Pyi-daung-zu Myan-ma Naing-ngan-daw Union of Myanmar
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Kaba Ma Kyei
Capital		Naypyidaw 19°45′N 96°6′E / 19.75, 96.1
Largest city		Yangon (Rangoon)
Official languages		Burmese
Recognised regional languages		Jingpho, Shan, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Tamil
Demonym		Burmese
Government		Military junta
-	Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council	Senior General Than Shwe
-	Vice Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council	Vice-Senior General Maung Aye
-	Prime Minister	General Thein Sein
-	Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council	Lt-Gen Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo
Establishment
-	Bagan	1044–1287
-	Small Kingdoms	1287–1531
-	Taungoo	1531–1752
-	Konbaung	1752–1885
-	Colonial rule	1886–1948
-	Independence from the United Kingdom	4 January 1948
Area
-	Total	676,578 km² (40th) 261,227 sq mi
-	Water (%)	3.06
Population
-	2005–2006 estimate	55,390,000 (24th)
-	1983 census	33,234,000
-	Density	75/km² (119th) 193/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$93.77 billion (59th)
-	Per capita	$1,691 (150th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.583 (medium) (132nd)
Currency		kyat (K) (mmK)
Time zone		MMT (UTC+6:30)
Internet TLD		.mm
Calling code		+95
1	Some governments recognize Rangoon as the national capital.
2	Estimates for this country takes into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

Burma,^[1] officially the Union of Myanmar (Burmese: , pronounced [pjìdàunzṵ mjəmà nàinŋàndɔ̀]), is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Image File history File links Myanmar_long_form. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Myanmar. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The flag of Burma (also called Myanmar) was adopted on January 3, 1974 upon the declaration of a socialist republic in Burma by Ne Win. ... The Coat of arms of Myanmar is used in all official government documents, including publications. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... This article or section uses Burmese characters which may be rendered incorrectly. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Naypyidaw (also spelt Nay Pyi Taw, literally Royal City) is currently the national capital of Myanmar, located in Kyatpyae Village, Pyinmana Township of Mandalay Division. ... Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Burma. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country, be it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a wider area. ... Kachin language redirects here. ... The Shan language is related to the Thai language and is commonly called Tai-Yai, or Tai Long. ... The Karelian language is a variety closely related to Finnish, with which it is not necessarily mutually intelligible. ... The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken in Myanmar and Thailand. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... A military junta is government by a committee of military leaders. ... The State Peace and Development Council (Burmese: ; IPA: ; abbreviated SPDC) is the official name of the military regime of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). ... Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန္‌​းေရ္ဝ္ဟ; IPA: ; born February 2, 1933) is the military dictator of Myanmar (Burma), serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw and chairman of the State Peace and Development Council since April 23, 1992. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Prime Minister of Myanmar is a high-ranking official in the government of Myanmar (or Burma). ... General Thein Sein is the prime minister of Myanmar. ... Lieutenant-General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo (born in 27 May 1950) is Secretary-1 of State Peace and Development Council from Myanmar. ... The History of Burma (Myanmar) is long and complex. ... Bagan (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ), formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. ... The Toungoo dynasty (1486-1752) was one of the most powerful post-Bagan Burmese kingdoms, over which seven kings reigned for a period of 155 years. ... The Konbaung Dynasty (Burmese: ; 1752-1885, sometimes called the Alaungpaya Dynasty) was the last in the history of the Burmese monarchy. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 km² and 1,000,000 km². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... The kyat (ISO 4217 code MMK) is the official currency of Myanmar. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .mm is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Myanmar. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... +95 can mean: +95, the ITU country code for Union of Myanmar. ... Yangôn, formerly Rangoon, population 4,504,000 (2001), is the capital of Myanmar. ... Image File history File links Myanmar_long_form. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

