tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27819841402379438622024-03-12T21:29:06.907-07:00MyanmarFayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-88880491157138743162009-08-16T02:27:00.001-07:002009-08-16T02:28:42.828-07:00Inle Lake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/inle%20lake%20leg%20rower%20myanmar%20burma.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 425px; height: 296px;" src="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/inle%20lake%20leg%20rower%20myanmar%20burma.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A wonderful watery world of floating gardens, stilted villages and crumbling stupas, Inle Lake is an absolute must. Mountains tumble down towards the lakeshore, blurring the distinction between heaven and earth. For many travellers, Inle is heaven on earth, a place to while away the days canoeing, cycling and walking through the lush countryside. The Intha people are famous for their leg rowing, although these days many just turn it on for the tourists. There is even a monastery where meditating monks have taught the cats to jump – that’s enlightenment for you. Inle deserves to be savoured, not rushed, and many travellers end up staying for longer than they expected.Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-16310905838037957972009-07-29T07:57:00.000-07:002009-07-29T08:06:49.317-07:00Kuthodaw Pagoda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Kuthodaw_paya.JPG/800px-Kuthodaw_paya.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 600px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Kuthodaw_paya.JPG/800px-Kuthodaw_paya.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />literally Royal Merit, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhist</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa" title="Stupa">stupa</a>, located in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> (Myanmar), that contains the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_largest_book" title="World's largest book">world's largest book</a>. It lies at the foot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Hill" title="Mandalay Hill">Mandalay Hill</a> and was built during the reign of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindon_Min" title="Mindon Min">King Mindon</a>. The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 188 feet (57 m) high, and is modelled after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwezigon_Pagoda" title="Shwezigon Pagoda">Shwezigon Pagoda</a> at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyaung-U" title="Nyaung-U">Nyaung-U</a> near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan" title="Bagan">Bagan</a>. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 <i>kyauksa gu</i> or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipitaka" title="Tipitaka" class="mw-redirect">Tipitaka</a></i>, the entire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali_Canon" title="Pali Canon" class="mw-redirect">Pali Canon</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada_Buddhism" title="Theravada Buddhism" class="mw-redirect">Theravada Buddhism</a>.<br /><br /><h2><span class="mw-headline">Royal merit</span></h2><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindon_Min" title="Mindon Min">Mindon Min</a> had the pagoda built as part of the traditional foundations of the new royal city of Mandalay in 1857. He was later to convene the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Buddhist_council" title="Fifth Buddhist council">Fifth Buddhist Synod</a> in 1871, but wanted to leave a great work of merit by having the Tipitaka set in stone for posterity, meant to last five millennia after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" title="Gautama Buddha">Buddha</a>. Construction began in 1860, its <i>hti</i> (umbrella or crown) mounted on <span class="mw-formatted-date" title="1862-07-19"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_19" title="July 19">19 July</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1862" title="1862">1862</a></span>, and the inscriptions were laid open to the public on <span class="mw-formatted-date" title="1868-05-04"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_4" title="May 4">4 May</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1868" title="1868">1868</a></span>. They were arranged in neat rows within three enclosures, 42 in the first, 168 in the middle and 519 in the third. One more stands at the southeast corner of the first enclosure making it 730, and this stone records how it all came into being. Thirty four brick <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayat" title="Zayat">zayats</a> (rest houses) stood all around except on the east side of the pagoda.<sup id="cite_ref-lda_0-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuthodaw_Pagoda#cite_note-lda-0"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <div class="thumb tleft"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG_0672.JPG" class="image" title="A late Konbaung period frieze at the southern approach"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/IMG_0672.JPG/180px-IMG_0672.JPG" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="135" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG_0672.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> A late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_Dynasty" title="Konbaung Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Konbaung period</a> frieze at the southern approach</div> </div> </div> <p>The main entrance is from the south through massive but open teak doors ornately carved with floral designs, scrolls, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_%28Hinduism%29" title="Deva (Hinduism)">Deva Nats</a>. It is a covered approach or <i>saungdan</i> as in most Burmese pagodas with frieze paintings under the roof. Between the rows of stone-inscription stupas grow mature star flower trees (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimusops" title="Mimusops">Mimusops elengi</a></i>) that emanate a jasmine-like fragrance to the entire complex. Burmese families may be seen having a picnic in the cool shade under these trees, picking the flowers to make star flower chains for the Buddha or to wear in their hair, or the children playing hide and seek among the rows of stupas. On the southwest inner terrace is one very old tree believed to be 250 years old, its low spreading boughs propped up by supports.</p><br /><h2><span class="mw-headline">Annexation and desecration</span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kyauksa.JPG" class="image" title="One of the stone inscriptions, originally in gold letters and borders, at Kuthodaw"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/25/Kyauksa.JPG/180px-Kyauksa.JPG" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="240" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kyauksa.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> One of the stone inscriptions, originally in gold letters and borders, at Kuthodaw</div> </div> </div> <p>After the annexation of Mandalay by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain" title="Great Britain">British</a> in 1885, the walled city with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Palace" title="Mandalay Palace">Mandalay Palace</a> became Fort <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Dufferin" title="Lord Dufferin" class="mw-redirect">Dufferin</a>, and troops were billeted all around Mandalay Hill in the monasteries, temples and pagodas. They became off-limits to the public and Burmese were no longer allowed to visit their religious sites. One revenue surveyor called U Aung Ban then came up with the idea of appealing direct to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria" title="Queen Victoria" class="mw-redirect">Queen Victoria</a> since she had promised to respect all religions practised by her subjects. To their amazement and great joy the British queen promptly ordered the withdrawal of all her troops from religious precincts in 1890. This however turned to great sadness when they found that the pagoda had been looted from the <i>hti</i>, left lying on the ground stripped of its bells, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, down to the Italian marble tiles from its terraces. The <i>zayat</i>s lay in utter ruin and the bricks had been used to build a road for the troops. All the brass bells from all the <i>kyauksa gu</i> stupas were gone, 9 on each making it 6570 in total. The gold ink from the letters as well as the sides and top of each marble slab had also disappeared. All the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogre" title="Ogre">biloos</a> along the corridors had lost their heads, and the marble eyes and claws from the masonry <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinthe" title="Chinthe">chinthes</a> gone.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-64288984867130360412009-07-25T01:13:00.000-07:002009-07-25T01:14:25.729-07:00NaypidawNaypyidaw also spelled Nay Pyi Taw; pronounced [nèpjìdɔ̀]) is the capital of Burma. Nay pyi daw means "Great City of the Sun", but is also translated as "abode of kings". On 6 November 2005, the administrative capital of Burma was officially moved to a greenfield site 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Pyinmana, and approximately 200 miles (320 km) north of Yangon. The capital's official name was announced on 27 March 2006, Burmese Armed Forces Day.<br /><br />During World War II, Pyinmana was the base of the Burma Independence Army (later renamed and reorganized into the Burma Defence Army by the Japanese). It was in Pyinmana that the army and its officers were trained. Later the Burma National Army changed sides, aiding the Allies with guerrilla warfare, and the operations were seen as a victory by the Burmese. Pyinmana became an icon in the Burmese Army where it was seen as the place where 'superior invaders' were defeated by the Burmese.<br /><br />Naypyidaw itself has a short history, having been founded in late 2005. The military government began moving government ministries from Yangon to Naypyidaw on 6 November 2005 at the astrologically auspicious time of 6:37 a.m.[5] Five days later, on 11 November at 11 a.m., a second convoy of 1,100 military trucks carrying 11 military battalions and 11 government ministries left Yangon. The ministries were expected to be mostly in place by the end of February 2006; however, the hasty move led to a lack of schools and other amenities which separated the government employees from their families for the time being. Military headquarters were located in a separate compound from the government ministries, and civilians have been banned from entering either. Vendors are restricted to a commercial zone near the government offices. For official works, officers use "NPT" as a synonym.<br /><br />Naypyidaw is more centrally, and strategically, located than the old capital Yangon. It is also a transportation hub located adjacent to the Shan, Kayah and Karen states. It was felt that a stronger military and governmental presence nearby might provide stability to those chronically turbulent regions.[citation needed] The official explanation for moving the capital was that Yangon had become too congested and crowded with little room for future expansion of government offices.<br /><br />However, this explanation seems illogical and unreasonable to most of Myanmar (aka Myanmar people). The moving of the capital has rather been considered a tricky political tactic by the government, possibly also a superstitious move as predicted by some monk. The move is also considered as one of the worst urban planning projects of the century. Indian journalist Siddharth Varadarajan, who visited Naypyidaw in January 2007, described the vastness of the new capital as "the ultimate insurance against regime change, a masterpiece of urban planning designed to defeat any putative ‘colour revolution’ – not by tanks and water cannons, but by geometry and cartography".<br /><br />On 27 March 2006, more than 12,000 troops marched in the new capital in its first public event: a massive military parade to mark Armed Forces Day—which is the anniversary of Burma's 1945 uprising against Japanese occupation. Filming was restricted to the concrete parade ground which contains three enormous sculptures—depictions of the Burmese kings Anawrahta, Bayinnaung and Alaungpaya who are considered the three most important kings in Burmese history. The city was officially named Naypyidaw during the ceremonies.[Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-20237742734741957262009-07-21T22:49:00.001-07:002009-07-21T22:51:40.233-07:00Myanmar Currency<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">The currency of burma is called Kyat. The currency is somehow volatile. Jumping up and down in rather big steps, changing the value within 1 week for 10% and more is not seldom. The Myanmar currency is not convertible and problem prone anyway.</span>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-47243496964003873902009-07-16T03:48:00.000-07:002009-07-16T03:52:02.288-07:00Andaman sea<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;" align="justify"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>There is a archipelago in the <a href="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/myanmar%20andaman%20sea.htm"> <span style="color:#000000;">Andaman Sea</span></a></b> - in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean- with about 800 pristine islands, beaches, jungle, lush tropical vegetation inhabited by sea - gipsy turned into fisherman, pearl diver and amber collector. A similar situation with islands in the archipelago in Thailand is at <a href="http://www.thailandmagic.com/Trang-Thailand.html"> <span style="color:#000000;">Trang Archipelago</span></a>, <a href="http://www.thailandmagic.com/Surin-Islands.html"> <span style="color:#000000;">Surin Islands</span></a> and <a href="http://www.thailandmagic.com/Tarutao.html"> <span style="color:#000000;">Tarutao Islands</span></a>.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;" align="justify"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>It's the territory of the Salon or Sea Gypsies</b>. What has happened amongst these islands since men first came to live and move amongst them, there is no record, and there never will be any now. Here and there only the curtain of the unknown is lifted for a passing moment. Their main, and it would seem their earliest, human interest centre in the colony of the Salon, which has made of these islands its last refuge. </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;" align="justify"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>To enjoy this adventure trip in real time you have to book a <a href="http://www.scubadiving-all.com/"> <span style="color:#000000;">scuba diving</span></a></b> live aboard trip at <a href="http://www.thailandmagic.com/Phuket.html"> <span style="color:#000000;">Phuket</span></a> Thailand. </span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>When or whence they came to the <a href="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/myanmar%20andaman%20sea.htm"> <span style="color:#000000;">Andaman Sea</span></a></b>, one can only guess ; and whether they had any human predecessors it is difficult even to conjecture.</span></p><h4 style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;font-family:Arial;" >But it is probable that they are an extremely ancient people,</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span> </h4> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>kindred of that aboriginal stock</b> which peopled the mainland before the advent of the Htai. The main body of these aborigines drifted away under the pressure of the Htai to the south, there to develop into the Malay race. A </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-right: 10px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">fragment of them retreated to the shelter of the islands further down like <a href="http://www.beach-phuket.com/"> <span style="color:#000000;">Phuket island</span></a> in Thailand ; others cut off from civilizing influences, they have made no progress, and too weak to face their adversaries, they have developed the nomadic life, the habit of few possessions, of flight at the sight of a stranger.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px; margin-right: 10px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>The attrition of time and the cruelty of man</b> have worn away the race to its present proportions. It has too long bowed down its head, too long ceased to make any effort after greater things to have any future before it. The Malay who is of kin will acknowledge no relationship, and in times that are past he has been its most cruel oppressor. Myanmar or Burma and Malaysia have a long time common history from the colonial area, very close was the relation between Myanmar islands and <a href="http://www.penangcentral.com/"> <span style="color:#000000;">Penang island</span></a> in Malaysia.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b>The fire of Islam, which has molten the Malay into a people,</b> has never warmed the aboriginal<a href="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/myanmar%20andaman%20sea.htm"><span style="color:#000000;"> Salon</span></a>. A great gulf of time must therefore separate them and these islands must have known the Salon for far more than a thousand years. Also the<br /> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#0000ff;"> <a href="http://www.ko-phi-phi-don.com/"> <span style="font-size:85%;color:#000000;">Phi Phi</span></a></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> islands in neighboring Thailand have a big sea gypsies community, in Thailand they call them Moken.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> <img src="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/ISLAND%20VILLAGE%20THE%20MERGUI%20-%20MYEIK%20ARCHIPELAGO%20%20MYANMAR%20BURMA.jpg" alt="ISLAND VILLAGE THE MERGUI - MYEIK ARCHIPELAGO MYANMAR BURMA" width="567" align="left" border="0" height="381" />Almost the first account of the archipelago, written by a European traveler, is that of Caesar Frederick the Venetian. It has all the charm and interest of early travel ; and is best told in the language of his time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18px;"> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><b> " From the port of Pechinco," he says, " I went to Cochin, and from Cochin to Malaca</b>, whence I departed for Pegu - Bago eight hundred miles distant, that voyage was to be made in twenty five or thirty days, but we were for months, and at the end of three months our Ship was without victual’s. The Pilot told us that wee were by his altitude from a city called Tenassiry - Tenasserim, a city in the <b>Kingdome of Pegu - Bago,</b> -today its around <a href="http://www.thailandmagic.com/Ranong.html"> <span style="color:#000000;">Ranong</span></a>- and these his words were not true, but we were (as it were) in the middle of many Islands, and many uninhabited rocks, and there were also some Portuguese that affirmed that they knew the land. I say being amongst these rocks, and from the land which is over against Tenassary - Tenasserim, with great scarcities of victual’s, and that by the saying of the pylate and two Portugalles holding them firm that we were in front of the aforesaid harbor, we determined to go thither with our boat and <br /> <img src="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/Islands%20Salon%20Sea%20Gypsy%20Lving%20on%20the%20Boat%20Myanmar.jpg" alt="Islands Salon Sea Gypsy Lving on the Boat Myanmar" width="283" align="left" border="0" height="208" /><img src="http://www.allmyanmar.com/new%20allmyanmar.com/Islands%20Salon%20Sea%20Gypsy%20Living%20on%20the%20Boat%20Myanmar%20moving.jpg" alt="Islands Salon Sea Gypsy Living on the Boat Myanmar moving" width="283" align="left" border="0" height="208" />fetch victual’s, and that the ship should stay for us in a place assigned ; we were twenty and eight persons in the boat that went for victual’s, and on a day about twelve of the clock we went from the Ship, assuring ourselves to be in the harbor before night in the afore said port ; wee rowed all that day, and a .