Myanmar is the traditional name both of the country and of its people. The British called the country "Burma" following colloquial usage and coiled the name "Burmese" for the people.
Myanmar, know as Suvanna Bhumi (the Golden Earth) in the olden days for its
fertile land and rich natural resources is the largest country in the South-east Asia Peninsular sharing borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. With a total land area of 676,577 sq. km, it is about the size of Texas and the size of United Kingdom and France combined. The country stretches over 2090 km from north to south and over 925 km east to west. It has a 2832 km long coastline on the Indian Ocean. Over 50 percent of the total land area is covered with forests.
CLIMATE
Generally, Myanmar has three seasons. The monsoon or rainy season is from May to October, the cool dry season from November to February, and the hot season from March to May. During the rainy season, rainfall varies from 500 cm in coastal region to 75 cm in the central dry zone. Average temperature ranges from 32 C in central and lower areas to 21 C in the northern highlands.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Mons
The history of Myanmar might be said to have begun with the arrival of the Mon people from Central Asia, probably between 2500 and 1500 BC. The Mons settled in parts of Thailand, along the Taninthari (Tenasserim) and on the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawaddy) delta. From India came Hindusim and Buddhism, both of which made and impact on the Mon civilization.
It is generally accepted that the Mons were predominantly Buddhist from early times. Anawrahta's conquest of the Mon kingdom at Thaton, between 1054 and 1057, that Theravada Buddhism quickly became the dominant religion.
Among the prisoners and rich booty which the victorious Burmese brought back from the Mon country were Theravada monks and religious books. From that time on , that Theravada Buddhism quickly became the dominant religion in the Burmese area.
The Mon had thrown off Burmese rule when the power of Bagan weakened. They established their new capital in Bago in 1369. The Mon kingdom flourished in peace and prosperity for several decades.
The Queen Shinsawbu (from 1453 to 1472) and the King Dhammazedi ) were devoutly religious and did much promote the cause of Theravada
Buddhism.
During their reigns, the Shwedagon pagoda first took on its famous golden magnificence.
The Burmese
The second wave of peoples came into Myanmar after the Mons were the
Tibeto-Burmans, from the north.
The Burmese, who today the largest racial group in the country, believed that their early ancestors were the
Pyus.
In central Myanmar the site of an ancient Pyus city have been discovered. The city probably dates back to the beginning of the Christian era. Its name, Beikthano, is a Myanmar version of the name of the Hindu god, Vishnu. No Buddhist statues or relics have been found here, but there is reason to believe that a type of Buddhism may have existed side by side with the worship of Vishnu.
Other sites of Pyus cities have been excavated at Halin and Thayekhittaya, where Buddhist religious objects have been found. Near the city also are three Buddhist pagodas.
Indians coming from the west and establishing their rules over the
Pyus.
The power of Pyus appears to have declined in the eighth century.
In the ninth century, their kingdom was destroyed by raiders from Nanchao in Southern China.
Perhaps Pyus moved elsewhere or perhaps they were absorbed by the Burmese. The Burmese were of the same Tibeto-Burman stock as the
Pyus and it is not known exactly when they came into Myanmar or where they lived before they settled in the irrigated areas of the dry zone.
However, it is fairly certain that they founded the city of Bagan around AD 850.
Anawrahta, who is believed to have ascended the throne of Bagan in 1044, was the first king to establish Burmese rule over much of the country. He was also the man who did the most promote Theravada Buddhism among the Burmese.
The Bagan Empire was a period of temple building and the flowering of the arts, lasting 200 years.
Kublai Khan descended from the Mongol plains to plunder the city. Following that destruction, the groups in Myanmar went back to squabbling again during the next centuries.
The Taungoo period is known as the second unification of Burmese rule.
Tabinshwehti (who reigned from 1531 to 1550), succeeded to the throne was a great warrior. Mon country and much of central Myanmar came under his rule.
The second king of Taungoo, Bayinnaung ,brought the Burmese, the Shans and The Mons under one rule. After his death, the kingdom became crumble.
The years from 1752 to 1760 brought the third unification of Myanmar as Kongbaung dynasty,. During the short reign of the first king, Alaungpaya, brought the Burmese, the Shans and the Mons once more under one rule.
Tha Kongbaung dynasty saw ten kings and four capitals.Shwebo, from where Alaungpaya had begun his rise to kingship, Ava, the
old capital, Amarapura, founded in 1783 , and finally Mandalay, last city of Burmese kings.
Arakan (Rakhine) was brought into the Burmese kingdom. There were also many wars with the Thais.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the British all scrambled for trading rights and possessions in South and South-east Asia.
It was the era of colonial expansion. There had been clashes even during the reign of
Alaungpaya. There were three Anglo-Burmese wars in 1825,1852 and 1885.The last war in 1885 was decisive and Myanmar was made a part of British Empire.
During the second World-war, Myanmar was occupied by the Japanese from 1942 till the return of the Allied forces in 1945.
Myanmar has become a sovereign independent state since 4th January,1948 after 62 years under the colonial administration. It is remarkable to note that Myanmar is the country that gained her independence first though she was the last country occupied by the British in this region.
