Area
: 676,552 sq kilometres (261,218 sq miles).
Population : 47,260,000 (1998).
Population
Density : 69.8 per sq kilometre.
Capital:
Yangon (Rangoon). Population: 4,196,000
(official 2000 estimate).
Geography
: Myanmar is a diamond-shaped country reaching
925 kilometres or 575 miles from the east to the west and 2,100 kilometres or 1,300 miles from
the north to the south. Thailand, Laos and China border it in the east while
Bangladesh and India in the north and the Indian Ocean in the west
and the south.
The Irrawaddy River flows through central Myanmar and
forms a delta on the south coast; Yangon stands next to one of its
many mouths. North of the delta sits the Irrawaddy basin and central
Myanmar, which is guarded by a horseshoe of mountains ascending
to over 3,000 metres or 10,000 feet, creating profound climatic results. To
the west are the Arakan, Naga and Chin mountains and the Patkai
Hills; the Kachin Hills sit to the north; to the east lies the Shan
Plateau, extending to the Tenasserim coastal ranges.
Intensive irrigated farming is practiced all over central Myanmar,
and fruit, citrus crops and vegetables thrive on the Shan Plateau;
however, subtropical forest covers much of the land and mountains.
Government : Socialist Republic
since 1974. Power gained by the army in 1988.
Head
of State and Government: Senior General Than Shwe( since 1992).
Language : Myanmar or Burmese is the official
language. Mmore than 100 dialects
are spoken in the country. English is spoken within business areas.
Religion : 87% Theravada Buddhist.
Others are Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Animist.
Time
: GMT + 6.5
Electricity
: 230 volts AC, 50Hz. |