</span></p> <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">great part of the next night, and all the next day without finding harbor, or any sign of good landing, and this came to pass through the evil counsel of the two Portuguese that were with us</span>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-50053146928054913362009-07-15T11:22:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:27:33.043-07:00Ayeyarwady River<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Sagainghillsagaing.jpg/267px-Sagainghillsagaing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Sagainghillsagaing.jpg/267px-Sagainghillsagaing.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The <b>Ayeyarwady River</b> or <b>Irrawaddy River</b> is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River" title="River">river</a> that flows from north to south of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> (Myanmar). It is the country's largest river (about 1350 miles or 2170 km long) and its most important commercial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterway" title="Waterway">waterway</a>, with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_area" title="Drainage area" class="mw-redirect">drainage area</a> of about 158,700 square miles (411,000 km²).<h2><span class="mw-headline">Etymology</span></h2> <p>The Myanmarese name of Ayeyarwady (formerly transliterated as Irrawaddy) is derived from the ancient name of the river <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi" title="Ravi">Ravi</a>, <i>Airavati</i>, in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_region" title="Punjab region">Punjab region</a>, but through it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a>, rather than its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a> form.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-0"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> <i>Airavati</i> in turn is the name of the elephant mount of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra" title="Indra">Indra</a>, a minor Indian goddess. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephants" title="Elephants" class="mw-redirect">Elephants</a> were in Indian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology" title="Mythology">mythology</a> often a symbol for water <sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-1"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>When transliterated literally from Myanmar spelling, the modern rivername comes down to <i>Erawati</i>. Due to the spreading of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a> in South-East Asia, some names in Myanmar<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-2"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>, and to a lesser extent in other South-East Asian countries, are adaptations of Indian place names associated with Buddhism<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-3"><span></span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-4"><span></span></a></sup>, e.g. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myawaddy" title="Myawaddy">Myawaddy</a> (originated from <i>Amaravati</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvaravati" title="Dvaravati">Dvaravati</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayuthia" title="Ayuthia" class="mw-redirect">Ayuthia</a> (originated from <i>Ayoddhya</i> or <i>Ayujjha</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a> (originated from <i>Kamboja</i>). <i>Erawati</i> also belongs to this category, as it is also the ancient name of the river <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi" title="Ravi">Ravi</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab_region" title="Punjab region">Punjab</a><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-5"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>". The ancient name was <i>Airavati</i>, in Sanskrit meaning<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-6"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <ol><li><i>ira</i> -any drinkable fluid; a draught (especially of milk),...food, refreshment, ..<i>vat</i>...granting drink or refreshment,...name of a river in Panjab now called Ravi..</li><li><i>Airavata</i> (fr.ira-vat), a descendant of Ira-vat;....,N. of Indra’s elephant...(i) the female of Indra’s elephant; N. of a river,...;lightning...."</li></ol> <p>This is incompatible with <i>Erawati</i>, as it does not start with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel" title="Vowel">vowel</a> <i>e</i>. When the ancient name of the Ravi is rendered in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization" title="Romanization">Romanised</a> Pali though, it is <i>Eravati</i>, which is compatible with the modern transliteration of the rivername, <i>Erawati</i>. The above means that not influence by Arabic (via <i>Wadi</i>), or Sanskrit (via <i>Airavati</i>) but Pali (via <i>Eravati</i>) has determined the name of the Irrawaddy.</p><p>The Irrawaddy gives its name to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin" title="Dolphin">dolphin</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrawaddy_dolphin" title="Irrawaddy dolphin" class="mw-redirect">Irrawaddy dolphin</a> (<i>Orcaella brevirostris</i>), which is found in the upper reaches of the river and known to help fishermen who practice cast-net fishing. Though sometimes called the Irrawaddy River Dolphin, it is not a true <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_dolphin" title="River dolphin">river dolphin</a>, since it is also found at sea.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-7"><span></span><span></span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-8"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p><a name="Physiography" id="Physiography"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ayeyarwady_River&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Physiography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Physiography</span></h2> <p>The Ayeyarwaddy River bisects the country from north to south and empties through a nine-armed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrawaddy_Delta" title="Irrawaddy Delta">Irrawaddy Delta</a> into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean" title="Indian Ocean">Indian Ocean</a>.</p> <p><a name="Source" id="Source"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ayeyarwady_River&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Source">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Source</span></h3> <p>It arises by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confluence" title="Confluence">confluence</a> of the N'mai and Mali Rivers in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_State" title="Kachin State">Kachin State</a> <a href="http://www.travel-myanmar.net/images/map-kachin.jpg" class="external text" title="http://www.travel-myanmar.net/images/map-kachin.jpg" rel="nofollow">Kachin</a>. Both the N'mai and Mali Rivers find their sources in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalaya" title="Himalaya" class="mw-redirect">Himalaya</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaciers" title="Glaciers" class="mw-redirect">glaciers</a> of Northern Myanmar, in the vicinity of 28° N . The eastern branch of the two, N'mai river<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-9"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>, is the larger stream, but it is unnavigable because of the strong current whereas the smaller western branch, the Mali river, is navigable, despite a few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapids" title="Rapids" class="mw-redirect">rapids</a>.</p> <p>The town of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhamo" title="Bhamo">Bhamo</a>, about 150 miles (240 km) south of the Mali and N'mai river confluence, is the northernmost city reachable by boat all the year round although during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsoons" title="Monsoons" class="mw-redirect">monsoons</a> most of the river cannot be used by boats. The city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myitkyina" title="Myitkyina">Myitkyina</a> however lies 30 miles (48 km) south of the confluence and can be reached during the dry season.</p><h3><span class="mw-headline">Defiles</span></h3> <p>Between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myitkyina" title="Myitkyina">Myitkyina</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a>, the Irrawaddy flows through three well-marked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defile" title="Defile">defiles</a><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-10"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a></sup> :</p> <ul><li>About 40 miles (65 km) downstream from Myitkyinā is the first defile.</li><li>Below Bhamo the river makes a sharp westward swing, leaving the Bhamo alluvial basin to cut through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone" title="Limestone">limestone</a> rocks of the second defile. This defile is about 300 feet (90 m) wide at its narrowest and is flanked by vertical cliffs about 200 to 300 feet (60 to 90 metres) high.</li><li>About 60 miles (100 km) north of Mandalay, at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogok" title="Mogok">Mogok</a>, the river enters the third defile. Between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathar" title="Kathar">Katha</a> and Mandalay, the course of the river is remarkably straight, flowing almost due south, except near Kabwet<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-11"><span>[</span>12<span>]</span></a></sup>, where a sheet of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava" title="Lava">lava</a> has caused the river to bend sharply westward.</li></ul> <p>This sheet of lava is the Singu Plateau, a volcanic field from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene" title="Holocene">Holocene</a>. This field exists of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magma" title="Magma">magma</a> from the fissure vents and cover an area of about 62 km². The plateau is also known as Letha Taung.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-12"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>Leaving this plateau at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyaukmyaung_%28Sagaing%29" title="Kyaukmyaung (Sagaing)">Kyaukmyaung</a><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-13"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>, the river follows a broad, open course through the central dry zone<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-14"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> - the ancient cultural heartlan<span style="text-decoration: underline;">d</span><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-15"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> — where large areas consist of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alluvial" title="Alluvial" class="mw-redirect">alluvium</a> flats. From Mandalay (the former capital of the kingdom of Myanmar), the river makes an abrupt westward turn before curving southwest to unite with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindwin_River" title="Chindwin River">Chindwin River</a>, after which it continues in a southwestern direction. It is probable that the upper Irrawaddy originally flowed south from Mandalay, discharging its water through the present <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sittoung_River" title="Sittoung River" class="mw-redirect">Sittoung River</a> <b><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-16"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></b> to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Martaban" title="Gulf of Martaban">Gulf of Martaban</a>, and that its present westward course is geologically recent. Below its confluence with the Chindwin, the Irrawaddy continues to meander through the petroleum producing city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yenangyaung" title="Yenangyaung">Yenangyaung</a>, below which it flows generally southward. In its lower course, between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minbu" title="Minbu">Minbu</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyay" title="Pyay">Prome</a>, it flows through a narrow valley between forest-covered mountain ranges—the ridge of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine_state" title="Rakhine state" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine Yoma Mountains</a><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-17"><span> </span><span></span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-18"><span></span></a></sup>to the west and that of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago" title="Bago">Pegu Yoma Mountains</a> to the east</p><h3><span class="mw-headline">The Irrawaddy Delta</span></h3>The delta of the Irrawaddy begins about 58 miles (93 km) above <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinthada" title="Hinthada">Hinthada</a> (Henzada) and about 180 miles (290 km) from its curved base, which faces the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_Sea" title="Andaman Sea">Andaman Sea</a>. The westernmost distributary of the delta is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathein" title="Pathein">Pathein</a> (Bassein) River, while the easternmost stream is the Yangon River, on the left bank of which stands Myanmar’s capital city, Yangon (Rangoon). Because the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon_River" title="Yangon River">Yangon River</a><sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-21"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> is only a minor channel, the flow of water is insufficient to prevent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon Harbour</a> from silting up, and dredging is necessary. The relief of the delta’s landscape is low but not flat.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-22"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> The soils consist of fine silt, which is replenished continuously by fertile <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alluvium" title="Alluvium">alluvium</a> carried downstream by the river. As a result of heavy rainfall varying from 80 to 120 inches (3,000 mm) a year in the delta<span style="text-decoration: underline;">,</span><sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-23"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> and the motion and sediment load of the river,<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-24"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> the delta surface extends into the Andaman Sea at a rate of about 165 feet (50 m) per year.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River#cite_note-25"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-92122023006435047992009-07-15T11:21:00.001-07:002009-07-15T11:22:10.001-07:00Sagaing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Sagaing3.jpg/300px-Sagaing3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 197px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Sagaing3.jpg/300px-Sagaing3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Sagaing is the chief city and capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagaing_Division" title="Sagaing Division">Sagaing Division</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Myanmar</a>. It is located on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River" title="Ayeyarwady River">Ayeyarwady River</a>, 20 km to the southwest of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a> on the opposite bank of the river. <p>Sagaing is a religious and monastic center, with numerous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist" title="Buddhist" class="mw-redirect">Buddhist</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasteries" title="Monasteries" class="mw-redirect">monasteries</a>. It briefly held position as a royal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_%28political%29" title="Capital (political)">capital</a> of Burma from 1760-1764.</p> <p>The British-built 16 span <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge" title="Bridge">Bridge</a> connects Sagaing with Mandalay, and tourists frequently visit Sagaing as a day trip. One <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourist" title="Tourist" class="mw-redirect">tourist</a> favorite located near the city is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mingun_Bell" title="Mingun Bell">Mingun Bell</a>, claimed to be the world's largest ringing bell. Its weight of 55555 viss (approximately 90 metric tons) is engraved into the front side.</p> <p>The city is home to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagaing_Institute_of_Education" title="Sagaing Institute of Education">Sagaing Institute of Education</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sagaing_Education_College&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sagaing Education College (page does not exist)">Sagaing Education College</a>.</p><h2><span class="mw-headline">People</span></h2> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Youlang,_Prince_of_Gui" title="Zhu Youlang, Prince of Gui">Zhu Youlang, Prince of Gui</a>, last <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_Dynasty" title="Ming Dynasty">Ming Dynasty</a> claimant to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China" title="China">China</a>, lived in exile at Sagaing in 1661.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Collis" title="Maurice Collis">Maurice Collis</a>, author of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trials_in_Burma" title="Trials in Burma">Trials in Burma</a></i>, was district commissioner of the Sagaing district in 1928.</li></ul>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-36718665348014941152009-07-15T11:17:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:19:17.855-07:00Yangon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/DSC03791.JPG/250px-DSC03791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 188px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/DSC03791.JPG/250px-DSC03791.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Yangon(also known as <b>Rangoon</b>) is the largest city and a former capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar" title="Myanmar" class="mw-redirect">Myanmar</a>. It is the capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon_Division" title="Yangon Division">Yangon Division</a>. Although the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Peace_and_Development_Council" title="State Peace and Development Council">military government</a> has officially relocated the capital to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naypyidaw" title="Naypyidaw">Naypyidaw</a> since March 2006,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-2"><span> </span><span></span></a></sup>Yangon, with a population of four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial center. <p>Yangon's infrastructure is relatively undeveloped compared to those of other major cities in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia" title="Southeast Asia">Southeast Asia</a>. Yangon has the largest number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia today.