Myanmar

National name: Pyidaungsu Myanmar Naingngandau

Government
Military regime.

Geography
Myanmar occupies the Thailand/Cambodia portion of the Indochinese peninsula. India lies to the northwest and China to the northeast. The Bay of Bengal touches the southwest coast. The fertile delta of the Irrawaddy River in the south contains a network of intercommunicating canals and nine principal river mouths.

Historical Background
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest. In November 2005, the junta extended her detention for at least another six months. On May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis ravaged the Irrawaddy Delta and Yangon, killing 22,500 people and leaving up to a million homeless.

Facts & Figures

Name

MYANMAR

Capital

Naypyidaw

Government

Presidential republic

Language

Burmese

Religion

Religion in Burma, Buddhism in Burma, Hinduism in Burma, Christianity in Burma, Islam in Burma, and History of the Jews in Burma

Area

676,578 km2 (40th) 261,227 sq mi

Population

2009 estimate 50,020,000[1] (24th) 1983 census 33,234,000 (3)

Currency

kyat (K) (mmK)

GDP(PPP)

2009 estimate Total $71.772 billion[2]

GDP(nominal)

2009 estimate Total $34.262 billion

National Anthem

Kaba Ma Kyei