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Myanmar |
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History
The region now known as Myanmar has been populated since 2500 B.C and the oldest cities date from the second century. Many nations lived here and tribal wars between neighbours throughout the centuries were common. Kublai Khan conquered the country after the Tartar invasion in 1287. Myanmar became a British colony in the middle of 18th century after the arrival of the first Europeans. Myanmar (Burma) gained independence on January 4, 1948. A left-wing army revolt led by General Ne Win deposed the troubled government in 1962 and set the country on the path of socialism. Since then the country has been governed by military leaders. In 1990 the military government agreed to hold democratic ellections. The opposition party called the National League for Democracy (NLD), under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, scored an overwhelming victory at the polls. The military government prevented the newly elected party leaders from taking offices and declared the elections invalid. Aung San Suu Kyi, the famous leader of NLD, has been repeatedly imprisoned and placed under house arrest. In 1991 she received Nobel Peace Prize but the NLD is not yet allowed to govern. Aung San Suu Kyi believes that tourist should not visit Myanmar until the NLD can govern. Other opposite parties do not share this opinion: the boycot can make the country poorer and population wil suffer much more. They think that tourism and foreign assistance and investments can improve the welfare of the nation. The Lonely Planet Guide on Myanmar offers an interesting article on this subject. |
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Geography and nature
Myanmar is approximately as large as France and England combined and has a population of 42.9 million. It lies on the Bay of Bengal in South-East Asia. The country shares borders with China, Laos,Thailand, Bangladesh and India. Myanmar has a monsoon climate with three seasons: the warm damp rainy season from end of May to mid-October; the cool dry season from the end of October until mid-February; and the hot dry season from mid-February until mid-May. The landscape of Myanmar varies across the country. The western and southern parts are dominated by beaches and shoreline, meanwhile the eastern part is famous for its tropical rain forests. The Himalayan mountains form the northern part of country. Mt. Hkakabo Razi, at 5881 m is the highest peak in Myanmar. |
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Culture and religion
The majority race is Burmese (68%) , other important ethnic groups being Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Chineses, Indians and Mon. Buddhism is the predominant religion of Myanmar and is embraced by about 89% of the population. The country is dotted with beautifull Buddist temples, often with gold covers. The minority religions are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Animism. As the dominant religion, Buddism has a big influence on the everyday life of Myanmar. Respect for elders is very important. The population is very kind and hospitable. Neat and respectful dress should be worn in all religious shrines. It is not considered polite to visit religious monuments in shorts or miniskirts. Though shoes can be worn in temple compounds, they should be removed before entering the chapel of the principal Buddha image. Indeed, all Buddha images are regarded as sacred, regardless of size, age or position, and should all be shown due respect. |
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Economic background
Myanmar has many types of natural resourses, but suffers under a poorly functioning economic system as well as economic sanctions from different countries. The countryside is especially poor. Natural resources are: tin, zinc, copper, thungsten, lead, wood, coal, natural gas, hydro power, marble and precious stone. Myanmar produces agricultural products such as rice, beans, sesame, peanuts, sugarcane and fish. The industrial sector produces furniture, textiles, building materials, metal products, medicines, and cement. Tourism is also a source of revenue as well as foreign currency. The currency of Myanmar is Kyat (MMK), but transactions are commonly done in US dollars. There is also third kind of money: FEC( foreign exachange currency) that you can buy with other different valuta. This is one way for government to get foreign currency. Myanmar has no cash cards or ATM s so be sure to take carry sufficient cash. It is seldom even possible to pay with credit cards. Where it is possible, Visa en American Express are the preferred standard. Foreign mobile telephones can not be used in Myanmar. International calls can be made from hotels (very expansive) or from the Post Office. Internet is available in most hotels and you can send e-mail to home. Sometimes you have to pay per kilobytes, so it is wise to ask the price before hand. There are no internet cafes in Myanmar. |
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Language
Myanmar (Burmese) is the country's official language which belongs to Sino-Tibetians language group. It has a beautiful script. There are many languages and dialects among the more than 100 different national races. Almost each race has own dialect/language. However, English is widely spoken in large towns and tourist places. Some useful words in Burmese: |
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