<sup id="cite_ref-bygone_3-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-bygone-3"><span> </span><span></span></a></sup>While many high-rise residential and commercial buildings have been constructed or renovated throughout downtown and Greater Yangon in the past two decades, most satellite towns that ring the city continue to be deeply impoverished.</p>Yangon is a combination of the two words <i>yan</i>and <i>koun</i>which mean "enemies" and "run out of" respectively. It is also translated as "End of Strife". "Rangoon" most likely comes from the British imitation of the pronunciation of "Yangon" in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine" title="Rakhine" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine</a> dialect of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a>.<h2><span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2><p><b>Yangon</b> was founded as <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagon_township" title="Dagon township" class="mw-redirect">Dagon</a></b> in the 6th century AD by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_people" title="Mon people">Mon</a>, who dominated Lower Myanmar at that time. Dagon was a small fishing village centered about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwedagon_Pagoda" title="Shwedagon Pagoda">Shwedagon Pagoda</a>. In 1755, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaungpaya" title="Alaungpaya">King Alaungpaya</a> conquered Dagon, renamed it "Yangon", and added settlements around Dagon. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British</a> captured Yangon during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="First Anglo-Burmese War">First Anglo-Burmese War</a> (1824–26) but returned it to Burmese administration after the war. The city was destroyed by a fire in 1841.</p> <p><a name="Colonial_Rangoon_.281852.E2.80.931948.29" id="Colonial_Rangoon_.281852.E2.80.931948.29"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yangon&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Colonial Rangoon (1852–1948)">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Colonial Rangoon (1852–1948)</span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yangon-1897.jpg" class="image" title="Layout of colonial Rangoon, late 19th century"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Yangon-1897.jpg/180px-Yangon-1897.jpg" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="118" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yangon-1897.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> Layout of colonial Rangoon, late 19th century</div> </div> </div> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ygncolonialblds.jpg" class="image" title="A colonial building in downtown Yangon"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/75/Ygncolonialblds.jpg/180px-Ygncolonialblds.jpg" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="133" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ygncolonialblds.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> A colonial building in downtown Yangon</div> </div> </div> <p>The British Empire seized Yangon and all of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Myanmar" title="Lower Myanmar" class="mw-redirect">Lower Myanmar</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Second Anglo-Burmese War">Second Anglo-Burmese War</a> of 1852, and subsequently transformed Yangon into the commercial and political hub of British Myanmar. Based on the design by army engineer Lt. Alexander Fraser, the British constructed a new city on a grid plan on delta land, bounded to the east by the Pazundaung Creek and to the south and west by the Yangon River. Yangon became the capital of all British Myanmar after the British had captured <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upper_Myanmar&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Upper Myanmar (page does not exist)">Upper Myanmar</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Third Anglo-Burmese War">Third Anglo-Burmese War</a> of 1885. By the 1890s Yangon's increasing population and commerce gave birth to prosperous residential suburbs to the north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandawgyi_Lake" title="Kandawgyi Lake">Royal Lake</a> (Kandawgyi) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inya_Lake" title="Inya Lake">Inya Lake</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-autogenerated4_4-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-autogenerated4-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup> The British also established hospitals including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon_General_Hospital" title="Yangon General Hospital">Rangoon General Hospital</a> and colleges including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon_University" title="Yangon University" class="mw-redirect">Rangoon University</a>.</p> <p>Colonial Yangon, with its spacious parks and lakes and mix of modern buildings and traditional wooden architecture, was known as "the garden city of the East."<sup id="cite_ref-autogenerated4_4-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-autogenerated4-4"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> By the early 20th century, Yangon had public services and infrastructure on par with London<span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-5"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>Before <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, about 55% of Yangon's population of 500,000 was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-resident_Indian_and_Person_of_Indian_Origin" title="Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin">Indian</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian" title="South Asian" class="mw-redirect">South Asian</a>, and only about a third was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamar" title="Bamar">Bamar</a> (Myanmarn).<sup id="cite_ref-tmmt_6-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon#cite_note-tmmt-6"><span>[</span>7<span>]</span></a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karens" title="Karens" class="mw-redirect">Karens</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_Chinese" title="Burmese Chinese">Chinese</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> and others made up the rest.</p> <p>After <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I" title="World War I">World War I</a>, Yangon became the epicenter of Burmese independence movement, with leftist Rangoon University students leading the way. Three nationwide strikes against the British in 1920, 1936 and 1938 all began in Yangon. Yangon was under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan">Japanese</a> occupation (1942–45), and incurred heavy damage during World War II. Yangon became the capital of Union of Myanmar on 4 January 1948 when the country regained independence from the British.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-57859658504857154762009-07-15T11:09:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:16:55.409-07:00Mandalay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Mandalay_Fort_Wall.jpg/800px-Mandalay_Fort_Wall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 557px; height: 536px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Mandalay_Fort_Wall.jpg/800px-Mandalay_Fort_Wall.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a>. Located 445 miles (716 km) north of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon</a> on the east bank of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River" title="Ayeyarwady River">Irrawaddy river</a>, the city has a population of nearly 1 million,<sup id="cite_ref-un_0-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-un-0"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> and is the capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Division" title="Mandalay Division">Mandalay Division</a>. <p>Mandalay is the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture. A continuing influx of Chinese immigrants mostly from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan_Province" title="Yunnan Province" class="mw-redirect">Yunnan Province</a> in the past twenty years has reshaped the city's ethnic makeup and increased its economic dynamism.<sup id="cite_ref-iiss_3-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-iiss-3"><span></span><span></span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-jt_4-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-jt-4"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> Despite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naypyidaw" title="Naypyidaw">Naypyidaw</a>'s recent rise, Mandalay remains Upper Burma's main commercial, educational and health center.</p><h2><span class="mw-headline">Etymology</span></h2> <p>The city gets its name from the nearby <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Hill" title="Mandalay Hill">Mandalay Hill</a>. The name is likely a derivative of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li" title="Pāli" class="mw-redirect">Pali</a> word although the exact word of origin remains unclear. The root word has been speculated as: "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala" title="Mandala">Mandala</a>" (meaning, circular plains)<sup id="cite_ref-mdy-150_1-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-mdy-150-1"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> "Mandare" (believed to mean "auspicious land"),<sup id="cite_ref-gc_5-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-gc-5"><span> </span><span></span></a></sup>or "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mandara" title="Mount Mandara">Mandara</a>" (a mountain from Hindu mythology).<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-6"><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>When it was founded in 1857, the royal city was officially named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yadanabon" title="Yadanabon">Yadanabon</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a> version of its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a> name <b>Ratanapura</b> which means "The City of Gems". It was also called <i>Lay Kyun Aung Myei</i> (Victorious Land over the Four Islands) and the royal palace, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Palace" title="Mandalay Palace"><i>Mya Nan San Kyaw</i></a> (The Famed Royal Emerald Palace)</p><h2><span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2> <div class="thumb tleft"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandalay-palace-plan.JPG" class="image" title="Plan of Mandalay Palace"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/Mandalay-palace-plan.JPG/180px-Mandalay-palace-plan.JPG" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="180" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandalay-palace-plan.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> Plan of Mandalay Palace</div> </div> </div> <div class="thumb tleft"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandalay-Palace-from-Watch-Tower.JPG" class="image" title="Mandalay Palace Grounds"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Mandalay-Palace-from-Watch-Tower.JPG/180px-Mandalay-Palace-from-Watch-Tower.JPG" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="135" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mandalay-Palace-from-Watch-Tower.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Palace" title="Mandalay Palace">Mandalay Palace</a> Grounds</div> </div> </div> <p><a name="Early_history" id="Early_history"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mandalay&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Early history">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Early history</span></h3> <div class="rellink boilerplate seealso">See also: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Palace" title="Mandalay Palace">Mandalay Palace</a></div> <p>Like most former (and present) capitals of Burma, Mandalay was founded on the wishes of the ruler of the day. On 13 February 1857, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindon_Min" title="Mindon Min">Mindon</a> founded a new royal capital at the foot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Hill" title="Mandalay Hill">Mandalay Hill</a>, ostensibly to fulfill a prophecy on the founding of a metropolis of Buddhism in that exact place on the occasion of the 2,400th jubilee of Buddhism.<sup id="cite_ref-mandalay_palace_7-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-mandalay_palace-7"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>The new capital city site was 25.5 square miles (66 km²) in area, surrounded by four rivers. The plan called for a 144-square block grid patterned citadel, anchored by a 16 square block royal palace compound at the center by Mandalay Hill.<sup id="cite_ref-kt_8-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-kt-8"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> The 1020-acre (413-hectare) citadel was surrounded by four 6,666-foot (2,032 m) long walls and a moat 210 feet (64 m) wide, 15 feet (4.57 m) deep. Along the wall were turrets for watchmen with gold-tipped spires at intervals of 555 feet (169 m).<sup id="cite_ref-oconner_9-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-oconner-9"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> The walls had three gates on each side, and five bridges to cross the moat.<sup id="cite_ref-kt_8-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-kt-8"><span></span><span></span></a></sup> In addition, the king also commissioned the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuthodaw_Pagoda" title="Kuthodaw Pagoda">Kuthodaw Pagoda</a>, the <i>Pahtan-haw Shwe Thein</i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upasampada" title="Upasampada">higher ordination</a> hall, the <i>Thudhamma</i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayat" title="Zayat">Zayats</a> or public houses for preaching the Doctrine, and the library for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali_Canon" title="Pali Canon" class="mw-redirect">Buddhist scriptures</a>. In June 1857, the former royal palace of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura" title="Amarapura">Amarapura</a> was dismantled and moved by elephants to the new location at the foot of Mandalay Hill although construction of the palace compound was officially completed only two years later, on Monday, 23 May 1859.<sup id="cite_ref-mandalay_palace_7-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay#cite_note-mandalay_palace-7"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></p> <p>For the next 26 years, Mandalay was to be the last royal capital of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_Dynasty" title="Konbaung Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">last independent Burmese kingdom</a> before its final annexation by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British</a>. Mandalay ceased to be the capital on 28 November 1885 when the conquering British sent King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thibaw_Min" title="Thibaw Min">Thibaw</a> and his queen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supayalat" title="Supayalat">Supayalat</a> to exile, ending the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Third Anglo-Burmese War">Third Anglo-Burmese War</a>.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-37638679253089934062009-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:06:28.269-07:00Pyin U Lwin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Kandawgyibotanicalgardens.jpg/200px-Kandawgyibotanicalgardens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/98/Kandawgyibotanicalgardens.jpg/200px-Kandawgyibotanicalgardens.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Pyin U Lwin</b> or <b>Pyin Oo Lwin</b>MLCTS=prang u: lwang mrui.), formerly <b>Maymyo</b> is a scenic hill town in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Division" title="Mandalay Division">Mandalay Division</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar" title="Myanmar" class="mw-redirect">Myanmar</a>, located in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_Highland" title="Shan Highland" class="mw-redirect">Shan Highland</a>, some 67 kilometers (42 miles) east of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a>, and at an altitude of 1070 meters (3510 ft).<h2><span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2> <p>The town began as a military outpost established near a small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan" title="Shan">Shan</a> village with two dozen households <sup id="cite_ref-htw_0-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maymyo#cite_note-htw-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup> situated on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lashio" title="Lashio">Lashio</a>-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a> trail between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawnghkio" title="Nawnghkio">Nawnghkio</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a>. In 1896, a permanent military post was established in the town and later, because of its climate, it became a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_station" title="Hill station">hill station</a> and the summer capital of British Burma. The establishment in Burma (civil, commercial and military) would move to Maymyo during the hot season to escape from the high heat and humidity of Rangoon. During British rule and through the 1970's, Maymyo had a large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> population, but this steadily declined. During the Japanese occupation, as many Anglo's were concentrated in and around Maymyo, the Japanese incarcerated many of them for fear of their loyalty to the British very close to Maymyo. Today though, Maymyo still has one of the larger hold over populations of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> in the country. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_rule_in_Burma" title="British rule in Burma">British</a> named the location Maymyo, literally <i>May's Town</i> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a>, after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colonel_May&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Colonel May (page does not exist)">Colonel May</a>, a veteran of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Mutiny" title="Indian Mutiny" class="mw-redirect">Indian Mutiny</a> and commander of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_Regiment" title="Bengal Regiment">Bengal Regiment</a> temporarily stationed at the location of the town in 1887. <sup id="cite_ref-htw_0-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maymyo#cite_note-htw-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maymyo#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> The military government of Burma renamed the town Pyin U Lwin.</p> <p><a name="Demographics" id="Demographics"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pyin_U_Lwin&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Demographics">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Demographics</span></h2> <p>The town has approximately 10,000 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">Indian</a> and 5,000 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepali_people" title="Nepali people" class="mw-redirect">Nepali</a> inhabitants who settled in Maymyo during British rule. Today, Pyin U Lwin has a thriving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_%28mixed_ancestry%29" title="Eurasian (mixed ancestry)">Eurasian</a> community, consisting mostly of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Indians" title="Anglo-Indians" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Indians</a>.