2. Content
• National Flag, Seal and Map
• History and Geographic
• Major Races and Ethnics
• Religion and Belief
• Language and Literature
• Festivals
• Culture
• Food
• Significant Places
4. History and Geographic
History
• The Republic of the Union
of Myanmar
• Myan (fast) + Mar (strong)
• formerly known as Burma
(the Golden Land)
• is bordered by China,
India, Bangladesh, Laos,
Thailand
5. Fast facts
Capital : Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon (Commercial city)
Form of Government: Parliamentary republic
Official Language: Myanmar
Currency: Kyat (MMK)
Main food : Rice and Curry
Main Business : Agriculture and Industry
Main Resources : Teak, Gems and Black oil
Four Main Rivers : Ayeyarwaddy, Chindwin,
Thanlwin and Sittaung
History and Geographic
6. Climate: Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy,
hot, humid summers (southwest
monsoon, June to September); less
cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures,
lower humidity during winter (northeast
monsoon, December to April)
Highest Point: GamlangRazi at 19,258
feet (5,870 m)
Lowest Point: Andaman Sea/Bay of
Bengal at 0 feet (0 meters)
History and Geographic
7. Myanmar
• has a population of 55,622,506 in 2018
• belongs to ASEAN with a total area of
678,500 sq. km
• is the 40th largest country in the world
• is composed of 7 States and 7 Regions
• has 8 Major National Races and 135
ethnics in these area
History and Geographic
8. 7 States
• Kachin
• Kayah
• Kayin (Karen)
• Chin
• Mon
• Rakhine
• Shan
7 Regions
• Yangon
• Mandalay
• Bago
• Ayeyarwaddy
• Sagaing
• Magway
• Thanintharyi
History and Geographic
9. Major Races and Ethnics
There are 8 Major Races and 135 Ethics
• Kachin (12)
• Kayah (9)
• Kayin(11)
• Chin (53)
• Bamar (9)
• Mon (1)
• Rakhine (7)
• Shan (33)
12. Religion and Belief
Religion
• Main religion is Buddhism (87% of ppl)
• Myanmar follows the Theravada form of
Buddhism (Hinayana Buddhism)
• 4% is Christian (3 – Baptist, 1 – Catholic)
• 4% Muslim
• 4% Hindu
• 1% animist
13. Religion and Belief
Belief (37 Nats, Spirit Worshipping)
1. Thagyar Min (King of celestial) 14. The Mandalay Grandpa 27. Lord of White Elephant
2. Minmahagiri nat 15. The Dwarf nat (Shin Kwa nat) 28. Shin Kone
3. Golden Face nat 16. Naung Gyi Oh nat 29. Shwe Nawrahta nat
4. Shwenabay 17. Min Si Thu nat 30. Min Ye Aung Din nat
5. Thone Ban Hla nat 18. Maung Shin nat 31. Maung Min Byu nat
6. Shin Mi Ne (Ma Hne Lay) 19. Min kyaw Zwa nat 32. Shin Daw nat
7. Shin Nyo 20. Aung Zwa Ma Gyi nat 33. Tabin Shwe Hti nat
8. Shin Phyu 21. Shwe Sit Thin nat 34. The Lady of North
9. Hti Byu Saung nat 22. Mother of Shwe Sit Thin nat 35. Sin Min Gaung of Taungoo
10. Hti Phyu Saung Medaw 23. Lord of five Elephants 36. Thandawgan nat
11. Shin Mingaung 24. Mintaya nat 37. Yunbayin (King of the Yun)
12. Shwe Phyin Gyi 25. Maung Pho Tu nat
13. Shwe Phyin Lay 26. Anauk Min Phayar nat
14. Language and Literature
Language
• According to historical record,
Myanmar literature is more than 1000
years old. There are 33 Myanmar
alphabets but 26 in English. Myanmar
also has 12 vowels.
• There are different styles of speaking in
Myanmar language. Eg., speaking with
monks or the ancient royal family
16. Language and Literature
Literature
• is more typical and deeper than
Western languages
• has drama, poetry, novel, short stories
and prose
• Literary criticism is taught in the
University level
• has been handed down from
generation to generation
17. Language and Literature
• reached its climax under the colonialism
due to the strong emotion that aroused
a patriotic spirit
• A lot of talented writers appeared during
that time
• Most of the drams are played about real
stories of Buddha’s 550 previous lives
(are extracted from 550 Nipattaw)
• Among them, Zat Kyi Se Bwe (The Great
Jakata stories)
18. Language and Literature
Myanmar poems
• are very subtle and deep
• has difficulties in translating from M-E
• Eg., When we read a poem, we can
see the scene in our mind’s eyes and
we can get the smell of crops or
flowers
19. Festivals
• 12 months in the Myanmar Calendar
as with the Western calendar
• Myanmar saying “If you don’t know
the season, you may check with the
flowers”
• Let’s see which flowers bloom in
which season and which destivals
20. No. Myanmar Calendar Western Calendar Flowers Festivals
1 Taguu April-May Kantkaw and
Yinkat
Thingyan Water Festival
2 Kasone May-June Sankar Banyan tree watering
3 Nayone June-July Jasmine and
Mulay
Ti-Pi-Ta-Ka Examination
(Sar-Pyan-Pwe)
4 Waso July-August Ponnyat Waso Robe Offering
5 Wakhaung August-September Khattar Sar Yae Tan Mae Pwe
(Maha dote)
6 Tawtalynn September-October Yinmar Regatta Festivals
7 Thadingyut October-November Five kinds of
Lotus
Lights Festival
8 Tazaungmone November-
December
Kawei Kahtein Robe Offering
9 Nataw December-January Thazin Literary Festival
10 Pyatho January-February Kwarnyo Equestrian Festival
11 Tapotwe February-March Paukle Htamane (Glutinous
rice) Festival
12 Tabaung March-April Padauk, Tharaphi
and Inngyin
Pagoda Festivals/ Feast
22. Culture
Arts and Crafts
In Myanmar, there are ten traditional arts and
crafts.
1) Panbe (the art of blacksmith)
2) Panbu (the art of carving wood or ivory)
3) Panyan (the art of bricklaying and masonry)
4) Pantain (the art of making items in gold or
silver)
5) Panchi (the art of painting)
23. Culture
6) Panpoot (the art of turning designs on a
lathe)
7) Panyun (the art of making lacquer ware)
8) Pantin (the art of making items cast or
wrought from bronze, copper or brass)
9) Pantaut (the art of making floral designs
using masonry)
10) Pantamault (the art of carving stone)
25. Culture
Music
Myanmar Orchestra
• Is known as a Hsaing Waing (a drum circle suspended
within a frame)
• Hsaing Waing consists of 7 sections: drum circle,
brass gong, rectangular,gong, base drum, cornet
oboe, clapper and cymbal
• The drum player is the leader of Hsaing Waing
26. Culture
The Myanmar Harp
• String Instrument which is
made up of Cherry Wood
• Body is shaped like a hallow
boat which is covered with
deer skin
• the silk strings
• 7 strings before but 16 now
and length is 32in
• Is played in a sitting position
and held against the bosom
27. Culture
The Myanmar Harp
• Are being used not only as a musical
instruments but also as artifacts to
decorate sitting rooms or other
dwelling places, like hotel lobbies
• There is an interesting riddle about
the “Myanmar Harp”
It lands on earth, but not a bird
It is held against the bosom, but not a
baby
It has a long beard, but not a Babu
It has a curling tail, but not a monkey
It sings a sweet melody, but not a
maiden
