The official name of Burma is the Union of Myanmar. Burma is located in Southeast Asia. When ranked by geographical area, Burma is the largest country in this region. Burma’s capital is Naypyidaw, while its largest city is Yangon. Yangoon is commonly referred to as Rangoon.
It’s estimated that over fifty-five million people live in Burma. The reason this figure is an estimate is because a reliable census has not been taken in Burma since 1931. While this may seem unthinkable to someone living in a Western country, the reason is because of Burma’s strict military-led government. Burma has not been a democratic nation since 1962, when a military coup d’etat was staged.
While the military-led government tightly controls media in the area, Burma gained international attention in 2008. Burma was hit by Cyclone Nargis, and as a result, suffered the worst natural disaster of its history. Because of the scale of this disaster, over 200,000 were reported dead or missing. While the UN tried to enter the area to provide emergency relief services, the government strongly opposed. This refusal to let others help their own citizens was what brought so much attention to the country and their military-led government.
As a result of the country’s troubles, it is one of the poorest in Southeast Asia. The country’s GDP averages around 2.9% annually, while their inflation was around 30.1% from 2005 to 2007. The country’s main exports are rice and precious stones, and although the government has encouraged tourism, this effort has largely failed as a result of the tight control the military places on tourists.
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Burma is one of the most beautiful countries in South Asia. Located in a charming natural paradise, the country is bordered by India, China, Laos, Thailand and Bangladesh. The country is a preferred tourist destination among visitors arriving from all around the world due to the wonderful attractions and impressive sights of interest that can be found in this part of the earth. The country has a total area of 1,200 square miles and a population which exceeds the number of 60.28 million residents. The area is known to have been a home to one of the earliest civilizations in Southeast Asia. With a rich history, this is one of the few counties in the world which can impress with an unique cultural heritage.