</p> <p><a name="Educational_institutions" id="Educational_institutions"></a></p> <h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pyin_U_Lwin&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Educational institutions">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Educational institutions</span></h2> <p>Maymyo was an important educational centre during colonial times, with the GEHSs (Government English High Schools), such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Mary%27s_School,_Maymyo&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="St. Mary's School, Maymyo (page does not exist)">St. Mary's</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael%27s" title="St. Michael's" class="mw-redirect">St. Michael's</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Albert%27s&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="St. Albert's (page does not exist)">St. Albert's</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St._Joseph%27s_Convent&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="St. Joseph's Convent (page does not exist)">St. Joseph's Convent</a>, and Colgate, all based in the town. British settlers and colonial administrators sent their children to be educated here, both European and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> children. The town was also the location of the various schools of military education open to all ethnicities.</p> <p>It is today home to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Services_Academy" title="Defence Services Academy">Defence Services Academy</a> (DSA) and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Services_Institute_of_Technology" title="Defence Services Institute of Technology" class="mw-redirect">Defence Services Institute of Technology</a> (DSIT). There is a large military presence in the town.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-31852266300469733792009-07-15T11:02:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:03:44.098-07:00White Elephant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/RoyalWhiteElephant.jpg/180px-RoyalWhiteElephant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 135px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/RoyalWhiteElephant.jpg/180px-RoyalWhiteElephant.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> , white elephants have been revered symbols of power and good fortune. The announcement by the ruling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_regime" title="Military regime" class="mw-redirect">military regime</a> of the finding of white elephants in 2001and 2002<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_%28pachyderm%29#cite_note-1"><span></span></a></sup> was seen by opponents as being aimed at bolstering support for their regime. A total of four white elephants are currently (2006) to be seen in a pavilion on the outskirts of Yangon.Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-14267473081943305972009-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:002009-07-15T11:00:32.408-07:00Bago<h2><span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2> <div class="thumb tleft"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shwethalyaungbuddhabago.jpg" class="image" title="The 177 ft (54 m) Shwethalyaung Buddha, constructed in 994 A.D. by King Migadepa"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Shwethalyaungbuddhabago.jpg/180px-Shwethalyaungbuddhabago.jpg" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="135" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Shwethalyaungbuddhabago.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> The 177 ft (54 m) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwethalyaung_Buddha" title="Shwethalyaung Buddha">Shwethalyaung Buddha</a>, constructed in 994 A.D. by King Migadepa</div> </div> </div> <p>According to legend, two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_%28ethnic_group%29" title="Mon (ethnic group)" class="mw-redirect">Mon</a> princess from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaton" title="Thaton">Thaton</a> founded Bago in 573 AD. It was written in the chronicles that eight years after enlightenment, Lord <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" title="Gautama Buddha">Buddha</a> along with his disciples flew around the Southeast Asian countries. On his return journey while crossing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Martaban" title="Gulf of Martaban">Gulf of Martaban</a>, which happened to be at low tide, he saw two golden sheldrakes sitting, female on top of male, on a peak of land protruding out of the sea just enough for a bird's perch. Viewing this strange phenomenon, he predicted to his disciples that one day a country where his doctrine would thrive would come into existence in this vast sea area. That part of the sea, when it was silted up and ready for habitation approximately 1500 years after the prediction, was colonized by Mons from the Thaton Kingdom. Thus, the Mons became the first rulers of this country known in history as <b>Hongsawatoi</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li" title="Pāli" class="mw-redirect">Pali</a> Hamsavati). Other variations on the name include <b>Hanthawaddy</b>, <b>Hanthawady</b> and <b>Handawaddy</b>; and in Thai <b>หงสาวดี</b> <b>Hongsawadi</b>.</p> <p>The earliest mention of this city in history is by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab" title="Arab">Arab</a> geographer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ibn_Khudadhbin&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ibn Khudadhbin (page does not exist)">Ibn Khudadhbin</a> around 850 AD. At the time, the Mon capital had shifted to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaton" title="Thaton">Thaton</a>. The area came under rule of the Burmese from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan" title="Bagan">Bagan</a> in 1056. After the collapse of Bagan to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongols" title="Mongols">Mongols</a> in 1287, the Mon regained their independence.</p> <p>In Lower Burma, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mon_monarchs" title="List of Mon monarchs" class="mw-redirect">Mon dynasty</a> established itself first at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martaban" title="Martaban" class="mw-redirect">Martaban</a> and then at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegu" title="Pegu" class="mw-redirect">Pegu</a>. During the reign of king <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajadhirat" title="Rajadhirat">Rajadhirat</a> (1383–1421) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava</a> and Pegu were involved in continuous warfare. The peaceful reign of Queen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%C3%B1a_Thau" title="Baña Thau">Baña Thau</a> (Burmese: Shin Saw Bu; 1453-72) came to an end when she chose the Buddhist monk <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dhammazedi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Dhammazedi (page does not exist)">Dhammazedi</a> (1472-92) to succeed her. Under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dhammazedi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Dhammazedi (page does not exist)">Dhammazedi</a> Pegu became a centre of commerce and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada Buddhism</a>.</p> <p>From 1369-1539, Hanthawaddy was the capital of the Mon Kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramanadesa" title="Ramanadesa">Ramanadesa</a>, which covered all of what is now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a>. The area came under Burman control again in 1539, when it was annexed by King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabinshweti" title="Tabinshweti" class="mw-redirect">Tabinshweti</a> to his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingdom_of_Taungoo&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kingdom of Taungoo (page does not exist)">Kingdom of Taungoo</a>. The kings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toungoo_Dynasty" title="Toungoo Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Taungoo</a> made Bago their royal capital from 1539-1599 and again in 1613-1634, and used it as a base for repeated invasions of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siam" title="Siam" class="mw-redirect">Siam</a>. As a major seaport, the city was frequently visited by Europeans, who commented on its magnificence. The Burmese capital relocated to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava</a> in 1634. In 1740, the Mon revolted and briefly regained their independence, but Burmese King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaungpaya" title="Alaungpaya">Alaungpaya</a> (or U Aungzeya) sacked and completely destroyed the city (along with Mon independence) in 1757.</p> <p>Bago was rebuilt by King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodawpaya" title="Bodawpaya">Bodawpaya</a> (1782-1819), but by then the river had shifted course, cutting the city off from the sea. It never regained its previous importance. After the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Second Anglo-Burmese War">Second Anglo-Burmese War</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British</a> annexed Bago in 1852. In 1862, the province of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_rule_in_Burma" title="British rule in Burma">British Burma</a> was formed, and the capital moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon</a>. The name <i>Bago</i> is spelt <i>peh kou</i> literally. The substantial differences between the colloquial and literary pronunciations, as with Burmese words, was a reason of the British corruption "Pegu".</p> <p>In 1911, Hanthawaddy was described as a district in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago_Division" title="Bago Division">Bago</a> (or <i>Pegu</i>) division of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a>. It lay in the home district of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Rangoon</a>, from which the town was detached to make a separate district in 1880. It had an area of 3,023 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_mile" title="Square mile">square miles</a> (7,830 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_kilometre" title="Square kilometre">km²</a>), with a population of 48,411 in 1901, showing an increase of 22% in the past decade. Hanthawaddy and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henzada" title="Henzada" class="mw-redirect">Henzada</a> were the two most densely populated districts in the province.</p><b>Bago</b>, formerly <b>Pegu</b>, is a city and the capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago_Division" title="Bago Division">Bago Division</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> (or Myanmar). It is located 50 miles (80 km) from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon</a> and has a population of 220,000.<br /><p>Hanthawaddy, as it was constituted in 1911, consisted of a vast plain stretching up from the sea between the To (or China Bakir) mouth of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River" title="Ayeyarwady River">Ayeyarwady River</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pegu_Yomas&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pegu Yomas (page does not exist)">Pegu Yomas</a>. Except the tract of land lying between the Pegu Yomas on the east and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hlaing_river" title="Hlaing river" class="mw-redirect">Hlaing river</a>, the country was intersected by numerous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_creek" title="Tidal creek" class="mw-redirect">tidal creeks</a>; many of which were navigable by large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat" title="Boat">boats</a> and some by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat" title="Steamboat">steamers</a>. The headquarters of the district was in Rangoon, which was also the sub-divisional headquarters. The second sub-division had its headquarters at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insein" title="Insein" class="mw-redirect">Insein</a>, where there were large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway" title="Railway" class="mw-redirect">railway</a> works. Cultivation was almost wholly confined to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice" title="Rice">rice</a>, but there were many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable" title="Vegetable">vegetable</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit" title="Fruit">fruit</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden" title="Garden">gardens</a>.</p> <p>Today, Hanthawaddy may be considered a district of the city of Bago.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-2414465809207272482009-07-15T01:24:00.000-07:002009-07-15T01:27:23.843-07:00Ava<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Ruin_Ava%28Innwa%29_Myanmar%28Burma%29.jpg/160px-Ruin_Ava%28Innwa%29_Myanmar%28Burma%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 240px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Ruin_Ava%28Innwa%29_Myanmar%28Burma%29.jpg/160px-Ruin_Ava%28Innwa%29_Myanmar%28Burma%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Innwa</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a>: ; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLC_Transcription_System" title="MLC Transcription System">MLCTS</a>: <i><span title="Transcription in Myanmar Language Commission Transcription System">ang: wa. mrui.</span></i>; formerly <b>Ava</b>) is a city in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay_Division" title="Mandalay Division">Mandalay Division</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a>, situated just to the south of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura" title="Amarapura">Amarapura</a> on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_River" title="Ayeyarwady River">Ayeyarwady River</a>. Its formal title is <b>Ratanapura</b> (<span lang="my">ရတနာပူရ</span>), which means City of Gems in Pali. The name <i>Innwa</i> means mouth of the lake, which comes from <i>in</i> (<span lang="my">အင္း</span>), meaning lake, and <i>wa</i> (<span lang="my">ဝ</span>), which means mouth. Known as Ava to the British and <i>A-wa</i> (mouth) in Burmese, it evolved to its modern name <i>Innwa</i>.<br /><h2><span class="mw-headline">History</span></h2> <p>Ava was capital of Burma from 1364-1841 founded by King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thadominbya&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Thadominbya (page does not exist)">Thadominbya</a> on an artificial island at the confluence of the Ayeyarwady and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myitnge_River" title="Myitnge River">Myitnge</a> created by digging a canal linking the two rivers <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava#cite_note-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup>. Prior to this, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagaing" title="Sagaing">Sagaing</a> had been capital, but after Sagaing fell to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan" title="Shan">Shan</a>, the court moved across the river to Ava. The kings of Ava set about restoring Burmese supremacy, which had disintegrated after the collapse of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan" title="Bagan">Pagan</a> to the Empire founded by King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anawrahta" title="Anawrahta">Anawrahta</a> in 1057.</p> <p>A Burman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ava_Dynasty&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Ava Dynasty (page does not exist)">Ava Dynasty</a> (1364-1527) was eventually established at the city of Ava by 1364. Pagan culture was revived and a great age of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature_of_Burma" title="Literature of Burma">Burmese literature</a> ensued. The kingdom lacked easily defensible borders, however, and was overrun by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_people" title="Shan people" class="mw-redirect">Shan</a> in 1527.</p> <p>The Kingdom of Ava was involved in continuous warfare with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_peoples" title="Tai peoples">Tai</a> (Shan) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saopha" title="Saopha">saophas</a> to the north on the frontier with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan" title="Yunnan">Yunnan</a>. There were repeated Tai raids on the capital of Ava and Ava sent military northwards to attack Tai fiefdoms such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mong_Mao" title="Mong Mao">Mong Mao</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Ming dynasty</a> that ruled China from the late fourteenth century often tried unsuccessfully to put an end to this warfare through traditional Chinese diplomacy. Ava occasionally became involved in the warfare between the Ming and Tai in Yunnan such as in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luchuan-Pingmian_Campaigns" title="Luchuan-Pingmian Campaigns">Luchuan-Pingmian Campaigns</a> (1436-1449).</p> <p>Following is the detail account of one of those affairs among Ava, Shans, and China in 15th century, recorded in details by Burmese Historian U Kala in his U Kala Mahayarzawindawgyi.</p> <table style="border-style: none; margin: auto; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20">“</td> <td style="padding: 4px 10px;" valign="top"> <p>In the Burmese lunar year 774, the Christian year 1411, Shans from Mawtone Mawkel invaded the town of Myedu in upper Burma. King Mingaung of Ava sent an army of eleven corps led by the Crown Price Minyekyawzwa to repel the Shans. The huge army consisted of three hundred war elephants, four thousand strong cavalry, and eighty thousand strong infantry. Once Minyekywzwa reached Myedu he immediately attacked and destroyed the smaller army of Mawtone Mawkel brothers. As the brothers fled on horseback to China, Minyekyawzwa brought their families, elephants, horses, and many prisoners of war back to Ava.</p> <p>A few months after Myedu war Minyekyawzwa marched down into Lower Burma and attacked Pegu. Riding the Pegu King Yarzardayit’s own war elephant called Bagamat, Thameinbayan, a son-in-law of Mon king, came out of Pegu and had a duel with Minyekyawzwa. But he was defeated and taken prisoner together with his elephant Bagamat. Minyekyawzwa then marched farther to Bassein and laid siege to the town. But Bassein was too strong to be taken. So the Burmese army marched to nearby Myaungmya and laid siege to the town. During the long siege, Minyekyawzwa took Thameinbayan and more than twenty high-ranking Mon prisoners of war back to Ava in eight fast boats along the River Irrawaddy. The upstream trip took eleven days. Minyekyawzwa stayed for only seven days in Ava and came back down to Lower Burma. The return trip downstream to the town of Dala across the river from Dagon (Rangoon) took only four nights and five days. His army then laid siege to the towns of Dagon and nearby Syriam.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the fleeing Mawtone Mawkel brothers had reached China, where they begged the Chinese Emperor Uteebwa to help them to rescue their captured families now in Burmese hands. Chinese sent their General Erawaka with an army of two hundred war elephants, two thousand strong cavalry, and forty thousand strong infantry into Burma and reached Ava, then the royal capital of Burma. The Burmese army led by Minyekyawzwa then was waging a protracted war of attrition against Yarzardayit led Mons near Pegu in Lower Burma and couldn’t come back to relieve the capital Ava. The invading Chinese surrounded Ava and sent in an ultimatum demanding that Burmese either release the captured families of Mawtone Mawkel brothers or come out and fight them outside. Burmese had refused and the Chinese laid siege to Ava, and after a month the Chinese army had run out of food and so they sent another ultimatum into the besieged city.