders, Tin U and Suu Kyi (daughter of nationalist leader Aung San, assassinated in 1947), from to rule.
Tin U went into exile in the West, while Suu Kyi has been kept under house arrest since 1989. The international community has systematically condemned the bloody actions carried out by the military regime. In 1991, Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and, in 1995, surprisingly, she was released.
In the following years, Suu Kyi called on the international community to isolate the ruling military regime, following the policy of repression and continued harassment of opposition activists. However, despite some embargoes, the regime benefited from the organizations in which it was intended to integrate. Talks have been held between Aung San Suu Kyi and military leaders since 2000, which has not been the case since 1994.
In 2003, after strong criticism of the government and clashes between its loyal supporters and government forces, Aung San Suu Kyi was again placed under house arrest. Exceptions were made in 2006 and then in September 2007 so that I could receive Ibrahim Gambari, sent by the United Nations in an attempt to mediate talks between the power and the opposition. This past year, on his birthday, about a million supporters, led by Buddhist monks, demonstrated in front of his home against the military junta in an appeal to democracy, as did elsewhere in the country. This event gave rise to new clashes between the two political forces, leading to demonstrations of international appeal for the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Myanmar, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Myanmar. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Myanmar (Burma)
See a collection of political and shaded relief maps of this Southeastern Asian country, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand.
