Nomadic Thoughts Top Tip
when Daw Aungg San Suu Ky speaks not enough people listen |
Sadly Nomadic Thoughts is at present not arranging travel to Burma. For further information please visit our responsible tourism section.
Nomadic Thoughts Backgrounder
Nomadic Thoughts Backgrounder| Area | 676,552 sq km (261,218 sq miles) |
|---|
| Population | 48,852,000 (Un estimate 2002). |
|---|
| Capital | Yangon (Rangoon)- population 4,504,000 (2001) |
|---|
| Climate | Three main seasons of monsoon climate. The hottest period is between February and May, with little or no rain. Rainy season exists from May to October and dry, cooler weather from October to February. |
|---|
| Language | The official language is Burmese (Myanmar). There are over 100 dialects spoken in Burma. English is spoken in business circles. |
|---|
| Religion | 87 per cent Theravada Buddhist. The remainder are Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Animist. |
|---|
| Time | GMT + 6.5 |
|---|
| Highlights | Burma, officially Myanmar since 1989 is a fascinating country to visit, particularly as it has been virtually closed to the outside world since 1960. It is also home to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, very much known for her non-violent struggle towards a peaceful Burma. Yangon (or Rangoon) the capital of Burma for less than one hundred years, is a wonderful city full of Buddhist temples and pagodas, open-air markets, food stalls and decaying colonial architecture - the gold-leafed ShweDragon pagoda is probably one of the most remarkable man-made structures in the world! One of the true wonders of Asia is Pagan, an amazing deserted city of fabulous pagodas and temples on the banks of the Irrawaddy, south of Mandalay. The road to Mandalay has stunning scenery and Mandalay, Burma's second city is the country's cultural centre. This old royal city is rich in palaces, stupas, temples and pagodas and is the main centre of Buddhism and Burmese arts. In the east and northwest of the country there are good opportunities for trekking and rock-climbing as well as visiting the charming hill stations. In spite of the atrocities suffered by the Burmese people under the military regime over the past decades, visitors are welcomed with a smile. |
|---|
| Country Facts | Burma is a diamond-shaped country, the largest in South East Asia, bounded by China, Laos and Thailand in the east, and by Bangladesh, India and the Indian Ocean in the south and west. The Irrawaddy River runs through the centre of the country and fans out to form a delta on the south coast. North of the delta lies the Irrawaddy basin and central Myanmar, which is protected by a horseshoe of mountains rising to over 3000m, creating dramatic climatic effects. To the west are the Arakan, Chin and Naga Mountains and the Patkai Hills; with the Kachin Hills to the north and the Shan Plateau to the east, extending to the Tenasserim coastal ranges. Although intensive irrigated farming is practised throughout central Myanmar, much of the land and mountains are covered by subtropical forest. |
|---|