</p> <p>This time the Chinese had challenged the Burmese to a duel on horseback and if their man was defeated they would end the siege and withdraw, but if their man won Burmese had to release the families of Mawtone Mawkel brothers. In a court gathering King Mingaung asked for anyone who dared to take the Chinese challenge, but none there dared as all the Burmese warriors and most of the Burmese lords were with Minyekyawzwa in Lower Burma. Then the lord of Paungde told the King about the Mon prisoner Thameinbayan, and advised him to ask Thameinbayan to take the challenge as he was the bravest Mon warrior who even dared to fight Minyekyawzwa in an elephant duel. So King Mingaung ordered and Thameinbayan in leg Irons was brought to him.</p> <p>King Mingaung asked Thameinbayan if he was brave enough and willing to face the Chinese warrior, and the Mon lord Thameinbayan answered that he wasn’t afraid of anyone on this surface of the earth, face to face, sword to sword, shield to shield, either on an elephant, or on a horse. So the Burmese king released him and let the princesses wash his hair and give him a feast good enough for a king. After that King Mingaung promised him a reward better than from his own Mon king if he defeated the Chinese warrior, Garmani. Thameinbayan bowed to the king and guaranteed the favourable outcome for the Burmese, his captors.</p> <p>King Mingaung then showed Thameinbayan every single horse in Ava to choose, but he didn’t find the horse of his liking. Only later Thameinbayan saw and liked a mare in the colour of tamarind seed grazing by the moat and took it as his horse. He then told Burmese he needed seven days to know the horse well, and he would then face the China’s Garmani on the seventh day from then. Once Burmese told the Chinese the date for the duel their hero Garmani spent that seven days drinking and eating and boasting to kill Thameinbayan horribly on the day they meet.</p> <p>On the appointed day King Mingaung looked at Thameinbayan and liked what saw and said that the Mon lord was strong and brave and calm as his name had preceded him. He then gave Thameinbayan his own ruby crusted royal sword and said, “My son, do not to lose my sword!”, and Thameinbayan replied, “We will win, Leave it to me.” He then asked, “I have a basket with me tied to the saddle. Once Garmani is speared, I will cut his head and put it in the basket to bring back. I need a hook to pick his head up from the ground. Please give me a hook?”</p> <p>So King Mingaung gave him a goading hook used in plodding an elephant behind its ear, but many Burmese lords laughed at Thameinbayan and said that our Mon hero was already looking for a lemon to cook the rabbit even before he had a rabbit in hand. Thameinbayan just bowed to the King and rode out of the besieged city towards the Chinese army. He was followed by a few people who could speak Chinese. All the people of Ava including the Buddhist monks climbed up the city wall to watch the duel ground from above as Garmani also rode out from Chinese army’s camp to meet Thameinbayan once he saw him coming out.</p> <p>In a full body armour with a ruby crusted enormous sword in his huge right hand, seven foot tall Garmani rode a giant red horse with a gold saddle. His face was painted black and he also carried a gold-plated long spear. Under a helmet of seven steps, he looked like a Chinese demon straight out of their folklore. He met Thameinbayan near the water-filled moat. Through the interpreters Thameinbayan said to him that they both were the lords and warriors, and so they should show the people watching from both sides what they were capable of on the horseback. Garmani agreed.</p> <p>Thameinbayan leaned forward and made himself as small as possible on the horse and then rode real fast. Garmani copied him masterly and rode even faster. Thameinbayan then stood up on the saddle and rode away from him. Garmani copied him again and rode faster again. Then Thamenibayan stretched both hands and rode again while still standing on the horseback. Garmani copied him again and rode faster again. While he rode past him on his left Thameinbayan saw the thread tying the two armour plates covering his right underarm was cut and loose.</p> <p>Immediately Thameinbayan yelled out to Garmani that they had ridden three times and now was the time to fight. Holding the short spear in right hand behind his back and stretching the left hand by his side, he rode away from Garmani. Garmani chased him immediately. As Garmani reached near him, Thameinbayan wheeled his horse around to the right and faced him. After stopping in his track Garmani immediately raised his enormous sword and tried to strike down Thameinbayan with a mighty stroke.</p> <p>In the process the thread holding his underarm plates broke exposing his flesh through a gap of at least four fingers width, and Thameinbayan, expecting that perfect opportunity, swiftly sent his spear thrust through the gap. The spear went in at Garmani’s right underarm, through the body, and came out at left underarm, killing Garmani on the spot. He then cut his head with a single stroke of his sword and picked the still rolling head up from the ground with the goading hook and placed it in the basket tied to his saddle. He then rode back and entered Ava while the mass of people on the wall cheered. Even the Chinese were amazed by the short and decisive fight and they said that Thameinbayan was not a man but a demon from hell.</p> <p>Hugely satisfied King Mingaung gave him rewards and married him to his youngest daughter Talokeyarzathu. The Burmese king also gave Thameinbayan the town of Legai. The people of Ava also gave him many rewards. As promised the Chinese army folded their camp and withdrew back to China.</p> </td> <td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" valign="bottom" width="20">”</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>In 1555, Ava fell to the southern Burmese Kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taungoo" title="Taungoo">Taungoo</a> which led to the founding of the Second Burmese Empire by King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabinshwehti" title="Tabinshwehti">Tabinshwehti</a>, but in 1636, the king of Taungoo relocated his own capital to Ava. In 1752, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_%28ethnic_group%29" title="Mon (ethnic group)" class="mw-redirect">Mon</a> revolted against Burmese rule and sacked Ava. A couple of years later, the founder of the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_Dynasty" title="Konbaung Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Konbaung Dynasty</a> and the Third Burmese Empire, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaungpaya" title="Alaungpaya">Alaungpaya</a>, crushed the Mon revolt, and after a period with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwebo" title="Shwebo">Shwebo</a> as his capital, re-established the court in Ava.</p> <p>Following the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain" title="Kingdom of Great Britain">British</a> conquest of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a> after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Second Anglo-Burmese War">Second Anglo-Burmese War</a> (1852-53), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Burma" title="Upper Burma">Upper Burma</a> was commonly called the <b>Kingdom of Ava</b> or the <b>Court of Ava</b>. During the reign of King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodawpaya" title="Bodawpaya">Bodawpaya</a> (lit. Lord Royal Grandfather,1781-1819), the capital was moved to nearby Amarapura. However, his successor, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagyidaw" title="Bagyidaw">Bagyidaw</a> (lit. Royal Elder Uncle, 1819-1837), moved the Court back to Ava in 1823. When a tremendous earthquake caused extensive damage in 1841, Ava was finally abandoned for Amarapura.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> Little remains of the ancient capital today. Because of the earthquake that happened in 1939, most of the palaces in Ava were destroyed.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-88305020137924895842009-07-15T00:23:00.000-07:002009-07-15T00:25:06.187-07:00Amarapura<b>Amarapura</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_language" title="Burmese language">Burmese</a>: <span lang="my" lang="my">အမရပူရ</span>) is a former capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar" title="Myanmar" class="mw-redirect">Myanmar</a>, and now a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Township" title="Township">township</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a>. Amarapura is bounded by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady_river" title="Ayeyarwady river" class="mw-redirect">Ayeyarwady river</a> in the west, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanmyathazi_township" title="Chanmyathazi township" class="mw-redirect">Chanmyathazi township</a> in the north, and the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innwa" title="Innwa" class="mw-redirect">Innwa</a> (Ava) in the south. Amarapura, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a> for City of Immortality, was the capital of Myanmar for three discrete periods during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_dynasty" title="Konbaung dynasty">Konbaung dynasty</a> in the 18th and 19th centuries before finally supplanted by Mandalay 11km north in 1857. Though historically referred to as <b>Taungmyo</b> (Southern City) in relation to Mandalay, Amarapura today is part of Mandalay, as a result of the urban sprawl.<h2><span class="mw-headline"><sup><a>History</a></sup></span></h2> <div class="thumb tleft"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amarapura_palace_British_Embassy_Michael_Symes_1795.jpg" class="image" title="Royal palace of king Bodawpaya at Amarapura, during the visit of the British Embassy of Michael Symes, in 1795."><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Amarapura_palace_British_Embassy_Michael_Symes_1795.jpg/180px-Amarapura_palace_British_Embassy_Michael_Symes_1795.jpg" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="125" /></a> </sup><div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amarapura_palace_British_Embassy_Michael_Symes_1795.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></sup></div> <sup>Royal palace of king <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodawpaya" title="Bodawpaya">Bodawpaya</a> at Amarapura, during the visit of the British Embassy of Michael Symes, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1795" title="1795">1795</a>.</sup></div> </div> </div> <p><sup>King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodawpaya" title="Bodawpaya">Bodawpaya</a> (1781-1819) of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_Dynasty" title="Konbaung Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Konbaung Dynasty</a> founded Amarapura as his new capital in 1783, soon after he ascended the throne. In 1795, he received the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain" title="Kingdom of Great Britain">British</a> embassy to Burma from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_East_India_Company" title="British East India Company" class="mw-redirect">British East India Company</a> led by Michael Symes <sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura#cite_note-1"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>. Bodawpaya's grandson, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagyidaw" title="Bagyidaw">Bagyidaw</a> (1819-1837), moved the Court back to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava</a> in 1823. Bagyidaw's successor King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharrawaddy_Min" title="Tharrawaddy Min">Tharrawaddy</a> (1837-1846) again moved the royal capital back to Amarapura.<sup id="cite_ref-Cooler_2-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura#cite_note-Cooler-2"><span></span><span></span></a></sup></sup></p> <p><sup>From 1841-1857, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindon_Min_of_Burma" title="Mindon Min of Burma" class="mw-redirect">Mindon</a> (1853-1878) decided to make Amarapura the capital again before relocating to his planned city of Mandalay in 1860. Today little remains of the old city as the palace buildings were dismantled and moved by elephant to the new location, and the city walls were pulled down for use as building materials for roads and railways. <sup id="cite_ref-Cooler_2-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura#cite_note-Cooler-2"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>Part of the moat is still recognisable near Bagaya Monastery.</sup></p> <p><sup>The city is known today for its traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk" title="Silk">silk</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton" title="Cotton">cotton</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaving" title="Weaving">weaving</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze" title="Bronze">bronze</a> casting. It is a popular tourist day-trip destination from Mandalay.</sup></p><sup><sup id="cite_ref-Cooler_2-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura#cite_note-Cooler-2"><span></span><span></span></a></sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarapura#cite_note-Cooler-2"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-45455679019833244792009-07-15T00:21:00.000-07:002009-07-15T00:23:00.502-07:00Colonial era (1886 – 1948)<p>The United Kingdom began conquering Burma in 1824. For a period of sixty-two years, Burma was under British control. By 1886, Britain had incorporated it into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj" title="British Raj">British Raj</a>. Burma was administered as a province of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_India" title="British India" class="mw-redirect">British India</a> until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. To stimulate trade and facilitate changes, the British brought in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-resident_Indian_and_Person_of_Indian_Origin" title="Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin">Indians</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Chinese" title="Overseas Chinese">Chinese</a>, who quickly displaced the Burmese in urban areas. To this day <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangoon" title="Rangoon" class="mw-redirect">Rangoon</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a> have large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_of_India" title="Ethnic groups of India" class="mw-redirect">ethnic Indian</a> populations. Railroads and schools were built, as well as a large number of prisons, including the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insein_Prison" title="Insein Prison">Insein Prison</a>, then as now used for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_prisoners" title="Political prisoners" class="mw-redirect">political prisoners</a>. Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralyzed Yangon on occasion all the way until the 1930s.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#cite_note-30"><span>[</span>31<span>]</span></a></sup> Much of the discontent was caused by a perceived disrespect for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_culture" title="Burmese culture" class="mw-redirect">Burmese culture</a> and traditions, for example, what the British termed the Shoe Question: the colonizers' refusal to remove their shoes upon entering Buddhist temples or other holy places. In October 1919, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eindawya_Pagoda&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Eindawya Pagoda (page does not exist)">Eindawya Pagoda</a> in Mandalay was the scene of violence when tempers flared after scandalized Buddhist monks attempted to physically expel a group of shoe-wearing British visitors. The leader of the monks was later sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder. Such incidents inspired the Burmese resistance to use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a> as a rallying point for their cause. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement, and many died while protesting. One monk-turned-martyr was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U_Wisara&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="U Wisara (page does not exist)">U Wisara</a>, who died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest a rule that forbade him from wearing his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#cite_note-31"><span>[</span>32<span>]</span></a></sup></p> <p>Eric Blair (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell" title="George Orwell">George Orwell</a>), served in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Police_Service" title="Indian Police Service">Indian Imperial Police</a> in Burma for five years; his experience yielded the novel <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_Days" title="Burmese Days">Burmese Days</a></i> (1934) and the essays "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hanging" title="A Hanging">A Hanging</a>" (1931) and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_an_Elephant" title="Shooting an Elephant">Shooting an Elephant</a>" (1936). An earlier writer with the same convoluted career path was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saki" title="Saki">Saki</a>. During the colonial period, intermarriage between European male settlers and Burmese women, as well as between Anglo-Indians (who arrived with the British) and Burmese caused the birth of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese" title="Anglo-Burmese" class="mw-redirect">Anglo-Burmese</a> community. This influential community was to dominate the country during colonial rule and through the mid 1960's.</p> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Burma_1937_flag.png" class="image" title="The Colonial Flag (1937 – 1948)"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/British_Burma_1937_flag.png/180px-British_Burma_1937_flag.png" class="thumbimage" width="180" height="90" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Burma_1937_flag.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> The Colonial Flag (1937 – 1948)</div> </div> </div> <p>On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered territory, independent of the Indian administration. The vote for keeping Burma in India, or as a separate colony "khwe-yay-twe-yay" divided the populace, and laid the ground work for the insurgencies to come after independence. In the 1940s, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Comrades" title="Thirty Comrades">Thirty Comrades</a>, commanded by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San" title="Aung San">Aung San</a>, founded the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Independence_Army" title="Burma Independence Army" class="mw-redirect">Burma Independence Army</a>. The Thirty Comrades received training in Japan.