Myanmar is a popular tourist destination, a country with a huge history, open-minded people and traditional Asian attachment to traditions. Previously, the state was called the Republic of Burmese Union, abbreviated to Burma, but in 1989, along with a change in the political course of the authorities, a complete reconstruction of the regalia came, which laid the foundation for the further development of the country. Now Myanmar is the largest center of recreational and spiritual activity in Asia, advocates for democratic movements around the world and seeks to refrain from conflicts in the international arena, at least until recently.
Location and geolocation features
Tourists question “where is Burma and what kind of country is Myanmar” arises at the stage of considering options for the trip. The fact is that this name is an established archaism in relation to this state. The population of former Burma itself is extremely negative about the nickname and strongly emphasizes the fact of the changes in regalia that have occurred. Geographically, Myanmar is located in the west of
the Indochina Peninsula, bordered by India and Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. The total area of the state is 678 square meters. km., and the length of the coastline is 1930 kilometers.
Most of the territory of former Burma is influenced by the subequatorial and tropical climate, as a result of this the weather is humid, hot. Only a few months are relatively cold - from late October to mid-February. In the cool period, the average temperature regime is 13-15 degrees Celsius, less often - 10. In the mountains, frosts are possible, in summer the temperature rises to 41 degrees. Due to the high humidity and heat, tourist destinations in Myanmar are usually popular from August to September.
Economic potential
“Where is Burma located? What kind of country with such a conservative course? ” - enough to answer these two questions to describe the economic potential of the state. Former Burma is located between several large neighbors, in an area where expensive wood is abundant and there are valleys adapted to plantations. The lion's share of GDP (over 40%) falls on the agricultural sector. Rice, beans, and sugarcane are grown on the territory of the country, and the latter is exported to Asian countries. Among the population, more than 70% are involved in the agricultural sector, in contrast, the consulting and IT technologies are the least popular.
20% of GDP is industry, mainly manufacturing. The lion's share of exports, more than 50% (according to data for 2016), falls on Thailand, which acts as a strategic partner of Burma. Gold, oil, tin, iron ore are massively mined from minerals, and there are enterprises for the processing of tungsten. Only 7% of the population is employed in this industry. In the industrial segment, from the point of view of the state, industries for the extraction and processing of precious and semiprecious stones are priority. Myanmar not only processes such a luxury resource, but also successfully supplies it abroad.
The national currency Myanmar kyat is in a floating state against the dollar. Regardless of the US embargo and tension, tourists continue to fill the Burma market with foreign capital. You can exchange currency in the country not only at the bank, but also on the black market.
Tourist destination
The Government of Myanmar emphasizes the openness of the state in terms of contacts with the world community and supports recreational principles among society. Former Burma is ready to offer tourists a warm climate, low density of beaches, caused by the proximity to Thailand and a powerful infrastructure. The tangible advantage of Myanmar in this segment is its access to two bays and the sea, an extensive coastline allows you to choose a resort for recreation, depending on the preferences of the tourist.
Despite the rather strict censorship carried out by the authorities in relation to the indigenous population, all kinds of restrictions do not affect tourists to a significant extent. In comparison with similar resorts, it is worth noting only slightly stricter laws regarding the behavior of tourists in public places and restrictions on movement in certain areas. Travelers themselves are attracted to a greater extent by the former capital of the state - Yangon, where the Shwedagon Pagoda is located. Temples that are least developed in terms of the infrastructure of the city are also interesting, since Bama (the self-name of the people of Myanmar) has an impressive history and a tendency to preserve traditions. The main interest among tourists is not the capital of Myanmar, Naypyidaw, but more remote areas.
Code of practice required by tourists
For over 60 years, a rather strict "special regime" has been operating in Myanmar, when the country was protected from the outside world by military dictatorship. Currently, the former Burma is open for tourists and travelers, however, a number of rules apply in the state, which should be followed both in more civilized areas and in the wilderness. The export of Myanmar’s currency is prohibited, but the restriction does not apply to foreign currency. Any amounts above 2 thousand dollars are subject to mandatory declaration, they are exchanged within a state bank or other large counterparties.
It is forbidden to take any Buddha images or figures, objects of historical or national heritage, or cultural values from the country. Anti-government or banned religious literature, household appliances, including cameras, may not be imported into the country, they may be asked to leave in a storage cell. There are few such precedents, but it is still worth bearing in mind the existence of such an order. Not everywhere in the country you can move freely. The echoes of the military regime are still strong in Myanmar. For tourists there is a separate map. In case of violation, a foreigner can be deported and even detained with subsequent arrest.
Myanmar has underdeveloped private Internet coverage. Access to the Network is provided through an Internet cafe, the content is regulated by the government. Access to a number of sites, blogs and pages on the Internet is severely limited, since such information is recognized as anti-government. For tourists it is always better to check this moment with a travel agency or directly on the spot. Every traveler must be familiarized with a complete list of rules of conduct and good taste. The latter can cause serious conflict if a foreigner disrespects the shrines or traditions of the country. So, for example, at the entrance to the house or temple, you should definitely take off your shoes, while trying not to show the public their feet, which is an insult. In fairness, it is worth noting that most of the restrictions are designed to protect foreign visitors to the country.
Myanmar History and Traditions
The history of the state of Burma itself begins in 1948, when the country gained independence from Great Britain following the results of World War II. In 1962, a socialist republic was formed under the control of the military and with close ties with the USSR. The state of Burma did not last long. The coup in 1988 returned the name of Myanmar to the state and changed course towards political independence. Until 2011, to a greater or lesser extent, the country was ruled by the military. In particular, the leader of Myanmar, who at that time was senior general Tan Shwe, was one of the initiators of the "special situation", coupled with censorship and tight control from the executive branch.
