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Monks Protesting in Burma
  However, Myanmar has been in warfare between the central government and insurgent groups that want more autonomy for ethnic minorities. Almost as big as Texas, Myanmar is the largest nation in mainland Southeast Asia. On a map, it resembles a diamond-shaped kite complete with its tail. The country's long coastline fronts on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, which form part of the Indian Ocean. Myanmar's neighbors include India and Bangladesh to the west, and China, Thailand, and Laos to the north and east. Snow-covered Himalayan mountain peaks in the far north, rising to over 15,000 ft. (4,600 m.), mark Myanmar's borders with India and China. Mountain ranges extend along the western and eastern sides of the country like the two arms of an inverted V. In the west, the Arakan mountain chain, extending in a series of ridges known as the Naga, Chin, and Lushai hills, forms the border with India. This area is thinly populated and has little land suitable for agriculture. To the west of the Arakan Mountains, along the Bay of Bengal, is a narrow strip of land watered bv rivers and streams that flow down from the mountains. This area contains rich farmland. The Shan Plateau (also called the Shan Highlands), the eastern arm of the inverted V, extends southward into the Tenasserim mountain range. These highlands and mountains serve as a dividing line between Myanmar and Thailand. Myanmar's great central basin lies between the Shan Plateau and the Arakan Mountains. This lowland area is drained by the important north-south river systems of Myanmar—the Irrawaddy and its tributaries, including the Chindwin, the Sittang, and the lower reaches of the Salween. This vast delta is the center of Myanmar's major economic activity—rice production. Located close to the equator, Myanmar has a tropical monsoon climate. Annual rainfall varies from about 200 in. (500 cm.) near the coast to a mere 30 in. (77 cm.) in the central "dry zone." Annual temperatures in southern Myanmar average about 80° F. (27° C.) and are slightly cooler in the northern lowlands. During the March-May hot season, temperatures in central Myanmar often rise above 100° F. (38° C). The population of Myanmar, which includes a good number of Chinese residents, is primarily Mongoloid in origin. More than 1 million Indian and Bangladeshi immigrants also live there. The great majority of the people speak Myanmar (or Burmese), the language of the Myanmar (Burman) people—the ethnic group that makes up about 68 percent of the population. Other languages are spoken by members of the other main ethnic groups, including the Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Mon, Chin, Kachin, and Kayah peoples. English is commonly spoken as a second language and is taught from the elementary schools upward. Roughly 5 percent of Myanmar's people speak Chinese or Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, or Urdu. The Myanmar alphabet is based on scripts taken from Indian languages, particularly Pali, which is used in writing Myanmar Buddhist texts. About 85 percent of the people practice Theravada Buddhism, an early form of the religion that is prevalent in mainland Southeast Asia. Animism—the traditional belief in good and evil spirits—is also practiced, as are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The various Myanmar ethnic groups can be distinguished mainly by their dress and speech. Myanmar men and women wear a lungi, or skirt, while a Shan male wears wide, cuffless trousers. There are also variations in shoes and head coverings, methods of tying knots, jewelry styles, and the colors and designs of textiles used by the different groups. A Myan-mar-speaking person from Tavoy or Mergui in the south, for example, has an accent quite different from someone living in Mandalay, in the central part of the country. Most Myanmar cling to traditional values and customs. In both the rural areas and the cities, Myanmar prefers to wear traditional garments rather than Western-style clothing. Modern household appliances, radios, and movie theaters are now found in the cities, but most Myanmar live without access to them. Automobiles, trucks, bicycles, and motorbikes are found on all the roads, but the average rural Myanmar either walks or travels by oxcart. Although some farmers work their fields with modern tractors, most rely on plows drawn by water buffalo and oxen. Elephants are often used to carry heavy loads, particularly in the lumber industry. About three out of every four of Myanmar's people live in small farming villages, mainly in the river valleys and delta floodplains of lower Myanmar. A typical Myanmar family lives in a bamboo house elevated on stilts. Usually the family eats and relaxes on a long porch outside. Most men and women wear short jackets, skirts, and open sandals. Often the men wear colored headbands made of cloth. | |
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Article Contributors Anonymous user updated 1 year ago Anonymous user updated 1 year ago |
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