<sup id="cite_ref-aungsan_32-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#cite_note-aungsan-32"><span>[</span>33<span>]</span></a></sup></p> <p>During <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>, Burma became a major frontline in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South-East_Asian_Theatre_of_World_War_II" title="South-East Asian Theatre of World War II" class="mw-redirect">Southeast Asian Theatre</a>. The British administration collapsed ahead of the advancing Japanese troops, jails and asylums were opened and Rangoon was deserted except for the many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Burmese_people" title="Anglo-Burmese people">Anglo-Burmese</a> and Indians who remained at their posts. A stream of some 300,000 refugees fled across the jungles into India; known as 'The Trek', all but 30,000 of those 300,000 arrived in India. Initially the Japanese-led <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Campaign" title="Burma Campaign">Burma Campaign</a> succeeded and the British were expelled from most of Burma, but the British counter-attacked using primarily troops of the British Indian Army. By July 1945, the British had retaken the country. Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese, some Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, also served in the British Burma Army. In 1943, the Chin Levies and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Levies" title="Kachin Levies">Kachin Levies</a> were formed in the border districts of Burma still under British administration. The Burma Rifles fought as part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindit" title="Chindit" class="mw-redirect">Chindits</a> under General <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orde_Wingate" title="Orde Wingate">Orde Wingate</a> from 1943-1945. Later in the war, the Americans created <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSS_Detachment_101" title="OSS Detachment 101">American-Kachin Rangers</a> who also fought against the Japanese. Many others fought with the British <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Executive" title="Special Operations Executive">Special Operations Executive</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Independence_Army" title="Burma Independence Army" class="mw-redirect">Burma Independence Army</a> under the command of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San" title="Aung San">Aung San</a> and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 – 1944, but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945.</p> In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Burma, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals assassinated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San" title="Aung San">Aung San</a> and several cabinet members.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#cite_note-aungsan-32"><span></span></a>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-62365341444272811682009-07-15T00:20:00.001-07:002009-07-15T00:21:05.191-07:00Konbaung (1752 – 1885)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Shwedagon_pagoda.jpg/220px-Shwedagon_pagoda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 183px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Shwedagon_pagoda.jpg/220px-Shwedagon_pagoda.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p>King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaungpaya" title="Alaungpaya">Alaungpaya</a> (1752 – 1760), established the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konbaung_Dynasty" title="Konbaung Dynasty" class="mw-redirect">Konbaung Dynasty</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwebo" title="Shwebo">Shwebo</a> in 1752.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma#cite_note-29"><span>[</span>30<span>]</span></a></sup> He founded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon</a> in 1755. By his death in 1760, Alaungpaya had reunified the country. In 1767, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsinbyushin" title="Hsinbyushin">Hsinbyushin</a> (1763 – 1777) sacked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_kingdom" title="Ayutthaya kingdom" class="mw-redirect">Ayutthya</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty" title="Qing Dynasty">Qing Dynasty</a> of China invaded four times from 1765 to 1769 without success. The Chinese invasions allowed the new Siamese kingdom based in Bangkok to repel the Burmese out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand" title="Thailand">Siam</a> by the late 1770s.</p> <p>King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodawpaya" title="Bodawpaya">Bodawpaya</a> (1782 – 1819) failed repeatedly to reconquer Siam in 1780s and 1790s. Bodawpaya did manage to capture the western kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine" title="Rakhine" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine</a>, which had been largely independent since the fall of Bagan, in 1784. Bodawpaya also formally annexed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur" title="Manipur">Manipur</a>, a rebellion-prone protectorate, in 1813.</p> <p>King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagyidaw" title="Bagyidaw">Bagyidaw</a>'s (1819 – 1837) general <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabandoola" title="Mahabandoola" class="mw-redirect">Maha Bandula</a> put down a rebellion in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur" title="Manipur">Manipur</a> in 1819 and captured then independent kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam" title="Assam">Assam</a> in 1819 (again in 1821). The new conquests brought the Burmese adjacent to the British India. The British defeated the Burmese in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="First Anglo-Burmese War">First Anglo-Burmese War</a> (1824 – 1826). Burma had to cede <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam" title="Assam">Assam</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur" title="Manipur">Manipur</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine" title="Rakhine" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine</a> (Arakan) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanintharyi" title="Tanintharyi" class="mw-redirect">Tanintharyi</a> (Tenessarim).</p> <p>In 1852, the British attacked a much weakened Burma during a Burmese palace power struggle. After the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Second Anglo-Burmese War">Second Anglo-Burmese War</a>, which lasted 3 months, the British had captured the remaining coastal provinces: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady" title="Ayeyarwady">Ayeyarwady</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangon" title="Yangon">Yangon</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago" title="Bago">Bago</a>, naming the territories as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a>.</p> <p>King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindon_Min" title="Mindon Min">Mindon</a> (1853 – 1878) founded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a> in 1859 and made it his capital. He skillfully navigated the growing threats posed by the competing interests of Britain and France. In the process, Mindon had to renounce <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayah" title="Kayah">Kayah</a> (Karenni) states in 1875. His successor, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thibaw_Min" title="Thibaw Min">Thibaw</a> (1878 – 1885), was largely ineffectual. In 1885, the British, alarmed by the French conquest of neighboring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a>, occupied <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Burma" title="Upper Burma">Upper Burma</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Burmese_War" title="Third Anglo-Burmese War">Third Anglo-Burmese War</a> (1885) lasted a mere one month insofar as capturing the capital <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandalay" title="Mandalay">Mandalay</a> was concerned. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burmese_royal_family&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Burmese royal family (page does not exist)">Burmese royal family</a> was exiled to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratnagiri" title="Ratnagiri">Ratnagiri</a>, India. British forces spent at least another four years pacifying the country – not only in the Burman heartland but also in the Shan, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chin_people" title="Chin people">Chin</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin" title="Kachin">Kachin</a> hill areas. By some accounts, minor insurrections did not end until 1896.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-79394392064607739002009-07-15T00:19:00.001-07:002009-07-15T00:19:58.781-07:00Taungoo (1531 – 1752)<p>Reinforced by fleeing Burmans from Ava, the minor Burman kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taungoo" title="Taungoo">Taungoo</a> under its young, ambitious king <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabinshwehti" title="Tabinshwehti">Tabinshwehti</a> (1531 – 1551) defeated the more powerful Mon kingdom at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago" title="Bago">Bago</a>, reunifying all of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a> by 1540. Tabinshwehti's successor King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayinnaung" title="Bayinnaung">Bayinnaung</a> (1551-1581) would go on to conquer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Burma" title="Upper Burma">Upper Burma</a> (1555), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipur" title="Manipur">Manipur</a> (1556), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_State" title="Shan State">Shan states</a> (1557), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai" title="Chiang Mai">Chiang Mai</a> (1557), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_kingdom" title="Ayutthaya kingdom" class="mw-redirect">Ayutthaya</a> (1564, 1569) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lan_Xang" title="Lan Xang">Lan Xang</a> (1574), bringing most of western South East Asia under his rule. Bayinnaung died in 1581, preparing to invade <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine" title="Rakhine" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine</a>, a maritime power controlling the entire coastline west of Rakhine Yoma, up to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chittagong" title="Chittagong">Chittagong</a> province in Bengal.</p> <p>Bayinnaung's massive empire unraveled soon after his death in 1581. Ayutthaya <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_people" title="Thai people">Siamese</a> had driven out the Burmese by 1593 and went on to take <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanintharyi" title="Tanintharyi" class="mw-redirect">Tanintharyi</a>. In 1599, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakhine" title="Rakhine" class="mw-redirect">Rakhine</a> forces aided by the Portuguese mercenaries sacked the kingdom's capital <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago" title="Bago">Bago</a>. Chief Portuguese mercenary <i>Filipe de Brito e Nicote</i> (Burmese: <i>Nga Zinga</i>) promptly rebelled against his Rakhine masters and established Portuguese rule in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanlyin" title="Thanlyin">Thanlyin</a> (Syriam), then the most important seaport in Burma. The country was in chaos.</p> <p>The Burmese under King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaukpetlun" title="Anaukpetlun">Anaukpetlun</a> (1605-1628) regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1611. Anaukpetlun reestablished a smaller reconstituted kingdom based in Ava covering Upper Burma, Lower Burma and Shan states (but without Rakhine or Taninthayi). After the reign of King Thalun (1629 – 1648), who rebuilt the war-torn country, the kingdom experienced a slow and steady decline for the next 100 years. The Mons successfully rebelled starting in 1740 with French help and Siamese encouragement, broke away Lower Burma by 1747, and finally put an end to the House of Taungoo in 1752 when they took <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava</a>.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-57969362259857445512009-07-15T00:18:00.000-07:002009-07-15T00:19:23.587-07:00Small kingdoms (1287 – 1531)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Baganmyo.jpg/220px-Baganmyo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 165px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Baganmyo.jpg/220px-Baganmyo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p>The Mongols could not stay for long in the searing Ayeyarwady valley. But the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_people" title="Shan people" class="mw-redirect">Tai-Shan people</a> from Yunnan who came down with the Mongols fanned out to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayeyarwady" title="Ayeyarwady">Ayeyarwady</a> valley, Shan states, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand" title="Thailand">Siam</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assam" title="Assam">Assam</a>, and became powerful players in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia" title="Southeast Asia">Southeast Asia</a>.</p> <p>The Bagan empire was irreparably broken up into several small kingdoms:</p> <ul><li>The Burman kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ava" title="Ava">Ava or Innwa</a> (1364 – 1555), the successor state to three smaller kingdoms founded by Burmanized <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_people" title="Shan people" class="mw-redirect">Shan</a> kings, controlling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Burma" title="Upper Burma">Upper Burma</a> (without the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_state" title="Shan state" class="mw-redirect">Shan states</a>)</li><li>The Mon kingdom of Hanthawady <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bago" title="Bago">Pegu or Bago</a> (1287 – 1540), founded by a Mon-ized Shan King Wareru (1287 – 1306), controlling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Burma" title="Lower Burma">Lower Burma</a> (without <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taninthayi" title="Taninthayi" class="mw-redirect">Taninthayi</a>).</li><li>The Rakhine kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrauk_U" title="Mrauk U">Mrauk U</a> (1434 – 1784), in the west.</li><li>Several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_state" title="Shan state" class="mw-redirect">Shan states</a> 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.</li></ul> <p>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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwedagon" title="Shwedagon" class="mw-redirect">Shwedagon Pagoda</a> to its present height.</p> <p>By the late 15th century, constant warfare had left Ava greatly weakened. Its peripheral areas became either independent or autonomous. In 1486, King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minkyinyo" title="Minkyinyo">Minkyinyo</a> (1486 – 1531) of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taungoo" title="Taungoo">Taungoo</a> broke away from Ava and established a small independent kingdom. In 1527, <i>Mohnyin</i> (Shan: Mong Yang) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shan_people" title="Shan people" class="mw-redirect">Shans</a> finally captured Ava, upsetting the delicate power balance that had existed for nearly two centuries. The Shans would rule Upper Burma until 1555.</p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-55521621406008870262009-07-14T21:13:00.001-07:002009-07-14T21:13:54.841-07:00Traditional food<p align="justify"> <img src="http://www.uniteam-travel-myanmar.com/img/food_01.jpg" vspace="10" width="200" align="right" border="1" height="167" hspace="10" /> <br /> <a class="body1"> Myanmar food has its own special identity. Although it draws on its' neighbors, it is neither as hot as Thai, as spicy as Indian nor does it resemble Chinese cooking much except in the stir-fry vegetables. Nowadays various kinds of Myanmar food and snacks are available in the street stalls, market stalls and local restaurants. Also most of hotels in different destinations offer Myanmar set menus, which allows visitors to try the taste of the Myanmar cuisine.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="body1"> Myanmar dining tables are round and low-footed. Family members sit on the mat around the table to have meals. Unlike the Western kitchen, food is not served in courses. Dishes with different items are spread out on the table for people to take themselves form onto their plates. Food is eaten with the fingers of the right hand. Homes in cities and towns have dining tables and chairs, some people eat with fork and spoon.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Traditional Myanmar Breakfast</a><br /> <a class="body1"> It can be all sorts of food. Most of Myanmar families have fried rice and peas for breakfast. A pot of plain tea is a must on the dining table. Also Mohingar, Nangyi thoat, Ohn No Kauk Swe, noodle and vermicelli salad with sauce, steamed sticky rice and deep-fried vegetables with creamy rice powder are breakfast items. Some have Myanmar traditional snacks such as bain mont and mont sein baung.<br /><br />All Myanmar snacks are made of rice or sticky rice powder. Some snacks of rice powder are mixed with jaggery and baked, steamed or fried.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Bain Mont :</a> <a class="body1"> Baked creamy rice powder mixing with jaggery liquid. Sliced peanuts, coconut and poppy seeds are spread over it during baking. It has a form of pan cakes and the taste is sweet.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Mont Sein Baung :</a> <a class="body1"> Steamed creamy rice-powder with jaggery liquid. It includes two layers, the upper white one is just steamed creamy rice-powder and the lower brown part is steamed rice powder mixed with liquid jaggery. Thin sliced coconut and pounded sesame seeds are added when served.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Mont Hin Gar :</a> <a class="body1"> Well known Myanmar cuisine which most of Yangon's people have every morning as breakfast. It is a mixing of the thick fish soup and thin rice noodles. Roasted Chilly powder, a squeezed lemon, fish sauce and coriander are added for more appetite.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Ohn Nok Kauk Swe :</a> <a class="body1"> Noodles with chicken and coconut soup. Slices of onion, yellowish fried rice cracker, a squeeze of lemon and roasted chilly powder are added for more taste.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Typical Lunch or Dinner</a><br /> <a class="body1"> The meal is arranged around rice with accompanying curry as main dish with a side dish and soup.<br /><br />The main dish features pork, beef, mutton, chicken, duck, fish or prawn, eggs cooked in onions, and a gravy that is based on garlic, ginger, saffron powder, shrimp sauce or soy sauce, salt and a little bit of chilly powder. The meat can be fried, stewed, steamed or roasted.<br /><br />Side dishes are usually a salad or fried vegetables. A salad is normally made with vegetables combined with onion slices, pounded peanuts, pounded dried-shrimp, salt or shrimp sauce and oil. Pickled tealeaf or ginger salads are eaten often after meals or as afternoon snacks.<br /><br />Soups may be clear, refreshingly tart or creamy. They are mostly with vegetables, sometimes with meat, fish or prawns create different tastes. Sour soup made with roselle-leaves, bamboo shoot and fish is a popular and common soup of the Myanmar cuisine.<br /><br />Fresh fruits are served after the meals. Myanmar is very rich on tasty tropical fruits in their many varieties, pineapple, papaya, mango, melons, banana, orange, etc.