 |
 Myanmar| Facts & Figures |
|---|
| Head of State: Senior Gen. Than Shwe
(1992) Prime Minister: Lt. Gen.
Thein Sein (2007) Land area: 253,954 sq mi (657,741 sq km);
total area: 261,969 q mi (678,500 sq km) Population (2009 est.): 48,137,741 (growth
rate: 0.7%); birth rate: 16.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 47.6/1000;
life expectancy: 63.4; density per sq km: 72
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Rangoon (Yangon), 4,344,100 Naypyidaw
(administrative capital) Other large
city: Mandalay, 1,147,400 Monetary
unit: Kyat More Facts & Figures |
Naypyidaw
(administrative capital)
GeographySlightly smaller than Texas, Myanmar occupies
the Thailand/Cambodia portion of the Indochinese peninsula. India lies to
the northwest and China to the northeast. Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand
are also neighbors. The Bay of Bengal touches the southwest coast. The
fertile delta of the Irrawaddy River in the south contains a network of
interconnecting canals and nine principal river mouths.
GovernmentMilitary regime.
HistoryThe ethnic origins of modern Myanmar (known historically as Burma) are
a mixture of Indo-Aryans, who began pushing into the area around 700
B.C.
, and the Mongolian
invaders under Kublai Khan who penetrated the region in the 13th century.
Anawrahta (1044–1077) was the first great unifier of Myanmar.
In 1612, the British East India Company sent
agents to Burma, but the Burmese doggedly resisted efforts of British,
Dutch, and Portuguese traders to establish posts along the Bay of Bengal.
Through the Anglo-Burmese War in 1824–1826 and two subsequent wars,
the British East India Company expanded to the whole of Burma. By 1886,
Burma was annexed to India, then became a separate colony in 1937.
|
|
