Myanmar Embassy - Korea : Basic Facts

Myanmar Basic Facts

English | Korean

Location

The Union of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is situated in Southeast Asia and is the largest country in the region.

Myanmar shares borders with the People's Republic of China on the north and northeast, with the Laos People's Democratic Republic and the Kingdom of Thailand on the east and southeast, with the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal on the south, and with the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Republic of India on the west.

Nay Pyi Taw is the capital of Myanmar and The former capital, Yangon remains the commercial capital. Myanmar Standard Time, taken as on east longitude 97 30', is six hours and thirty minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Area

The total area of Myanmar is 261,228 square miles (677,000 sq km. The country stretches 582 miles (936 km) from east to west and 1,275 miles (2,051 km) from north to south.

The length of the contigenous frontier is 3,828 miles (6,129km), sharing 1,370 miles with China, 1,310 miles with Thailand, and 832 miles with India, 1,687 miles with Bandalesh and 148 miles with Laos. The length of the coastline from the mouth of Naaf River to Kawthaung is approximately 1,385 miles.

Physical Features

The topography of Myanmar can be divided into three parts: the Western Hills Region, the Central Valley Region and the Eastern Hills Region. The Western Hill Region, linked with the Himalayan Range, consists of Mt. Kakaborazi in the northermost part of the country, which is 19,296 feet high and the tallest peak in Southeast Asia. Another peak in the range is Sarameti that rises 12,553 feet. Low mountains in the southern part of the Western Hills Region are known as the Rakhine Yoma ranges and extend to the Bay of Bengal. The Rakhine Yoma ranges serve as a barrier between Myanmar and India.

The Central Valley Region consists of the broadest valley of the Ayeawady, the longest river in Myanmar that flows about 1,250 miles (2,010 km) down the middle of the country to the Bay of Bengal. The Region also includes Sittaung and Chindwin Valleys. In the centre lie the small mountain ranges such as Zeebyu, Minwun, Hman-kin and Gangaw. There is also the low mountain range of Bago Yoma that slopes down to south.

The Eastern Hills Region that separates Myanmar from Thailand, Laos, and China includes the Shan Plateau, which rises an average of 3,000 feet above sea-level. The rivers of Shweli, Myitnge, Zawgyi and Pan-laung, which have their sources at the Shan Plateau, flow into the River Ayeawady.

The State Flag & National Anthem

The State Flag is rectangular in shape and its background colour is red with a dark blue canton at the top left corner. A pinion and ears of paddy encircled with fourteen white stars of equal size have been superimposed on the dark blue field of the canton.

The centre of the pinion coincides with the centre of the blue canton. The pinion has fourteen cogs of equal size and within it are two ears of paddy consisting of 34 grains. At the top of each cog of the pinion is a star with five vertices.

Of the three colours of the flag, red signifies courage and decisiveness, white purity and virture, and dark blue peace and integrity.