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Myanmar (Burma)

Population: 60,280,000 (est.)

Language(s): Burmese

Capital: Naypyidaw

Interesting Facts:

The Myanma kyat is the official currency of Burma.
Burma has a diverse religious climate. Buddhism is the main religion comprising around 89% of the population, Islam and Christianity are second with around 4% each.
The country is one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia, suffering from decades of stagnation, mismanagement and isolation.
The lack of an educated workforce skilled in modern technology contributes to the growing problems of the economy.
Despite Burma’s emergence as a natural gas exporter, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated under the mismanagement of the previous regime.
Burma is a tropical monsoon, meaning cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers June to September) and less cloudy, scant rainfall with mild temperatures and lower humidity during winter (December to April).
The country has been plagued with rebels in various ethnic areas ever since its independence.
Major credit cards are not always accepted in Burma, so it’s always better to carry some cash.
There are four major rivers in Burma: Ayeyarwaddy River, Thanlwin River, Chindwin River, and Sittaung River.
Burma has three main seasons, hot season (March to May), rainy season (June to October) and cold season (November to February).
Literacy Rate in Myanmar is around 83% and life expectancy is 57.
Under British rule, Myanmar was one of the richest countries in south-east Asia.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh . One-third of Burma’s total perimeter of 1,930 kilometres (1,200 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. At 676,578 km² (261,227 sq mi), it is the 40th largest country, the second largest in Southeast Asia and the 24th most populous with over 60 million people. Burma is a country resource-rich in precious stones; in 2011, its GDP stood at US$82.7 billion, and it was estimated to grow at an annual rate of 5.5%.

Multiple governments, including the EU, United States and Canada have imposed economic sanctions on Burma^. The United Nations and several other organizations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country, including genocide, the use of child soldiers, systematic rape, child labour, slavery, human trafficking and a lack of freedom of speech. Nevertheless since the partial relinquishing of the military’s control over the government and the release of the famous human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi in 2011, the government has rapidly been improving relations with major powers like the United States, Japan and the European Union.

Source: Wikipedia