After the First Burmese War, the Ava kingdom ceded the provinces of Manipur, Tenassarim, and Arakan to the British. ^[2]Rangoon and southern Burma were incorporated into British India in 1853. All of Burma came directly or indirectly under British India in 1886 after the Third Burmese War and the fall of Mandalay.^[2] Burma was administered as a province of British India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. The country became independent from the United Kingdom on 4 January 1948, as the "Union of Burma". It became the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" on 4 January 1974, before reverting to the "Union of Burma" on 23 September 1988. On 18 June 1989, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) adopted the name "Union of Myanmar" for English transliteration. This controversial name change in English, while accepted in the UN and in most countries, is not recognised by opposition groups and a few nations, such as the United Kingdom. The First Anglo-Burmese War lasted from 1823 to 1826. ... AvA is a film in post-production directed by the rock group Angels and Airwaves. ... , Manipur   (Bengali: মনিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Burma. ... Anthem God Save The King-Emperor The British Indian Empire, 1909 Capital Calcutta (1858 - 1912) New Delhi (1912 - 1947) Language(s) Hindustani, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1858-1901 Victoria¹  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George VI Viceroy... The Third Anglo-Burmese War or The Third Burmese war lasted from 1885 to 1887. ... Anthem God Save The King-Emperor The British Indian Empire, 1909 Capital Calcutta (1858 - 1912) New Delhi (1912 - 1947) Language(s) Hindustani, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1858-1901 Victoria¹  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George VI Viceroy... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... SLORC, or the State Law and Order Restoration Council was the name of the military government of Myanmar between September 1988 and November 1997. ... UN redirects here. ...

The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. One-third of Burma's total perimeter, 1,930 kilometers (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline. Look up Bay of Bengal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Miles” redirects here. ...

Burma's diverse population has played a major role in defining its politics, history and demographics in modern times, and the country continues to struggle to mend its ethnic tensions. Its political system remains under the tight control of SPDC, the military led government, since 1992, by Senior General Than Shwe. The military has dominated government since General Ne Win led a coup in 1962 that toppled the civilian government of U Nu. The country's culture, heavily influenced by neighbours, is based on Theravada Buddhism intertwined with local elements. Country name: conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma Data code... The military of Myanmar, officially known as Tatmadaw (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ) is the primary military organisation responsible for the territorial security and defense of Union of Myanmar. ... Senior General Than Shwe (Burmese: သန္‌​းေရ္ဝ္ဟ; IPA: ; born February 2, 1933) is the military dictator of Myanmar (Burma), serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw and chairman of the State Peace and Development Council since April 23, 1992. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Prime Minister U Nu U Nu (otherwise known as Thakin Nu; May 25, 1907 - February 14, 1995) was a Burmese nationalist and political figure. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda (cf Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda); literally, the Teaching of the Elders, or the Ancient Teaching) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia... Buddhism in Burma (or Myanmar) is predominantly of the Theravada tradition or the southern school. ...

The name of the country

Main article: Names of Burma

The name "Myanmar" is derived from the local short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw,^[3] the name used by the regime currently in power in the country. While the etymology of the name is unclear, it has been used since the 13th Century^[4] primarily as a reference to the Myanma ethnic group. Until the mid-19th century, rulers in the region identified themselves with the areas that they ruled. For example, the 18th Century king, Alaungpaya alternately referred to himself as the ruler of Tampradipa and Thunaparanta, Ramanadesa, and Kamboza (all alternate names of places in the Irrawaddy Valley) in correspondence with the East India Company.^[5] The Court of Ava was the first to use this name to refer to its kingdom in the mid-19th Century, when its power was declining, when the kingdom was confined to the Irrawaddy Valley which was predominantly Myanma in character, and at a time when the Myanma ethnic identity first began to develop a political identity.^[5] In older English documents the usage was Bermah, and later Burmah, possibly from the Portuguese Birmania which is thought to be a corruption of the Indian word for Burma, Bama.^{[citation needed]} Burma is known as Birmanie in French, Birmania in both Italian and Spanish, and Birmânia in Portuguese. Alaungpaya 1711-15 May 1760 was a Burmese king who established the Konbaung Dynasty (Heavens platform) in the early 18th century. ... The British East India Company, popularly known as John Company, was founded by a Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. ...

Confusion among English speakers on how to pronounce 'Myanmar' gives rise to pronunciations such as IPA: /ˌmjɑnˈmɑr/, /ˈmjɑːnmɑr/, /ˌmaɪənˈmɑr/, /ˈmiːənmɑr/ and /miˈɑːnmɑr/.^[6][7][8]