The Shans
The Shans, one of the main racial groups of Myanmar, appear settlements along the river valleys of South-east Asia since about the eighth century.
In the thirteenth century, new waves of Thai peoples fleeing from expanding Mongol power came to settle in the eastern plateau of Myanmar and in present-day Thailand.
The Shans of Myanmar fought back against Mongol domination on the one hand and, on the other, started attacking the tottering kingdom of Bagan.
Between the end of the thirteenth century and the first quarter of the sixteenth century, the Shans dominated central Myanmar.
In the early years after the fall of Bagan, there were three kingdoms ruled by Shans princes. However the second half of the fourteenth century, only one of them, Ava, remained as a royal capital. Although the rulers of Ava were of Shans stock, Burma influences remained strong in the kingdom.
The year Ava was burnt down was also the year of the rise of a new Burmese dynasty.
There are many different peoples in the area marked out as the Shans state.
The majority belongs to the Thai-Shans group like the Shans themselves, but there are also those who fall within the Tibeto-Burman and the Mon-Khamer groups.
It is estimated that there are twenty-seven major sub-groups, including the Shans, Pa-O, Palaung, Kachin, Intha and Danu.In addition there are thirty-two lesser-known tribes.
The Arakan ( Rakhine )
The Arakanese on the western coast of Myanmar have a long history which can compare with that of the Mons and the Burmese.
Powerful kings from central Myanmar made their authority felt in Arakan, invading it and demanding tribute. But it was only in the 18th century that it was annexed to the Burmese kingdom.
The early peoples of Arakan are something of a mystery. It is thought that they were a mixture of Mongolian and Aryan peoples who had come over from India.
There are now several groups of peoples in the Rakhine state: Arakanese, Thek, Dainet, Mro, Maramagri and Kaman.
The Chins
The Chins live in the hilly north-western part of Myanmar. They belong to the Tibeto-Burman racial group.
The Kachins
The Kachins are another Tibeto-Burman people. The inhabitants of the Kachin State can be divided into four main languages groups-the Jinpaws, Marus, Yawans and Lisus. Using the Roman alphabet, one of Christian missionaries developed a written form of Jingpaw as Kachin languages in 19th century. They have their own different customes.The Lisu women are considered to be particularly attractive.
Most of the Kachins traditionally worshipped spirits.
"Manao" traditional festival is very famous and interesting for Kachin people.
The Karens
The origins of the Karens have been a matter for much discussion. Studies of their languages and social customs have given convincing proof that they belong to the Tibeto-Burman group. There are several different kinds of Karens, such as the Pao, the Sagaw and the Bwe. There are many Christians and among them and some Buddhists. Like most of the people of Myanmar, the Karens have traditionally lived by agriculture. They are also known as expert foresters. They are particularly skilled at capturing and taming wild elephants. They do not use cruel methods.
The Karens have their own dances and musical instruments. Their bronze drums, known as 'frog drums' because of the little figures of frogs cast on them, are well known and very valuable.
The Karen State is a beautiful area with hills and many water falls.
RELIGION
The one single factor, which influences the most on Myanmar culture and civilization is Theravada Buddhism.
Theravada Buddhism is sometimes called "Hinayana", meaning 'small vehicle', particularly by Buddhists of the Mahayana sect." Mahayana" means 'Great vehicle'.
Mahayana Buddhism contains much that is taken from Hinduism and Tantrism, which involves many secret and magic rituals.
There is evidence that both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism were practiced among the Burmese at the time Anawrahta became king. It was only after Anawrahta's conquest of the Mon kingdom at Thaton, between 1054 and 1057, that Theravada Buddhism quickly became the dominant religion.
In all parts of the country where the Myanmar people live there are pagodas and Buddhist monasteries. The graceful tapering shape of a pagoda, painted white or gilded to a shining gold, is a basic part of any Myanmar landscape.
Buddhism teaches that suffering is an unavoidable part of existence. At the root of all suffering are such feelings as desire, greed and attachment. Therefore to be free from suffering it is necessary to be free from those undesirable feelings. This freedom can be obtained by following the Noble Eightfold Path.
Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
This path is also known as the Middle Way, because it avoids two extremes: one extreme is the search for happiness through the pursuit of pleasure, the other extreme is the search for happiness through inflicting pain on oneself.
The final goal of a Buddhist is to be liberated from the cycle of existence and rebirth, called
Samsara.
Once this final liberation is achieved, one may be said to have attained Nirvana; the world means 'extinction' and might be explained as Ultimate Reality for all Buddhists.
The teachings of the Buddha are known as the Dharma, and these teachings are generally passed on to ordinary people by the Buddhist monks, collectively known as the Sangha.
Therefore, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are called the "Triple Gem".
Because of the Lord Buddha was a great teacher, the Myanmar people have a great reverence for all teachers.
Parents are also regarded with 'awe, love and respect'.
Consequently, the Triple Gem, teachers and parents make up the 'five that must be revered' by Myanmar Buddhists.
