Facts about Myanmar

Myanmar formerly Burma is a country in Southeast Asia. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the official name of the country. Naypyidaw is the capital city as well as one of the largest cities of Myanmar and the population is around 56.622 million (2018). Burmese is the language of the country and Kyat is the national currency. Pridaunzu Thanmada Myama Nainngandw is the national name of Myanmar. Similarly, Kaba Ma Kyei is the national anthem of the country. Furthermore, Peacock is the national bird and Padauk is the national flower of Myanmar. Additionally, Saung is the national musical instrument and Green Peafowl is the national animal of the country. Chinlone is the national sport and Mohinga is the national dish of Myanmar. With these interesting facts about Myanmar (Burma), let’s learn more about the history, culture, religion, people, industries, tourism, tradition, and many more.

Quick Facts about Myanmar

The official name of Myanmar: The Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Area: 6,76,578 km2

Population(2018): 56.622 million

Population density: 76 per kilometers Square

GDP (PPP)(2021): $258 Billion

GDP Per Capita (nominal): $1,422

Continent: Asia

Capital: Naypyidaw

Language: Burmese, Chin, Karen, Kayah, Kachin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan

Official Languages: Burmese

Largest by area: 39th largest country

Religion: Buddhism: 87.9%, Christianity: 6.2%, Islam: 4.3%, Others-1.6%.

Government: Unitary assembly-independent republic under a military junta

Currency: Kyat (K) (MMK)

Calling Code: +95

Time Zone: UTC+06:30 (MMT)

20 Interesting Facts about Myanmar

1. Bordered country of Myanmar

Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest, China to its northeast, Laos, and Thailand to its east and southeast. Furthermore, the Andaman sea and the Bay of Bengal are to its south and southwest.

2. A country name change 

Officially, on paper, the country's name is Myanmar. In 1989, the ruling military government changed the country name from Burma to Myanmar. Thousands of people were killed in that period.

Similarly, the city of Rangoon changed and become a Yangon. Many names across the country changed such as Ayeyarwady become Irrawaddy, Moulmein become Mawlamyine and Maymyo become Pyin Oo Lwin.

3. Second-largest exporter of Opium

Myanmar is the second-largest exporter of opium in the world after Afghanistan.

4. Home of thousand species of Birds

Myanmar is also popular for Birds. More than a thousand species of birds are found in Myanmar. Among the thousand species of birds, six are endemic and 51 are endangered. There are two places in Myanmar where you can see the many birds, Bagan and Nat Ma Taung (Mount Victoria). Similarly, the wetland of the Ayeyarwaddy delta region is also a popular destination for birds lover.

5. Man and women wear Sarongs

In Myanmar, men and women were Sarongs which is also known as Longyi. Longyi is a cylindrical piece of cloth worn around the waist down to the feet. The name of longyi is different for men and women. Men Longyi is called Paso whereas the women's Longyi is called htamein.

6. Most Sacred Buddhist Pagoda in Myanmar

Schwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar. It is believed to hold eight strands of hair from the head of Gautam buddha. According to tradition, it is the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world. There is a story behind to established Schwedagon Pagoda. Two merchants met the buddha who lived around 2500 years ago on Bodh Gaya and returned to Burma with the strands of hair that were placed in the temple with the other relics.

Schwedagon Pagoda is also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda. This temple is 112 meters tall and is made of bricks covered with gold plates. Furthermore, the crown of the Schwedagon Pagoda is tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies.

7. High Buddhist population

More than 87% of the Myanmar population is Buddhist.

8. Women and children cover their cheeks with Thanaka

In Myanmar, most children and women are often seen covering their cheeks with Thanaka, which is a traditional cosmetic paste made from the bark of certain trees growing in the central region of Myanmar. It is said that it keeps the skin smooth and protects it against the sun. This Thanaka is mainly used for skin care purposes and it has been used for many decades.

9. Myanmar Currency

The Burmese Kyat is the currency of Myanmar. It is often abbreviated "k" or "Ks", which is placed before or after the numerical value.

10. A large number of an ethnic group

There are around 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar. Similarly, Myanmar ranked as the 75th most cultural and ethnically diverse nation in the world which is more than the United Kingdom. Furthermore, there are eight main ethnic groups in Myanmar which include Kachin, Kayin, Kayah, Bamar, Shan, Chin, Rakhine, and Mon. Around 70% of the population are from these ethnic groups in Myanmar and more than 60 languages are spoken by the people in Myanmar.

