Myanmar — map and facts

About Myanmar

Myanmar, also known historically as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh and India to the northwest, China to the northeast, and Laos and Thailand to the east. The country's capital is Naypyidaw, a purpose-built administrative city designated in 2005, while Yangon remains the largest city and commercial hub. Myanmar has a population of approximately 54 million people. The country is rich in natural resources including natural gas, gemstones, jade, and timber. Following independence from British colonial rule in 1948, Myanmar experienced prolonged periods of military government. A democratic transition began in 2011 and accelerated after the 2015 elections, in which the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory. However, in February 2021 the military staged a coup, detaining civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi and re-establishing direct military rule under the Tatmadaw. Since the coup, widespread civil unrest, armed conflict, and a severe humanitarian crisis have affected much of the country.

Geography and Landscape

Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, covering approximately 676,000 square kilometres. The country's geography is defined by a central lowland basin formed by the Irrawaddy River, which flows southward over 2,000 kilometres from the Himalayan foothills to the Andaman Sea. The Irrawaddy and its major tributary, the Chindwin, form the heartland of the country's agriculture. Myanmar is flanked by mountain ranges on three sides: the Rakhine Yoma along the western coast, the Shan Plateau in the east, and the northern Kachin highlands where Hkakabo Razi rises to 5,881 metres, the highest point in Southeast Asia. The Salween River flows from the Tibetan Plateau through the Shan State into the Gulf of Martaban. The Tenasserim Coast in the south is a narrow peninsula with thousands of islands and extensive mangrove forests. The climate is dominated by the monsoon cycle, with a wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April.

History

Evidence of human settlement in present-day Myanmar dates back to at least 11,000 BCE. The Pyu city-states flourished in the central plains from the second century BCE, followed by the Mon kingdoms in the south. The first Burmese empire, the Pagan Kingdom, was founded in the ninth century and reached its height under King Anawrahta in the eleventh century, unifying much of present-day Myanmar and establishing Theravada Buddhism as the dominant religion. The kingdom was sacked by the Mongols in 1287. Subsequent Burmese dynasties, including the Toungoo and Konbaung, expanded and consolidated control across the region. British forces annexed the country in three stages during the nineteenth century, completing annexation in 1885. Independence was declared on 4 January 1948. Following democratic instability, General Ne Win established military rule in 1962. A brief democratic opening in 1988 was suppressed by the military. The country began transitioning toward partial democracy in 2011, before the February 2021 military coup reversed those gains.