All good Buddhists undertake to abide by the Five Precepts: not to take life, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to tell lies, not to take intoxicating drinks. Although the taking of life is considered such an evil that may Myanmar will go out of their way to avoid stepping on an insect, there are few who avoid eating meat. This is inconsistent by some people.
There are also Eight Percepts, which may be observed on important days on the Buddhist calendar. They are the above five, with abstinence from food after 12 noon, abstinence from sleeping on extra-comfortable luxurious beds and abstinence from entertainment and adornment or decoration of the body. The last one includes the use of make-up, perfumes, luxurious cloths and hair ornaments.
Buddhism in everyday life
From birth to death, a Myanmar Buddhist stays in tough with religion.
Early in the morning, mother cooks rice and other foods to offer to the monks.
At night, children must pay their respects to the Triple Gems, as well as to their parents and teachers.
When he reaches his teens, or sometimes earlier, a boy will become a novie during the school holidays, for periods ranging from a few days to a week more.
He will shave off his hair, wear a robe, live in the monastery and learn whatever scriptures he can.
Parents and grand parents take pride in being able to hold a great feast after the novitiation ceremony.
Many girls can shave off their hair and become young nuns in a nunnery during their school holidays.
When a Buddhist marries, a feast may again be held for the attending monks.
Another feast may be held each time a child is born. And when a person dies, there will also be many offerings to the monks and scriptures recited in a ceremony organized by the remaining family and relatives to help the deceased on the way to another existence.
In the Buddhist home, there is always a shrine either in the front living room or upstairs if the home has two- storeyed. The shrine may be on a shelf high up on one wall, or a tall cupboard in which a Buddha image is kept. There will also be images or photos of other Buddha images, or monks.
When one enters the shrine room, foot- wear must be removed, in the same way as when one goes to the pagoda or monastery, as a sign of respect.
According to the Buddhist teaching, one can only rely on one' good Karma or deeds in order to achieve health, wealth, happiness and success. Strictly speaking, one should not ask the Buddha for wishes to be fulfilled.
Norm of behaviour
Giving the Buddhist teaching of non-violence toward all creatures, animals and even insects as well as humans, tolerance becomes second nature, and the Myanmar are usually quite forgiving in their attitude towards others. They are generally not inclined toward vindictiveness or vengeance.
Monks are at the top of the social ranking of people deemed worthy of respect.
Monks are forbidden from physical contact with females because of their vow of celibacy.
The Myanmar people are known for their gentle friendliness and charming which are due to a considerable degree, to their Buddhist heritage.
CULTURE
Myanmar lies between two great civilizations, India and China, but it has developed its own distinctive culture. Buddhism has a great influence on the daily lives of the Myanmar people. The people have preserved the traditions of close family ties, respect for elders and simple native dress. While tolerance and contentment are the characteristics of the people, Myanmar hospitality is legendary.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Myanmar. English is widely spoken and understood.
ECONOMY
It is a transitional economy moving from 26 years of centrally planned socialist to market-orientedeconomy. Private sector has been encouraged and developed in both domestic and external trade. Foreign investment is allowed in almost all sectors of the economy with generous incentives for investors. Agriculture remains the main sector of the economy and private sector participation is strongly encouraged for rapid and sustainable development. In industry, small and medium enter arrangement.
Overland entry is permitted for Thai tourists with border pass and for third party tourists with visa at Tachilek, Three Pagoda Pass, Myawaddy and Kawthaung check points along Myanmar-Thai Border; and for Chinese tourists with border pass and for third party tourists with visa at Lweje, Nam Kham, Muse, Kyukoke, Kwanlong, Mong Lar along Myanmar-China Border.
CUSTOMS
Foreign currency above US$ 2000, jewellery, electrical goods and cameras must be declared at the airport. Export of antiques and archaeologically valuable items are prohibited.
Duty free allowance: Two bottles of liquor; two cartons of cigarettes; 100 cigar; 1.5 lb of tobacco; one pint bottle of perfume or eau de cologne.
CURRENCY
Myanmar currency is the Kyat, made up of 100 pyas. Currency notes come in the following denomination: K1000, K 500, K 200, K 100, K 90, K 50, K 45, K 20, K 15, K 10, K 5, K 1 and Pya 50. Visitors are not allowed to bring in or take out Kyat.
HEALTH
No vaccination certificate is required unless coming from an infected area.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Visitors may bring in any amount of foreign currency but it must be declared to the customs if it exceeds US $ 2000.
FECs, equivalent to US Dollars, are issued in $ 20, $ 10, $ 5 and $ 1 denominations. FECs can be purchased with US Dollars or Pounds Sterling either in cash or Travelers Chouse. FECs are accepted by hotels, airlines, travel agencies, taxis, restaurants, and as payment of admission fees for museums, and pagodas. FECs can be exchanged for Kyat at market rates at Authorized Money Changers.
American Express, Visa and Diner Credit Cards are accepted at airlines, major hotels, and supermarkets.
The one single factor, which influences the most on Myanmar culture and civilization is Theravada Buddhism. 