On 18 June 1989, the Burmese military junta passed the "Adaptation of Expressions Law" that officially changed the English version of the country's name from Burma to Myanmar, and changed the English versions of many place names in the country along with it, such as its former capital city from Rangoon to Yangon (which represents its pronunciation more accurately in Burmese though not in Arakanese). This prompted one scholar to coin the term "Myanmarification" to refer to the top-down programme of political and cultural reform in the context of which the renaming was done.^[9] The action was strictly an executive act, not based on any statutory authority, and the government did not hold a national referendum to have the Burmese electorate ratify the name change.^[3] Within the Burmese language, Myanma is the written, literary name of the country, while Bama or Bamar (from which "Burma" derives) is the oral, colloquial name.^{[citation needed]} In spoken Burmese, the distinction is less clear than the English transliteration suggests. is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... SLORC, or the State Law and Order Restoration Council was the name of the military government of Myanmar between September 1988 and November 1997. ... Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area. ... Capital City is a 60-minute television show produced by Euston Films that ran for 13 episodes in 1989 on ITV. This drama focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman. ... Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Burma. ... The Rakhine people (Burmese: ; formerly Arakanese) are a sub-ethnic group of the Bamar. ... Literature is literally an acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning an individual written character (letter)). The term has, however, generally come to identify a collection of texts. ... A colloquialism is an informal expression, that is, an expression not used in formal speech or writing. ...

The renaming proved to be politically controversial on several grounds. Opposition groups continue to use the name "Burma", since they do not recognize the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country in English. ^[10] Various non-Bamar ethnic groups choose to not recognize the name because the term Myanmah has historically been used as a label for the majority ethnic group rather than for the country.^[5][11][12]

Various world entities have chosen to accept or reject the name change. The United Nations accepts the name Myanmar, since the UN allows its members states to be known by any name they choose. However it has not been recognized by many Western governments such as the United States, Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom, which continue to use "Burma", while the European Union uses "Burma/Myanmar" as an alternative. China has not agreed to change its translations and continues to use 缅甸，Japan uses the name Myanmar (ミャンマー) but calls the people Burmese (ビルマ人), France continues to use Birmanie, and most other countries continue to use their traditional translations.^[13][14][15]. UN redirects here. ... Occident redirects here. ...

Use of "Burma" and its adjective, "Burmese", remains common in the United States and Britain. Many news organizations, such as the BBC, The Financial Times, The Times, Voice of America, USA Today, ITN, Sky News, Bangkok Post and others still use these forms^{[16] [17]}. MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and others use "Myanmar" as the country name and "Burmese" as the adjective. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation also refers to both names in their news articles. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The Financial Times building The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... Voice of America logo Voice of America (VOA), is the official external radio and television broadcasting service of the United States federal government. ... USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... ITN may refer to: Independent Television News In the news, a section on the Main Page of English Wikipedia This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Sky News is a 24-hour British domestic and international television news channel that started broadcasting on 5 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television service, as well as a hourly news radio service in the UK. Broadcast of a 24-hour radio service is due... The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. ... For the news website, see msnbc. ... Look up ABC in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the television network. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City, New York, USA, with Asian and European editions, and a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million as of 2006, with 931,000 paying online subscribers. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Radio-Canada redirects here. ...

Geography

Main article: Geography of Burma

Burma, which has a total area of 678,500 square kilometers (261,970 sq mi), is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, and the 40th-largest in the world (after Zambia). It is somewhat smaller than the U.S. state of Texas and slightly larger than Afghanistan.^{[citation needed]} Statistics Geographic coordinates: 22°00′N 98°00′E Map references: Southeast Asia Area: total: 678,500 km² land: 657,740 km² water: 20,760 km² Land boundaries: total: 5,876 km border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ...

It is located between Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and Assam, Nagaland and Manipur of India to the northwest. It shares its longest borders with Tibet and Yunnan of China to the northeast for a total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Burma has 1,930 km (1,199 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one-third of its total perimeter.^[3] Chittagong Division is one of the six administrative divisions of Bangladesh. ... , Assam (  ) (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a north eastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Guwahati. ... , Nagaland   is a hill state located in the far north-eastern part of India. ... , Manipur   (Bengali: মনিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... For the tea from this region, see Yunnan tea. ... Look up Bay of Bengal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Andaman Sea (Burmese: ; IPA: ) is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands; it is part of the Indian Ocean. ...

