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Welcome to Myanmar
(Burma)
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Early
civilization in Myanmar
dates back to the 1st century with archaeological evidences of the Pyu Kingdoms of Thayekhittaya
(Sriksetra), Beikthano (Visnu) and Hanlin.
Myanmar entered a period of greatness in the early 11th
century when King Anawrahta unified the country and created the first
Myanmar Empire with its capital in Bagan. The Empire, which lasted until
the end of the 13th century, produced a glorious civilization whose
monuments still endure. The second Myanmar Empire with its capital in Bago was
created in the middle of the 16th century by King Bayinnaung.The third and
last Myanmar Empire was founded by King Alaungpaya in 1752 and had a number
of capitals, the last being Mandalay. In the later years of the Empire, Myanmar was
annexed by the British in three stages, in 1825, 1852, 1885 and became a
British colony. Myanmar
was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, and in the postwar period
the independence movement, which had begun in the early 20th cenury, came
to a climax and Myanmar
attained independence on 4 January 1948.
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Official
name:
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Myanmar (Union of Burma)
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Area :
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Total 678,500 sq.km (Land: 657,740 sq.km)
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Capital :
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Yangon (Rangoon)
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Administration:
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7 divisions* and 7 states : Chin ( Ayearwady*
, Bago* ), Kachin , Kayin , Kayah
(Magway* , Mandalay*), Mon , Rakhine
(Sagaing*), Shan (Taninthayi* , Yangon*)
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Population :
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51 million
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Government:
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Military regime
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Ethnic groups:
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Burma 68% , Shan 9% , Karen 7% ,
Rakhine 4% , Chinese 3% , Indian 2% , Mon 2% , Other 5%
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Location :
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Southeastern Asia ,
bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal
. Sharing borders with China
to the North-East, Lao and Thailand
to the East , India
and Bangladesh
to the West.
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Language
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Myanmar
(0fficial) English
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Climate :
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Myanmar has three seasons; the monsoon or rainy season
from May to October; the cool season from November to February and the
hot season from March to May. The average temperature ranges from 32?C in central and lower areas to 21?C in the northern
highlands.
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Local Time
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GMT +6 1/2
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Currency
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Kyat (Kt) = 100 pyas. Kt. 100,000 is
known as a lakh, and Kt 10 million as a crore. Kyat is pronounced like
the English word 'chat'.
Kyat, made up of 100 pyas. Currency notes come in the following
denominations: K 1,000, K 500, K 200, K 100,K
90, K 50, K 45, K 20, K 15, K 10, K 5, K 1 and coins K 100, K 50, K 10, K
5, K 1 and Pya 50.
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Religion
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Neat and
respectful dress should be worn in all religious shrines. It is not
considered polite to visit religious monuments in shorts, miniskirts or
hot pants. Though shoes can be worn in temple compounds, they should be
removed before entering the chapel of the principal Buddha image. Indeed,
all Buddha images are regarded as sacred, regardless of size, age or
position, and should all be shown due respect. Buddhist monks are not
allowed to touch or be touched by a woman, or accept anything from a
woman's hand.
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Electricity supply
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230V, 50Hz
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Tipping
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Widely
practised in addition to hotel and restaurant service charges shown on
bills
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Business Hours
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Government Offices 09:30 - 15:00 hrs
(closed on Saturdays and Sundays)
Banks 09:30 hrs – 16.30 hrs (closed on Saturdays and Sundays)
Private Companies 09:00 hrs - 17:00 hrs (closed on Sundays)
Post Office 09:30 hrs - 16:30 hrs (closed on Saturdays and Sundays)
Shops 09:30 hrs - 21:00 hrs
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Exchange
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Airlines, major hotels and supermarkets
accept Visa, Diners Club, American Express.
Check with your credit card company for details to merchant acceptability
and other services that may be available.
To avoid additional exchange rate
charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars
or Sterling
only.
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Nightlife
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Limited to large hotels
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Photography
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Photography in airports, railway
stations and near any military installation is forbidden. Please use discretion
when photographing people. For close-up shots always ask first. Bring
adequate film, as locally available supplies are not always reliable.
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Myanmar Public Holidays
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Jan
4
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Independence
Day
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Feb
12
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Union
Day
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Mar
2
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Peasants’
Day (anniversary of the 1962 coup)
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Mar
24
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Full
Moon of Tabaung
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Mar
27
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Armed
Forces Day
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Apr
12-17
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Maha
Thingyan (Water Festival) & Myanmar New Year Days
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May
1
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World
Workers' Day
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Jul
19
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Martyrs’
Day
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Jul
20
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Full
Moon of Waso
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Oct
17
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Full
Moon of Thadingyut (End of Buddhist Lent)
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Nov
15
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Tazaungmon
Full Moon Day
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Nov
25
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National
Day
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Dec
25
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Christmas
Day
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Dec
30
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Kayin New Year only
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Festivals &
Events
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Buddhist festivals fall all year round in Myanmar
and usually coincide with the full moon. There are also many festivals that
are specific to particular villages or temples. The best source of accurate
information concerning these festivals is the Myanmar Embassy.
Temple fairs or pagoda festivals, lasting
a week or longer, are the equivalent of western fun fairs, with
entertainers, magicians, puppeteers, musicians, clairvoyants, healers and
patent medicine purveyors moving from one fair to the next bringing
excitement, colour and a much-earned break to the lives of local people.
Spirit festivals, known as Nat Pwes,
whilst having only a tacit connection to Buddhism, have equal significance
and share a tendency to coincide with the full moon. Major festivals fall
during March,Buddhist Lent (July-September) and
December.
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April
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Thingyan Water Festival
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Celebrating the Myanmar New Year, this
festival lasts for several days and is marked by major, good-natured water
throwing. It is also a time of merit making, and older people go to
temples for prayer and alms giving.
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May
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The Kason Festival
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Representing the day the Buddha was
born, the day He attained Enlightenment, and the day of His passing, this
festival falls on the day of the full moon of Kason in the Myanmar
calendar, in early May. Visits are made to pagodas to water the sacred Bo
Trees - under which species the Buddha is said to have attained
Enlightenment.
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July
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The Waso Festival
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Commemorating the Buddha's first sermon,
this festival also marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent. Monks are given
new robes and other requirements to tide them through the months ahead
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October
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Thadingyut Festival (Festival of Lights)
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Marking the end of Buddhist Lent, this
festival, held on the full moon day of Thadingyut, lasts for three days
during which houses and streets are festively decorated and illuminated.
People crowd into their local pagodas to offer alms and make merit.
Younger people also pay homage to their parents, elders and teachers.
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Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda Festival, Inle Lake
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Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda's Buddha images are
ferried from village to villages for people to pay homage. Fairs, dances,
the leg rowers' boat races and general festivities counterbalance the
more austere ceremonial aspect. This is the biggest celebration in the
Shan state.
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Elephant Dance Festival
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Though enacted in several towns and
villages, the town with the best festival is Kyauk-se, 40km south of Mandalay. Two full
size paper elephants, one black, one white, each with two men inside,
dance through the town with much pageantry and ceremony
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November
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Tazaungdaing Festival
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Held on the full moon day of Tazaungmon
according to the Myanmar Calendar, this festival finds houses and public
buildings decorated and brightly lit. Robes and other requisites are
offered to monks with the special offering of Mathothigan - a robe that
is woven in one single day - held on the eve of the full moon. Dedicated
teams of weavers compete with one another to complete the robes, which
are then reverently offered to images of Buddha.
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