Population and mentality
The population of Myanmar (Burma) consists of two ethnic groups - Mona and Burmese. Now
this country is multi-ethnic and has over 100 nationalities. It is noteworthy that the monks, who are called precisely the indigenous population of Burma, since the Burmese migrated to the country from China, make up no more than 2-2.5% of the current state of the country's ethnic group. Most of them were assimilated by the Burmese with a cross-cultural intersection of traditions. The total population is 51.5 million people.
The current leader of Myanmar proclaimed the openness of the state in relation to other nationalities and followers of various religions. Initially, Bam was influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, the number of mosques and adherents of Islam is growing in the country, right up to the conflict in August-September 2017, when the ethnic group “Rohingya”, called the illegal government, was persecuted. Burma's main religion remains Buddhism. However, the population of Myanmar (Burma) is tolerant of various faiths. The official language of Burma is Burmese with a number of dialects, caused not only by the difference in faiths, but also by Mongolian intervention in the past.
The religious center for Buddhists is the village of Pindaya, famous for its caves. Here, according to supporters of the Theravada Buddhist school, all significant for the shan, and beliefs in general, were ministries over the past few decades. Several caves have been cut down in the rock, but most of the complex is of natural origin. Here were hidden more than 8 thousand statues of Buddha, a golden mortar, extremely relevant for supporters of the denomination.
Drug Exports and Crime
Where Burma is located and what kind of country is hiding under this name has left its mark on the development of the black market and criminal elements within the state. Myanmar has vast potential for smuggling via shipping routes, many border areas are not protected. On the territory of Burma itself, there are drug plantations where opium is grown. In the prevalence of this segment, Myanmar is second only to Afghanistan and honorably occupies one of the places of the Golden Triangle, a territorial region controlled by a number of criminal organizations that have been supplying drugs to the West since the beginning of the 20th century.
In view of the prevalence of narcotic drugs, as well as their market in Myanmar, crime is raging. The most attractive areas for tourists are controlled by the police, and sometimes the regular army of Burma, but in most of the state there is a tendency to increase the number of crimes. One of the directions of the new government is openness, President Thin Jo has canceled a special regime in the country and proclaimed the fight against crime.
Political system
Currently, Tin Jo is the president of Myanmar, and Aung San Suu Kyi is the prime minister, and her cabinet controls issues related to migrants. A quarter of the government’s seats are reserved for the military, but this closeness, typical of Burma earlier, no longer exists. Despite numerous Western sanctions, the country is actively concluding trade agreements and is participating in the world arena as a player.
The Myanmar government is trying to mitigate the problem of clashes between ethnic groups within the country by reaching a compromise, however, according to the press and opinions of world-class politicians, persecution of individual representatives of society within Myanmar continues. The state apparatus is located in the capital of Myanmar - Naypyidaw. This area is considered one of the most developed in the country.
The conflict in Myanmar: reasons
Depending on the commitment of a particular denomination, as well as on the political course, several reasons for the conflict in Myanmar are identified. Recall that in August-September 2017 in the state of Rakhine (Arakan) there were a number of clashes, in which representatives of the Rohingya suffered. In the CIS countries, adherents of Islam have come out in support of their fellows in Burma. Directly, the Government of Burma itself focuses on the illegal status of this ethnic group, calling the persecuted citizens refugees from Bangladesh. Adherents of Islam consider such inaction of the state apparatus criminal, and the fear of the government over the “new point of jihad” is the cause of the clashes.
The reason for the conflict in Myanmar is also considered the desire of politicians to radically change course and return to "market relations." There have even been suggestions of a foreign influence on the current state of affairs in Burma. Note that the current Foreign Minister of Burma and Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi has the status of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as a result of which her inaction has been criticized by the opposition. The conflict in Myanmar escalated last year, when a wave of attacks broke out on state institutions and border posts in the state. Then the government introduced a regular army into the region. At the moment, the conflict is in a passive state.
The third opinion regarding the causes of the conflict in Myanmar is due to the "Arakan massacre" during the historical period of the occupation of part of the country by Japan. In 1942, there was a massive clash of Rohingya and Burmese supporting interventionists. The locals supported the Japanese, while the Rohingya troops were armed with British weapons and sided with the Allies. In view of this long-standing conflict, the contradictions between ethnic groups are still fresh. In the history of Myanmar, there are several similar cases to the events of the current period of precedents in 2012 and 2013.
Is Burma dangerous for tourists?
When visiting the most developed and civilized centers of the country - no. Those areas where the conflict develops most acutely are limited to visits and are controlled by troops, as a result of which it is difficult to penetrate their territory. Subject to the moral standards of society and moderate behavior, the Burmese seem to the tourist to be friendly and friendly people. In terms of attractiveness as a recreational center, Myanmar occupies a rather high position. Otherwise, the territory of the state remains developed at the level of the Third World countries and is rather poor.
Developed crime still has a serious impact on Myanmar, as opium distribution channels are dictated by massive supply and conspiracy. There is no direct threat to the life of a tourist, however, when traveling to Burma, you must follow the instructions of the agency and limit yourself to a number of places open for viewing.
So where is Burma, and what kind of country is so closed to society? Myanmar remains one of the most picturesque states of Asia, since it combines many cultural heritage from different ethnic groups. Unfortunately, this is the reason for the constant conflicts in the country and clashes on the basis of differences in religious views. As a recreational country, Myanmar is popular and can offer foreigners a wide selection of vacation spots, but as an economic agent and political player in the former British colony, there is still a long way to go.