12. World-famous fishing style 

The fishermen of the Inle Lake in Myanmar are world-famous fishing whilst standing on one leg.

13. Capital of Myanmar

Naypyidaw is the capital of Myanmar. It was founded on a greenfield site near Pyinmana, about 320 kilometers north of the old capital of Myanmar, Yangon. Construction started in Naypyidaw in 2002 and was completed by 2012. The capital shift in Naypyidaw on 6 November 2005 from Yangon.

Additionally, Yangon become the country's capital around 57 years. On 4 January 1948, after independence the first capital of the country was Yangon.

14. People are highly engaging in Agriculture

More than half of Myanmar's GDP depends on agriculture. Similarly, 65% of their labor force makes money off of farming. Rice is the most important agricultural product of the country and the country is one of the biggest export being rice and corn.

 15. Water festival is popular in Myanmar

Buddhist festival is the Buddhist new year in Myanmar which is very different from other countries. In most countries, generally in January 1st become a new year but in Myanmar, it is from April 13th to April 17th. It is called the Thingyan New Year and it is a four-day festival.

On the second day of the Buddhist new year, people celebrate the water festival is one of the most popular festivals in Myanmar. It is celebrated on April 14th in Myanmar. This is symbolic as it is usually the end of a hot dry season and brings in new wildlife and plants. Also, water is a symbol for washing away your sins from the previous year.

16. The biggest book in the world

The biggest book in the world is actually in Myanmar and it consists of stone slabs placed vertically near the pagoda of Kutodau. This is a book of sacred Buddhist texts and this book has 1460 pages apparently. Similarly, each page is a huge piece of polished marble on which is engraved around 100 lines of text.

Furthermore, each page is apparently 1.5 meters tall, 1 meter wide, and has a thickness of 12.7 centimeters.

17. A country famous for its jades

Myanmar is also popular for its jades. Most of the world jades are from Myanmar alone. Jades are a hard, typically green stone used for ornaments.

18. Country do not use the metric system 

Myanmar is one of the only three countries in the world that do not use the metric system. The country follows its own units of measurements.

19. Myanmar become independent

British rule in Myanmar (Burma) lasted from 1824 to 1948. And On January 4th, 1948 the country finally get its independence from the British Empire.

20. Myanmar separated from India

Myanmar was separated from British India, by the British in 1937 because of the weakening Burmese nationalist movement. Also, there were other reasons too.

These are some interesting facts about Myanmar.

Some most interesting facts about Myanmar

• The favorite sport and the national sport of Myanmar is Chinlone.
• More than 250 universities are in Myanmar.
• The literacy rate of Myanmar stands at 89.1% (2019) which is one of the high in all the Southeast Asian countries.
• Myanmar has the lowest amount of energy consumption in all the Southeast Asian countries.
• Every year many tourists come to visit Myanmar from Thailand, China, Japan, the United States, and India.
• Myanmar is not part of the commonwealth.
• The coastline of Myanmar is 1,930 kilometers.
• The Highest point of Myanmar is Hkakabo Razi which is at 19,295 feet (5, 881 meters).
• Yangon is the old capital of Myanmar.
• Myanmar is rich in natural resources.
• Irrawaddy River in Myanmar is one of the largest rivers and is also used for commercial waterways. It is originating from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali rivers.

These are the most interesting facts about Myanmar.

Things that are not done in Myanmar

•  It is rude to point your toes at a buddha statue in Myanmar.
• Eating from the left hand in Myanmar is not symbolize the good manner.
• When you enter a Buddhist temple or religious building in Myanmar, you will be required to take off your shoes and slippers.

These are some interesting facts about Myanmar that are not done in Myanmar.

In conclusion

In this article, we discuss interesting facts about Myanmar. After reading this article, you got some ideas about the country. If you are planning to visit this beautiful country, then please comment on us. If you already visited this beautiful country, then also share your experience of the Myanmar tour with us by comment. So that we also learn from your experience and it also really helps for this article readers who are planning to visit the country in the coming day. Also, if you love this article and want more articles like this in the coming day then please comment to us. Your comment really motivates us to bring lots of good articles for you.