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Ngapi</a><br /> <a class="body1"> Ngapi means pressed fish. Fish paste and shrimp paste are two kinds of Ngapi. Shrimp paste is shrimps crushed with salt into fairly dry paste. It is used in most dishes, especially in rosella soup. Another common side dish is fried Ngapi (Balachaung). It is fried shrimp paste with pounded dried shrimp, crushed garlic and onions and chilies. Another shrimp paste dish is roasted shrimp paste with peanut oil and a squeezed lemon.</a> </p> <p align="justify"> <a class="tt">Ngapi Yae Kyo :</a> <a class="body1"> It is also a popular Myanmar side dish, which can be made from a kind of fish paste including big pieces of fish. The fish paste is boiling with saffron until it becomes thick. Pounded dried shrimp or crashed cooked fish, pounded garlic, roasted crashed tomatoes and chilies are combined with it. It is eaten with a variety of vegetables either raw or boiled (called toh-sayar).</a> </p>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-52767051979543298952009-07-14T21:04:00.000-07:002009-07-14T21:07:06.037-07:00Transportations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/388853869_b705106acb.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 333px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/388853869_b705106acb.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"><td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2053" alt="Definitions and Notes: Airports" title="Definitions and Notes: Airports"> Airports</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category_data">84 (2008)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2053rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world">70</a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2030" alt="Definitions and Notes: Airports - with paved runways" title="Definitions and Notes: Airports - with paved runways"> Airports - with paved runways</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2030.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">31</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> over 3,047 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">10</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 2,438 to 3,047 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">10</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 1,524 to 2,437 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">9</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> under 914 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">2 (2008)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2031" alt="Definitions and Notes: Airports - with unpaved runways" title="Definitions and Notes: Airports - with unpaved runways"> Airports - with unpaved runways</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2031.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">53</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> over 3,047 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">1</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 1,524 to 2,437 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">9</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 914 to 1,523 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">13</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> under 914 m: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">30 (2008)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2019" alt="Definitions and Notes: Heliports" title="Definitions and Notes: Heliports"> Heliports</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2019.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">4 (2007)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2117" alt="Definitions and Notes: Pipelines" title="Definitions and Notes: Pipelines"> Pipelines</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2117.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">gas 2,228 km; oil 558 km (2008)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2121" alt="Definitions and Notes: Railways" title="Definitions and Notes: Railways"> Railways</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2121.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">3,955 km</span></div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2121rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 44 </a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> narrow gauge: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2085" alt="Definitions and Notes: Roadways" title="Definitions and Notes: Roadways"> Roadways</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2085.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">27,000 km</span></div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2085rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 102 </a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> paved: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">3,200 km</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> unpaved: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">23,800 km (2006)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2093" alt="Definitions and Notes: Waterways" title="Definitions and Notes: Waterways"> Waterways</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2093.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">12,800 km (2008)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2093rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 11 </a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-32251502560165060942009-07-14T21:02:00.001-07:002009-07-14T21:02:44.690-07:00Communications<table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"><td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2150" alt="Definitions and Notes: Telephones - main lines in use" title="Definitions and Notes: Telephones - main lines in use"> Telephones - main lines in use</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2150.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category_data">503,900 (2005)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2150rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world">97</a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2151" alt="Definitions and Notes: Telephones - mobile cellular" title="Definitions and Notes: Telephones - mobile cellular"> Telephones - mobile cellular</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2151.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">214,200 (2006)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2151rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 167 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2124" alt="Definitions and Notes: Telephone system" title="Definitions and Notes: Telephone system"> Telephone system</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2124.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">general assessment: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> domestic: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> international: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2013" alt="Definitions and Notes: Radio broadcast stations" title="Definitions and Notes: Radio broadcast stations"> Radio broadcast stations</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2013.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2015" alt="Definitions and Notes: Television broadcast stations" title="Definitions and Notes: Television broadcast stations"> Television broadcast stations</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2015.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">4 (2008)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2154" alt="Definitions and Notes: Internet country code" title="Definitions and Notes: Internet country code"> Internet country code</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2154.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">.mm</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2184" alt="Definitions and Notes: Internet hosts" title="Definitions and Notes: Internet hosts"> Internet hosts</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2184.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">108 (2008)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2184rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 187 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2153" alt="Definitions and Notes: Internet users" title="Definitions and Notes: Internet users"> Internet users</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2153.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">40,000 (2007)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2153rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 169 </a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-45977304963861060552009-07-14T20:59:00.001-07:002009-07-14T20:59:48.455-07:00Economy<table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2116" alt="Definitions and Notes: Economy - overview" title="Definitions and Notes: Economy - overview"> Economy - overview</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2116.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category_data">Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated because of the regime's mismanagement of the economy. The economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers the inflow of foreign investment. Foreign investors have shied away from nearly every sector except for natural gas and power generation. The business climate is widely perceived as opaque, corrupt, and highly inefficient. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries - especially oil and gas, mining, and timber - with the latter causing significant environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2008, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions, limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. The September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber, and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. In July 2008 the President signed into law the Tom Lantos JADE (Junta's Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act of 2008, imposing new targeted sanctions on the regime. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2001" alt="Definitions and Notes: GDP (purchasing power parity)" title="Definitions and Notes: GDP (purchasing power parity)"> GDP (purchasing power parity)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2001.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">$55.04 billion (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 87 </a> </span> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">$54.55 billion (2007)</div> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">$52.76 billion (2006)</div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">data are in 2008 US dollars</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2195" alt="Definitions and Notes: GDP (official exchange rate)" title="Definitions and Notes: GDP (official exchange rate)"> GDP (official exchange rate)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2195.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">$13.7 billion (2008 est.)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2003" alt="Definitions and Notes: GDP - real growth rate" title="Definitions and Notes: GDP - real growth rate"> GDP - real growth rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2003.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">0.9% (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2003rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 189 </a> </span> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">3.4% (2007 est.)</div> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">3.4% (2006 est.)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2004" alt="Definitions and Notes: GDP - per capita (PPP)" title="Definitions and Notes: GDP - per capita (PPP)"> GDP - per capita (PPP)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2004.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">$1,200 (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 205 </a> </span> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">$1,200 (2007 est.)</div> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">$1,100 (2006 est.)</div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">data are in 2008 US dollars</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2012" alt="Definitions and Notes: GDP - composition by sector" title="Definitions and Notes: GDP - composition by sector"> GDP - composition by sector</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2012.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">agriculture: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">40.9%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> industry: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">19.7%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> services: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">39.3% (2008 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2095" alt="Definitions and Notes: Labor force" title="Definitions and Notes: Labor force"> Labor force</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2095.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">30.04 million (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2095rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 18 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2048" alt="Definitions and Notes: Labor force - by occupation" title="Definitions and Notes: Labor force - by occupation"> Labor force - by occupation</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2048.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">agriculture: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">70%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> industry: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">7%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> services: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">23% (2001)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2129" alt="Definitions and Notes: Unemployment rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Unemployment rate"> Unemployment rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2129.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">9.4% (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2129rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 122 </a> </span> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">5.2% (2007 est.)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2046" alt="Definitions and Notes: Population below poverty line" title="Definitions and Notes: Population below poverty line"> Population below poverty line</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2046.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">32.7% (2007 est.)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2047" alt="Definitions and Notes: Household income or consumption by percentage share" title="Definitions and Notes: Household income or consumption by percentage share"> Household income or consumption by percentage share</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2047.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">lowest 10%: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">2.8%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> highest 10%: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">32.4% (1998)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2185" alt="Definitions and Notes: Investment (gross fixed)" title="Definitions and Notes: Investment (gross fixed)"> Investment (gross fixed)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2185.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">14.1% of GDP (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2185rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 141 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2056" alt="Definitions and Notes: Budget" title="Definitions and Notes: Budget"> Budget</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2056.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">revenues: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">$983.6 million</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> expenditures: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">$1.775 billion (2008 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2092" alt="Definitions and Notes: Inflation rate (consumer prices)" title="Definitions and Notes: Inflation rate (consumer prices)"> Inflation rate (consumer prices)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2092.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">27.3% (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2092rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 216 </a> </span> <div class="category_data" style="padding-top: 3px;">35% (2007 est.)</div></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-5281320047189477572009-07-14T20:53:00.000-07:002009-07-14T20:54:12.341-07:00Government<table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"><td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2142" alt="Definitions and Notes: Country name" title="Definitions and Notes: Country name"> Country name</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2142.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category"> conventional long form: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal;">Union of Burma</span> </div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> conventional short form: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Burma</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> local long form: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> local short form: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Myanma Naingngandaw</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> former: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">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</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2128" alt="Definitions and Notes: Government type" title="Definitions and Notes: Government type"> Government type</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">military junta</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2057" alt="Definitions and Notes: Capital" title="Definitions and Notes: Capital"> Capital</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2057.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">name: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Rangoon (Yangon)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> geographic coordinates: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">16 48 N, 96 09 E</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> time difference: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2051" alt="Definitions and Notes: Administrative divisions" title="Definitions and Notes: Administrative divisions"> Administrative divisions</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2051.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states* (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne); Ayeyarwady, Bago, Chin*, Kachin*, Kayah*, Kayin*, Magway, Mandalay, Mon*, Rakhine*, Sagaing, Shan*, Tanintharyi, Yangon</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2088" alt="Definitions and Notes: Independence" title="Definitions and Notes: Independence"> Independence</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2088.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">4 January 1948 (from the UK)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2109" alt="Definitions and Notes: National holiday" title="Definitions and Notes: National holiday"> National holiday</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2109.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2063" alt="Definitions and Notes: Constitution" title="Definitions and Notes: Constitution"> Constitution</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2063.