Myanmar
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The Union of Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia, formerly known as Burma. The name of the country was changed in 1989, and this change of name has been officially recognized by the United Nations. Some national governments, such as the United States and United Kingdom, and much of the Burmese population, do not recognize this change of name, since they do not recognize the military government which instituted it. For the time being, however, Myanmar, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw, is still used by many regardless of their opinion of the military government.
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| National motto: none | |||||
| Official language | Burmese | ||||
| Capital | Yangôn (FKA Rangoon) | ||||
| Capital's coordinates | 16° 46' N, 96° 10' E | ||||
| Largest City | Yangon | ||||
| Chairman, State Peace and Development Council | Sr. Gen. Than Shwe | ||||
| Prime Minister | Soe Win | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 39th 678,500 km² 3.06% | ||||
| Population
- Total (2003) - Density | Ranked 27th 42,510,537 62/km² | ||||
| GDP (PPP)
- Total (Year) - GDP/head | Ranked 60th
xxx,xxx millions $ xx,xxx $ | ||||
| Currency | Kyat | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +6:30 (DST, yes or not) | ||||
| Independence - Declared - Recognised | From the UK (Year) January 4, 1948 | ||||
| National anthem | Gba Majay Bma (We Shall Love Burma) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .mm (formerly .bu) | ||||
| Calling Code | 95 | ||||
| Contents |
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Previously an independent kingdom, in 1886 Burma was annexed by the British Empire to the colony of India. The Japanese Empire invaded and occupied the country during World War II but it was returned to British control.
In 1948 the nation became sovereign, as the Union of Burma, with U Nu as the first Prime Minister. Democratic rule ended in 1962 with a military coup led by General Ne Win. Win ruled for nearly 26 years, bringing in harsh reforms. In 1990 free elections were held, but were voided by the military, which refused to step down.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Burma has been under military rule since 1988. The current head of state is General Than Shwe who holds the title of "Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council." His appointed prime minister was Khin Nyunt until 19 October 2004, when he was replaced by Lt.-Gen. Soe Win. Almost all cabinet offices are held by military officers. Sanctions against the military government have been largely ineffective, due to loopholes in the sanctions. For example, the French petroleum company Total is able to buy Burma's oil despite the country being under sanctions 1. The United States clothing and shoe industry could also be affected if all the sanctions loopholes were to be closed 2.
The regime is accused of having a poor human rights record. There is no independent judiciary in Myanmar and political opposition to the military government is not tolerated.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected prime minister in 1990, but prevented by military from taking office, has earned international praise as an activist for democratic rule to return to Myanmar. She has been repeatedly placed under house arrest, although in recent years the regime has been willing to enter into negotiations with her and her party, the National League for Democracy.
- Visa requirements for tourists: At the border one needs to obtain a travel visa, which permits one to visit certain areas within the country for one or more days (usually ones point of entry, and optionally the capital Rangoon). A traveller's passport must be valid for the six months following his or her date of travel.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
Myanmar is divided into 7 divisions and 7 states. The divisions are Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi and Yangon. The states are Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, Rakhine State, and Shan State.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
Economy
Main article: Economy of Myanmar
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Myanmar
Culture
Main article: Culture of Myanmar
Many of the people, both men and women, wear lonygis or a type of sarong.
See also:
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Myanmar
- Foreign relations of Myanmar
- Military of Myanmar
- Myanmar Baptist Convention
- Transportation in Myanmar
Footnotes
- See "Dilemma of dealing with Burma". Article retrieved from BBC.co.uk on 2nd November, 2004.
- See "How Best to Rid the World of Monsters". Article retrieved from Washingtonpost.com on 2nd November, 2004.
See also
- CIA World Factbook. The source of much of the material in this article.
- Burma Campaign UK. A prominent organization dedicated to raising European awareness of the political situation in Myanmar and condemning companies aligned with the military government.
- Political prisoner
- Political protest
External links
- Geopium: Geopolitics of Illicit Drugs in Asia
- Burma News, Myanmar News. News website opposed to the military government.
- The Irrawaddy. A magazine covering Burma and Southeast Asia.
- FreeBurma.org
- Burma: Army of the Child God
- "Burma scraps intelligence agency". Article from BBC.co.uk
| Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) | |
|---|---|
| Brunei | Cambodia | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam | |
| Observer status: Papua New Guinea |
| Countries in Southeast Asia |
|---|
|
Brunei | Cambodia | East Timor | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam |
cs:Myanmar
da:Burma
de:Myanmar
eo:Birmo
es:Myanmar
et:Myanmar
fi:Myanmar
fr:Myanmar
he:מיאנמר
id:Myanmar
ja:ミャンマー
minnan:Myanmar
ms:Myanmar
nds:Myanmar
nl:Myanmar
no:Myanmar
pl:Birma
pt:Myanmar
ru:Мьянма
sl:Mjanmar
sv:Myanmar
th:ประเทศพม่า
uk:М'янма
zh:缅甸