The Irrawaddy Delta, which is approximately 50,400 km² (19,500 sq mi) in area, is largely used for rice cultivation.^[18]

In the north, the Hengduan Shan mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 m (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Burma.^[19] Three mountain ranges, namely the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, and the Shan Plateau exist within Burma, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.^[20] The mountain chains divide Burma's three river systems, which are the Ayeyarwady, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittang rivers.^[18] The Ayeyarwady River, Burma's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.^[20] The majority of Burma's population lives in the Ayeyarwady valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau. Image File history File links Satellite_image_of_the_Ayeyarwady_delta. ... Image File history File links Satellite_image_of_the_Ayeyarwady_delta. ... The Hengduan Shan is a mountain range in Southeast Asia (Latitude: 27° 30 N, Longitude: 99° 0 E) that forms the border between Myanmar and Yunnan, China. ... Hkakabo Razi (Burmese: ) is Southeast Asias highest mountain, located in the northern Myanmar state of Kachin. ... Kachin State (Jingphaw Mungdan), is the northernmost state of Myanmar. ... For the movie Himalaya, see Himalaya (film). ... The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ) is a river that flows through Burma (Myanmar). ... Salween River Delta, October 1994 The Salween River (also spelled Salwin) rises in Tibet, after which it flows through Yunnan, where it is known as the Nujiang river (Chinese: 怒江; Pinyin: Nù Jiāng), although either name can be used for the whole river. ... The Sittang is a river in Myanmar. ... The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar and west of Thailand; it is part of the Indian Ocean. ...

Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (200 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (100 in) , while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone, which is located in central Myanmar, is less than 1,000 mm (40 in). Northern regions of the country are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have mean temperatures of 32 °C (90 °F).^[18] For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Cancer (novel). ... World map showing the equator in red For other uses, see Equator (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Monsoon (disambiguation). ... This article is about the meteorological term. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ...

The country's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Burma, cover over 49% of the country. Other trees indigenous to the region include acacia, bamboo, ironwood, mangrove, michelia champaca coconut and betel palm, and rubber has been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.^[21] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits. In the Dry Zone, vegetation is sparse and stunted. A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... Species Tectona grandis Tectona hamiltoniana Tectona philippinensis Teak (Tectona), is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation. ... For other uses, see Acacia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ... Ironwood may refer to the following: Any particular wood that has a reputation for hardness. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... Binomial name Michelia champaca L. The Champak, which is also known Champac, or Sampige (Michelia champaca) is a tree found primarily in South Asia and a member of the Magnolia family. ... For other uses, see Coconut (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Areca catechu L. Areca catechu, known commonly as Betel palm or Betel nut tree is a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably... Subgenera Subgenus Strobus Subgenus Ducampopinus Subgenus Pinus See Pinus classification for complete taxonomy to species level. ... Subgenera Azaleastrum Candidastrum Hymenanthes Mumeazalea Pentanthera (Azaleas) Rhododendron Therorhodion Tsutsusi (Azaleas) Vireya Source: RBG, Edinburgh Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, rose, and dendron, tree) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of fruits#Tropical fruits. ...

Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers and leopards, are common in Burma. In upper Burma, there are rhinoceros, wild buffalo, wild boars, deer, antelope and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes and tapirs. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, peafowl, pheasants, crows, herons and paddybirds. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.^[22] Box Log Falls, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. ... For other uses, see Tiger (disambiguation). ... This article is about the big cat. ... For other uses, see Rhinoceros (disambiguation). ... Look up buffalo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ... This article is about the herbivorous mammals. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria For the folk-rock band see The Mammals. ... For other uses, see Gibbon (disambiguation). ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... A flying fox can be: One of several species of megabat. ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ˈteɪpər, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:təˈpɪər, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ... Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Subfamily Microglossinae (Palm Cockatoo) Subfamily Calyptorhynchinae (dark cockatoos) Subfamily Cacatuinae (white cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and... Peacock redirects here. ... Genera Ithaginis Catreus Rheinartia Crossoptilon Lophura Argusianus Pucrasia Syrmaticus Chrysolophus Phasianus † See also partridge, quail Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes. ... For other uses, see Crow (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Heron (disambiguation). ... Paddy has these meanings:- A paddy field, a field for cultivating rice or other semi-aquatic crops. ... Reptilia redirects here. ... For other uses, see Crocodile (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gecko (disambiguation). ... Egyptian Cobra, Naga haje This article is about snakes. ... Trinomial name Python molurus bivittatus Kuhl, 1820 The Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus) is the larger subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 biggest snakes in the world, native to rain forest areas of Southeast Asia. ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ... Fresh water redirects here. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ...

History

Main article: History of Burma

The History of Burma (Myanmar) is long and complex. ...

