Myanmar

MYANMAR

Information about travelling to Myanmar

Myanmar is located in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Facts about Myanmar
Population47,758,180 note: es
CapitalRangoon (Yangon)
Time zoneUTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Nay Pyi Taw is adminis
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

General info about Myanmar
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 from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After Burma's ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters. Burma in early May 2008 was struck by Cyclone Nargis which official estimates claimed left over 80,000 dead and 50,000 injured. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990, setting the stage for the 2010 parliamentary elections.
Disease threats
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepat
Languages spoken
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
What about drugs?
remains world's second-largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2008 of 340 metric tons, an increase of 26%, and cultivation in 2008 was 22,500 hectares, a 4% increase from 2007; production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control remains low; Shan state is the source of 94% of poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2008)
Ethnic division
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate
1.2% (2003 est.)
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)
Resources
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower
Economy
Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated because of the regime's mismanagement of the economy. The economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers the inflow of foreign investment. Foreign investors have shied away from nearly every sector except for natural gas and power generation. The business climate is widely perceived as opaque, corrupt, and highly inefficient. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2008, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions, limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. The September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber, and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.
Environment
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease

Cities in Myanmar

akyab     allanmyo     bago     banmo     bogale     chauk     dawei     falam     henzada     kanbe     katha     kayan     kyaikkami     kyaiklat     kyaikto     kyaukse     labutta     lashio     letpadan     loikaw     magway     mandalay     martaban     maubin     mawlaik     mawlamyine     maymyo     meiktila     mergui     minbu     mogok     monywa     moulmeingyun     mudon     myanaung     myingyan     myitkyina     nyaunglebin     pakokku     pathein     paungde     pyapon     pyay     pyinmana     pyu     rangoon     sagaing     shwebo     syriam     taungdwingyi     taunggyi     thanatpin     tharrawaddy     thaton     thayetmyo     thongwa     toungoo     twante     wakema     yamethin     yandoon     ye     yenangyaung    

National airlines
Air Mandalayairline website


Airports in Myanmar
CivilAKY
BhamoBMO
BaganBPE
BasseinBSX
GangawGAW
GwaGWA
HenzadaHEB
HehoHEH
HomalinHOX
KawthaungKAW
Keng TungKET
KalemyoKMV
KyaukpyuKYP
KyauktawKYT
LoikawLIW
LashioLSH
AnnisatonMDL
Mong TonMGK
ManaungMGU
MyeikMGZ
MomeikMOE
Mong HsatMOG
MagweMWQ
MyitkyinaMYT
NamsangNMS
NamtuNMT
NyaungUNYU
Pa-anPAA
PaukPAU
PutaoPBU
PakokkuPKK
PapunPPU
PromePRU
MingaladonRGN
ThandweSNW
TachilekTHL
TilinTIO
DaweTVY
YeXYE


Beer in Myanmar (0.33l)
Rangoon~ 0.3 EUR

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