Location
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Myanmar
shares borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India and Bangladesh.
Southern Myanmar borders the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
The central part of the country is characterised by wide rivers
and expansive plains. The major river, the Ayeyarwady (formerly
spelt Irrawaddy) is navigable for 1600km (900mi) of its length
and its flood plains form the country's main agricultural
centre. Mountains rise to the east along the Thai border and to
the north to meet the eastern end of the Himalayan range. The
highest peak, Hkakabo Razi (5881m/19,290ft), is on the
Myanmar-Tibet border. It's the highest peak in South-East Asia.
Almost half of Myanmar is covered by forest, but if
timber concessions (and smuggling) to Thailand and other Asian
countries continue at current rates, widespread deforestation is
inevitable. About 15 per cent of total land is cultivated,
mainly with rice. Burma used to be the world's largest exporter
of rice but exports have diminished considerably. Two thirds of
the population is employed in agriculture and less than 10 per
cent in manufacturing. According to UN standards, Myanmar is now
one of the 10 poorest countries in the world.
(Wikipedia) Myanmar, officially the Union of Myanmar, is
the largest country in geographical area in mainland Southeast
Asia. Also known as Burma or the Union of Burma by bodies and
states which do not recognize the ruling military junta, it is
bordered by the People's Republic of China on the north, Laos on
the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and
India on the northwest, with the Andaman Sea to the south, and
the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. One-third of Myanmar's total
perimeter, 1,930 km (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted
coastline.
Myanmar's diverse population has played a major role in defining
its politics, its history, and its demographics in modern times.
Its political system remains under the tight control of the
State Peace and Development Council, the military government led
by Senior General Than Shwe since 1992. Colonised as part of the
British Empire until 1948, Myanmar continues to struggle to mend
its ethnic tensions, overcome coups d'état and emerge as a
democracy. The country's culture, heavily influenced by regional
neighbours, is based on a unique form of Buddhism intertwined
with local elements.
Area
The total area of Myanmar is 261,228 square
miles (677,000 sq km). The country stretches 582 miles (936 km)
from east to west and 1,275 miles (2,051 km) from north to
south.
The length of the contigenous frontier is 3,828 miles
(6,129 km), sharing 1,370 miles with China, 1,310 miles with
Thailand, and 832 miles with India, 1,687 miles with Bangladesh
and 148 miles with Laos. The length of the coastline from the
mouth of the Naaf River to Kawthaung is approximately 1,385
miles.
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