Early history

Main article: Early history of Burma

The Mon people are thought to be the earliest group to migrate into the lower Ayeyarwady valley, and by the mid-900s BC were dominant in southern Burma.^[23] The Mons became one of the first in South East Asia to embrace Theravada Buddhism.^{[citation needed]} Humans lived in the region that is now Myanmar as early as 11,000 years ago, but the first identifiable civilisation is that of the Mon. ... The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... The Irrawaddy (newer spelling Ayeyarwaddy) is a river that flows through the centre of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is Myanmars most important commercial waterway. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ...

The Tibeto-Burman speaking Pyu arrived later in the 1st century BC, and established several city states – of which Sri Ksetra was the most powerful – in central Ayeyarwady valley. The Mon and Pyu kingdoms were an active overland trade route between India and China. The Pyu kingdoms entered a period of rapid decline in early 9th century AD when the powerful kingdom of Nanzhao (in present-day Yunnan) invaded Ayeyarwady valley several times. In 835, Nanzhao decimated the Pyu by carrying off many captives to be used as conscripts.^{[citation needed]} The Tibeto-Burman linguistic subfamily of the proposed Sino-Tibetan language family is spoken in various central and south Asian countries: Myanmar (Burmese language), Tibet (Tibetan language), northern Thailand (Mong language), Nepal, Bhutan, India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Ladakh region of... Pyu (also written Pyuu, or Pyus) refers to an ancient kingdom (and its language) found in the central and northern regions of what is now Burma. ... Pyay (Burmese: ), formerly Prome, is a town (1983 population 83,000) and district of the Bago Division in Lower Myanmar, located some 161 km, or 7 hours north of Yangon by road, or an overnight boat trip south of Bagan. ... Nanzhao (Traditional Chinese: 南詔, Simplified Chinese: 南诏, pinyin: Nánzhāo, Alternate spellings: Nanchao, Nan Chao) was a Bai kingdom that flourished in East Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries. ... For the tea from this region, see Yunnan tea. ...

Bagan (1044-1287)

Tibeto-Burman speaking Burmans, or the Bamar, began migrating to the Ayeyarwady valley from present-day Yunnan's Nanzhao kingdom starting in 7th century AD. Filling the power gap left by the Pyu, the Burmans established a small kingdom centered in Bagan in 849. But it was not until the reign of King Anawrahta (1044-1077) that Bagan's influence expanded throughout much of present-day Burma. The Bamar (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: , also called Burman), are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... The Bamar (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: , also called Burman), are the dominant ethnic group of Myanmar, constituting approximately 68% (30,000,000) of the population. ... For the tea from this region, see Yunnan tea. ... Bagan (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ), formerly Pagan, formally titled Arimaddanapura (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), was the ancient capital of several ancient kingdoms in Myanmar. ... Anawrahta (Burmese: ; IPA: ; reigned 1044-1077), also spelled Aniruddha or Anoarahtâ or Anoa-ra-htá-soa, was a ruler of the kingdom of Bagan and the first ruler of a unified Burma. ...

After Anawrahta's capture of the Mon capital of Thaton in 1057, the Burmans adopted Theravada Buddhism from the Mons. The Burmese script was created, based on the Mon script, during the reign of King Kyanzittha (1084-1112). Prosperous from trade, Bagan kings built many magnificent temples and pagodas throughout the country – many of which can still be seen today. Thaton is a town in Mon State, in southern Myanmar on the Tenasserim plains. ... This article or section uses Burmese characters which may be rendered incorrectly. ... The Mon language is an Austroasiatic language spoken in Myanmar and Thailand. ... King Kyanzittha (Burmese: ; MLCTS: ; IPA: ) was king of Bagan from 1084 to 1113. ...

Bagan's power slowly waned in 13th century. Kublai Khan's Mongol forces invaded northern Burma starting in 1277, and sacked Bagan city itself in 1287. Bagan's over two century reign of Ayeyarwady valley and its periphery was over. For other uses, see Kublai Khan (disambiguation). ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ...

Pagodas and temples continue to exist in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Bagan Kingdom.

Image File history File linksMetadata Baganmyo. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Baganmyo. ... The Pagan Kingdom (849-1287) is considered to be the first Burmese empire. ...