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; a new constitution was approved on 10 May 2008; note - new constitution will take effect when a new parliament is convened following elections scheduled for 2010</div></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-3634781521867246962009-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:002009-07-14T20:53:21.658-07:00People<table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"><td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2119" alt="Definitions and Notes: Population" title="Definitions and Notes: Population"> Population</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category_data">48,137,741</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world">27</a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2010" alt="Definitions and Notes: Age structure" title="Definitions and Notes: Age structure"> Age structure</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2010.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">0-14 years: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">25.3% (male 6,193,263/female 5,990,658)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 15-64 years: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">69.3% (male 16,510,648/female 16,828,462)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 65 years and over: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">5.4% (male 1,121,412/female 1,493,298) (2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2177" alt="Definitions and Notes: Median age" title="Definitions and Notes: Median age"> Median age</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2177.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">28.2 years</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">27.7 years</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">28.8 years (2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2002" alt="Definitions and Notes: Population growth rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Population growth rate"> Population growth rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2002.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">0.783% (2009 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2002rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 139 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2054" alt="Definitions and Notes: Birth rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Birth rate"> Birth rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2054.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">16.97 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2054rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 123 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2066" alt="Definitions and Notes: Death rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Death rate"> Death rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2066.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">9.23 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2066rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 84 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2112" alt="Definitions and Notes: Net migration rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Net migration rate"> Net migration rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2112.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">NA</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2212" alt="Definitions and Notes: Urbanization" title="Definitions and Notes: Urbanization"> Urbanization</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2212.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">urban population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">33% of total population (2008)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> rate of urbanization: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2018" alt="Definitions and Notes: Sex ratio" title="Definitions and Notes: Sex ratio"> Sex ratio</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2018.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">at birth: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">1.06 male(s)/female</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> under 15 years: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">1.03 male(s)/female</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 15-64 years: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">0.98 male(s)/female</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> 65 years and over: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">0.75 male(s)/female</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2091" alt="Definitions and Notes: Infant mortality rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Infant mortality rate"> Infant mortality rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2091.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">47.61 deaths/1,000 live births</span></div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 53 </a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">53.78 deaths/1,000 live births</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2102" alt="Definitions and Notes: Life expectancy at birth" title="Definitions and Notes: Life expectancy at birth"> Life expectancy at birth</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2102.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">63.39 years</span></div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 172 </a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">61.17 years</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">65.74 years (2009 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2127" alt="Definitions and Notes: Total fertility rate" title="Definitions and Notes: Total fertility rate"> Total fertility rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2127.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">1.89 children born/woman (2009 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 145 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2155" alt="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate" title="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate"> HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2155.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">0.7% (2007 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 64 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2156" alt="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS" title="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS"> HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2156.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">240,000 (2007 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2156rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 28 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2157" alt="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - deaths" title="Definitions and Notes: HIV/AIDS - deaths"> HIV/AIDS - deaths</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2157.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">25,000 (2007 est.)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2157rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 18 </a> </span> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2193" alt="Definitions and Notes: Major infectious diseases" title="Definitions and Notes: Major infectious diseases"> Major infectious diseases</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2193.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">degree of risk: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">very high</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> food or waterborne diseases: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> vectorborne diseases: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">dengue fever and malaria</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> water contact disease: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">leptospirosis</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> animal contact disease: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">rabies</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> <em>note:</em> <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2110" alt="Definitions and Notes: Nationality" title="Definitions and Notes: Nationality"> Nationality</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2110.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">noun: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Burmese (singular and plural)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> adjective: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Burmese</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2075" alt="Definitions and Notes: Ethnic groups" title="Definitions and Notes: Ethnic groups"> Ethnic groups</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2122" alt="Definitions and Notes: Religions" title="Definitions and Notes: Religions"> Religions</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2122.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2098" alt="Definitions and Notes: Languages" title="Definitions and Notes: Languages"> Languages</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2103" alt="Definitions and Notes: Literacy" title="Definitions and Notes: Literacy"> Literacy</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2103.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">definition: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">age 15 and over can read and write</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> total population: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">89.9%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">93.9%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">86.4% (2006 est.)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2205" alt="Definitions and Notes: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)" title="Definitions and Notes: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)"> School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2205.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">8 years</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> male: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">8 years</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> female: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">8 years (2001)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2206" alt="Definitions and Notes: Education expenditures" title="Definitions and Notes: Education expenditures"> Education expenditures</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2206.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">1.2% of GDP (2001)</div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2206rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 178 </a> </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2781984140237943862.post-63686664391220149312009-07-14T09:14:00.001-07:002009-07-14T09:20:59.941-07:00Geography<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.theodora.com/maps/new7/myanmar.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 539px;" src="http://www.theodora.com/maps/new7/myanmar.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><table width="600" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="eas_light"><td width="390" height="20"><div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2144" alt="Definitions and Notes: Location" title="Definitions and Notes: Location"> Location</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2144.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"><img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td id="data" colspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;"> <div class="category_data">Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2011" alt="Definitions and Notes: Geographic coordinates" title="Definitions and Notes: Geographic coordinates"> Geographic coordinates</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2011.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">22 00 N, 98 00 E</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2145" alt="Definitions and Notes: Map references" title="Definitions and Notes: Map references"> Map references</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2145.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/ref_maps/pdf/southeast_asia.pdf" target="_blank" class="category_data">Southeast Asia</a> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2147" alt="Definitions and Notes: Area" title="Definitions and Notes: Area"> Area</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2147.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">678,500 sq km</span></div> <span class="category">country comparison to the world:</span> <span class="category_data"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#BM" onmousedown="" title="Country comparison to the world" alt="Country comparison to the world"> 47 </a> </span> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> land: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">657,740 sq km</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> water: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">20,760 sq km</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2023" alt="Definitions and Notes: Area - comparative" title="Definitions and Notes: Area - comparative"> Area - comparative</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2023.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">slightly smaller than Texas</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2096" alt="Definitions and Notes: Land boundaries" title="Definitions and Notes: Land boundaries"> Land boundaries</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2096.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">5,876 km</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> border countries: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2060" alt="Definitions and Notes: Coastline" title="Definitions and Notes: Coastline"> Coastline</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2060.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">1,930 km</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2106" alt="Definitions and Notes: Maritime claims" title="Definitions and Notes: Maritime claims"> Maritime claims</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2106.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">territorial sea: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">12 nm</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> contiguous zone: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">24 nm</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> exclusive economic zone: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">200 nm</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> continental shelf: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2059" alt="Definitions and Notes: Climate" title="Definitions and Notes: Climate"> Climate</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2059.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">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)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2125" alt="Definitions and Notes: Terrain" title="Definitions and Notes: Terrain"> Terrain</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2125.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2020" alt="Definitions and Notes: Elevation extremes" title="Definitions and Notes: Elevation extremes"> Elevation extremes</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2020.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">lowest point: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Andaman Sea 0 m</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> highest point: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2111" alt="Definitions and Notes: Natural resources" title="Definitions and Notes: Natural resources"> Natural resources</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2111.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2097" alt="Definitions and Notes: Land use" title="Definitions and Notes: Land use"> Land use</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2097.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">arable land: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">14.92%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> permanent crops: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">1.31%</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> other: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">83.77% (2005)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2146" alt="Definitions and Notes: Irrigated land" title="Definitions and Notes: Irrigated land"> Irrigated land</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2146.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">18,700 sq km (2003)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2201" alt="Definitions and Notes: Total renewable water resources" title="Definitions and Notes: Total renewable water resources"> Total renewable water resources</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2201.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">1,045.6 cu km (1999)</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2202" alt="Definitions and Notes: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)" title="Definitions and Notes: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)"> Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2202.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">total: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">33.23 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> per capita: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">658 cu m/yr (2000)</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2021" alt="Definitions and Notes: Natural hazards" title="Definitions and Notes: Natural hazards"> Natural hazards</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2021.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2032" alt="Definitions and Notes: Environment - current issues" title="Definitions and Notes: Environment - current issues"> Environment - current issues</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2032.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category_data">deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease</div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr class="eas_light"> <td width="390" height="20"> <div class="category" style="padding-left: 5px;" id="field"> <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/notesanddefs.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas#2033" alt="Definitions and Notes: Environment - international agreements" title="Definitions and Notes: Environment - international agreements"> Environment - international agreements</a>: </div></td> <td align="right"> <a onclick="hideTip()" href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2033.html?countryName=Burma&countryCode=BM&regionCode=eas&#BM" onmouseover="doTooltip(event,0)" onmouseout="hideTip()"> <img src="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/field_listing_on.gif" alt="Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order." style="padding: 0px;" border="0" /> </a> </td> </tr> <tr height="20"> <td colspan="2" id="data"> <div class="category">party to: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94</span></div> <div class="category" style="padding-top: 2px;"> signed, but not ratified: <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">none of the selected agreements</span></div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Fayyaz Khatibhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987747896910278231noreply@blogger.com0