Myanmar overview
- Nov 5, 2015
- 2 min read
General information:
Official Name: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw short form: Myanma int'l long form: Republic of the Union of Myanmar int'l short form: Myanmar formerly, but still in use: Burma ISO Country Code: MM, MMR, .mm Country Calling Code: +95
Capital City since 6 November 2005:Naypyidaw (Nay Pyi Taw) Other Cities: Yangôn (Rangoon, pop. 5 million),Mandalay (pop. 700 000)
Government: Type: nominally civilian government (since 29th March 2011, when Burma's military handed over power). The new political system came into effect after an election in November 2010. Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988 when latest junta took power). Burma has been under military authority since 1962. Geography: Location: Southeast Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Area: 676,578 km² (261,228 square miles). Terrain: A land of hills and valleys rimmed in the north, east and west by mountain ranges forming a giant horseshoe. Enclosed within the mountaion barriers are the flat lands of Ayeyarwaddy, Chindwin and Sittaung River valleys where most of the country's agricultural land and population are concentrated.
Climate:
Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April). People: Nationality: Burmese.
Population:
51.4 million (2014 census)
Ethnic groups:
According to Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs there are 8 Major National Ethnic Races in Myanmar, which all comprises different ethnic groups: the Kachin, the Kayah, the Kayin, the Chin , the Mon, the Bamar, the Rakhine, and the Shan.
According to the CIA World Factbook the ethnic groups are: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Arakanese 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%.
Religions:
Buddhism (89.2%), Christianity (5.0%), Islam (3.8%), Hinduism (0.5%), Spiritualism (1.2%) and others (0.2%).
Languages:
Burmese; Myanmar is a union of 135 ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects. Literacy: 90% (2003 official Government of Burma statistics); estimates of functional literacy are closer to 30% Natural resources:
Timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones like jade, ruby and sapphires, natural gas, hydropower, and some petroleum. Agriculture Products:
Rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane, hardwood, fish and fish products. Industries:
Agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement
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