Small kingdoms (1287-1531)

The Mongols could not stay for long in the searing Ayeyarwady valley. But the Tai-Shan people from Yunnan who came down with the Mongols fanned out to the Ayeyarwady valley, Shan states, Laos, Siam and Assam, and became powerful players in South East Asia. The Shan are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

The Bagan empire was irreparably broken up into several small kingdoms:

• The Burman kingdom of Ava or Innwa (1364-1555), the successor state to three smaller kingdoms founded by Burmanized Shan kings, controlling Upper Burma (without the Shan states)
• The Mon kingdom of Hanthawady Pegu or Bago (1287-1540), founded by a Mon-ized Shan King Wareru (1287-1306), controlling Lower Burma (without Taninthayi).
• The Rakhine kingdom of Mrauk U (1434-1784), in the west.
• Several Shan states in the Shan hills in the east and the Kachin hills in the north while the northwestern frontier of present Chin hills still disconnected yet.

This period was characterized by constant warfare between Ava and Bago, and to a lesser extent, Ava and the Shans. Ava briefly controlled Rakhine (1379-1430) and came close to defeating Bago a few times, but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Nevertheless, Burmese culture entered a golden age. Hanthawady Bago prospered. Bago's Queen Shin Saw Bu (1453-1472) raised the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda to its present height. AvA is a film in post-production directed by the rock group Angels and Airwaves. ... The Shan are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. ... Upper Burma was a term used by the British to refer to the central and northern area of what is now the country of Myanmar. ... Shan State is a state located in Myanmar (Burma), which takes its name from the Shan people, the majority ethnic group in the Shan State. ... Bago is a division of Burma. ... Burma is divided into 7 states and 7 divisions: Categories: Myanmar | Subdivisions of Myanmar | States of Myanmar | Divisions of Myanmar ... Tanintharyi, better known by the old name Tenasserim, is a division of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern part of the country on the Kra Isthmus. ... Mrauk U is an ancient town in Rakhine State, Myanmar. ... Shan State is a state located in Myanmar (Burma), which takes its name from the Shan people, the majority ethnic group in the Shan State. ... Shwedagon Paya is often visited for its grand scale. ...

By the late 15th century, constant warfare had left Ava greatly weakened. Its peripheral areas became either independent or autonomous. In 1486, King Minkyinyo (1486-1531) of Taungoo broke away from Ava and established a small independent kingdom. In 1527, Mohnyin (Shan: Mong Yang) Shans finally captured Ava, upsetting the delicate power balance that had existed for nearly two centuries. The Shans would rule Upper Burma until 1555. Taungoo (Burmese: ; MLCTS: , also known as Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. ... The Shan are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia. ...

Taungoo (1531-1752)

Reinforced by fleeing Burmans from Ava, the minor Burman kingdom of Taungoo under its young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti (1531-1551) defeated the more powerful Mon kingdom at Bago, reunifying all of Lower Burma by 1540. Tabinshwehti's successor King Bayinnaung (1551-1581) would go on to conquer Upper Burma (1555), Manipur (1556), Shan states (1557), Chiang Mai (1557), Ayutthaya (1564, 1569) and Lan Xang (1574), bringing most of western South East Asia under his rule. Bayinnaung died in 1581, preparing to invade Rakhine, a maritime power controlling the entire coastline west of Rakhine Yoma, up to Chittagong province in Bengal. Taungoo (Burmese: ; MLCTS: , also known as Toungoo) is a city in the Bago Division of Myanmar, located 220 km from Yangon, towards the northern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and west. ... Tabinshwehti (or Tabinshweti) (1512 – 1550) was a king who unified Burma (now Myanmar) in 1539. ... Bago is a division of Burma. ... Burma is divided into 7 states and 7 divisions: Categories: Myanmar | Subdivisions of Myanmar | States of Myanmar | Divisions of Myanmar ... Bayinnaung (Burmese: ; IPA: ; lit. ... Upper Burma was a term used by the British to refer to the central and northern area of what is now the country of Myanmar. ... , Manipur   (Bengali: মনিপুর, Meitei Mayek: mnipur) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... Shan State is a state located in Myanmar (Burma), which takes its name from the Shan people, the majority ethnic group in the Shan State. ... A street scene in Chiang Mai, showing (centre right), a gate of the old city wall. ... The kingdom of Ayutthaya (Thai: ) was a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. ... The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang or Lan Chang (Pali: Sisattanakhanahut, Lao: lâansâang, from Sinitic “vast number of elephants”) was established in 1354 by Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara (otherwise known as Fa Ngum). ... The Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia. ... This article is about Chittagong as a city in Bangladesh. ...

Bayinnaung's massive empire unraveled soon after his death in 1581. Ayutthaya Siamese had driven out the Burmese by 1593 and w