Myanmar (Burma)
Facts
Area:
Total: 421,620 sq miles
Land: 408,720 sq miles
Water: 12,900 sq miles
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)
Elevation Extremes:
Lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 ft
Highest point: Hkakabo Razi 19,290ft
Population:
47,382,633
Ethnic Groups:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
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
Note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
Government type:
Military junta
Capital:
Rangoon (government refers to capital as Yangon)
Note: junta began shifting seat of government to Pyinmana area of central Burma in November 2005
Independence:
4 January 1948 (from UK)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2005 est.)
Currency:
Kyat (MMK)
Time Zone:
GMT +6:30
Country Dialing Code:
+95
Electricity:
230V 50HzHz