The country is very rich in natural resources, such as jade, gems, oil, natural gas, teak and other minerals, as well as also endowed with renewable energy, having the highest solar power potential compared to other countries of the Great Mekong Subregion. However, Myanmar has long suffered from instability, factional violence, corruption, poor infrastructure, as well as a long history of colonial exploitation with little regard to human development Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in East Asia, with an estimated GDP per capita of between $800-$1,000 and a poverty headcount of 26 percent. Most social indicators are very low. For example, 32 percent of children under five suffer from malnutrition.

2. Official name : Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Area : 676 600 km²
Population : 61 millions
Capital : Nay Pyi Daw since 2005
Biggest city : Yangon (Almost 6 millions inhabitants)
Sharing a common border with India, China,
Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand, Myanmar is
about the size France and England together,
one of the largest countries in Southeast Asia.
Its length is about 2.000 km from the
Tenasseri Peninsula in the south to the north
of Himalaya mountain ranges which border
Yunnan, Tibet and India

3. People and ethnic groups:
Out of the 135 different ethnic groups,
68% are Burmese, 9% Shan, 7%
Karen
Official language: Burmese (Sino–
tibetan)
Religion: Theravada Bouddhism
(87%), Christians (5%), Islam (4%)

5. An old Asian proverb says
the world’s most beautiful
women have a Thai smile,
Indian eyes, and Burmese
skin.
Perhaps the Burmese have
thanaka to thank for the
glowing reputation of their
complexion

6. Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi A young Yao lady in Shan state

8. A Laytoo Chin woman Chan villager near Kalaw

9. Akha Woman
wearing
Traditional
Beaded and
Silver
Embellished
Head-Dress Shan
State

12. Flying-
lantern boy

13. Tachileik Shwedagon Statues

14. Kambawza Thardi Palace
Bago

15. Kambawza Thardi Palace Bago

16. Bago (aka
Pegu), just
80 kms
from
Yangon

17. This reclining Buddha in
Bago is a concrete structure
180 meters long and 40
meters high, and construction
which began in 1992 and that
of course is accomplished
with the donations of the
faithful Buddhists, is now
almost finished. The Buddha
image is known as Yan Aung
Chantha Zinathuka.

18. Yan Aung Chantha
Zinathuka.

19. The reclining
Buddha of
Shwethalyaung is
one of the most
venerated
Bouddhas in
Myanmar.
Dimension:
Length 55 m,
height 16 m,
small finger 3.05 m
Shwethalyaung
pagoda - Bago -
Myanmar (Burma)
- 1999

20. Shwethalyaung was once the largest reclining image of the Buddha
in the country and is one of largest Buddha in the world

21. The
Shwemawdaw
Paya is a stupa
located in Bago,
Myanmar.
It is often referred
to as the Golden
God Temple.

22. At 375 feet in
height, the
Shwemadaw
holds the record
for the tallest
pagoda in the
country although
the Shwedagon
Pagoda in
Yangon is usually
credited as the
tallest pagoda in
Myanmar (at 98
meters -
approximately
321.5 ft).

23. Bago three Buddhas

24. Bago Kyaik Pun Paya (four seated Buddhas) Bago

25. ‘Earth touching' mudra, calling Mother Earth to
witness the Buddha's Enlightenment
Bago Kyaik
Pun Paya
(four
seated
Buddhas)
Bago

26. Bago

27. Silver headdress
of the Akha tribe
Golden Triangle

30. The Akha are an indigenous hill tribe that live in small villages at high altitudes in the mountains of Thailand,
Burma, Laos, and Yunnan Province in China.

33. Bagan

34. Bagan Shwezigon Pagoda

35. The whole banana plant, in
fact, is very useful. The
leaves of the banana tree
can be used for wrapping
foods to steam or grill, and
as placemats for serving.
Fresh and young banana
plant stems are used in one
of burmese favorite soups,
mohinga, which is a pungent
fish curry poured over
noodles and typically eaten
for breakfast.
Banana blossoms often turn
up in curry or salads. Thus
the sweet fruit of the banana
is but one of several foods
and flavours offered by this
versatile plant.

36. Childhood Museum in Bethnal Green - burmese puppets
This rather famous toy museum is a branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Burmese Puppet prince Mintha – Early to Mid 20th Century

37. Old Burmese Puppet Old Burmese Puppet known as General Sitthy gyi

38. Burmese Ramayana
The lacquer takes its roots in China it there has a few three
thousand years, and then developed in all the Southeast Asia. In
Myanmar the tree which one takes the resin is it Thit-si.

40. Mawlamyine, Burma - The
Thanlwin Bridge

41. Welcome to Taunggyi

42. Bagaya
Kyaung
Monastery,
Inwa

43. Temple architecture is
typically of brick and
stucco, and pagodas
are often covered with
layers of gold leaf while
monasteries tend to be
built of wood
Bagaya Kyaung
Monastery, Inwa

44. Bagan Archaeological
Museum with statue of King
Pyusawhti
Pyusawhti was a semi-
legendary king of Pagan
Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar),
who according to the Burmese
chronicles supposedly reigned
from 167 to 242 CE

45. Bagan Archaeological
Museum with statue of
King Pyusawhti

46. Shwe In Bin Kyaung – Mandalay The Main Buddha Image

47. Yangon Monks in
residential
quarters,
Shwedagon Paya

48. An integral part
of life, Myanmar
gold leaf appears
everywhere
throughout the
country once
known as Burma

49. You see it gilding
the exterior of
pagodas. Step
inside temples and
you will find locals
lined up to rub
small squares of
gold leaf on the
Buddha as
offerings.

51. Chin State -
Traditional
Dress

52. Most Myanmar are
Buddhist of the Theravada
stream. Central to their
religious beliefs is karma,
the concept that good
begets good and evil
begets evils. Another belief
is that all living things go
through reincarnation.

55. Padaung (Yan
Pa Doung) is a
Shan term for
the Kayan
Lahwi (the
group whose
women wear
the brass neck
coils)

56. Mandalay
Traditional dance

57. Boats on the
shore of
Taungthaman
Lake Amarapura

58. Amarapura Taxi

59. Amarapura

60. Amarapura is a
former capital of
Myanmar, and now a
township of
Mandalay.

61. Amarapura

62. Amarapura

63. Amarapura
Crossing U Bein
Bridge
U Bein Bridge is a
crossing that
spans the
Taungthaman Lake
near Amarapura in
Myanmar

64. The 1.2-
kilometre
(0.75 mi) bridge
was built around
1850 and is
believed to be
the oldest and
longest
teakwood bridge
in the world

65. Amarapura
Crossing U Bein Bridge

66. Amarapura
U Bein Bridge

68. Construction began when the
capital of Ava Kingdom moved
to Amarapura, and the bridge
is named after the mayor who
had it built.

69. U Bein Bridge is
used as an
important
passageway for
the local people
and has also
become a tourist
attraction and
therefore a
significant source
of income for
souvenir sellers.
It is particularly
busy during July
and August when
the lake is at its
highest.

70. Amarapura

73. Text and pictures: Internet
All copyrights belong to their respective owners
Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu
Sound: Hlaing Win Maung – The little rowing boat
2013