Burma ...

Burma is compared to a roughly diamond shaped form or a kite with a tail trailing along one side. The agricultural country, Burma has an area of 261,218 square miles (676,552 square kilometers). Neighboring countries are to the north China, to the west India and Bangladesh, to the east Thailand and Laos and to the south the Indian Ocean coastline. Four main rivers across the country are the Irrawaddy, the Chindwin, Salween and Sittaung. The land is also divided into dry zone in the heart of country, the coastal lands (in the west and south-east) and the lust delta of the Irrawaddy.

Administratively, there are seven states and seven divisions which represent the homeland of several ethnic nationalities: the Burmans, the Chins, Kachins, Karens, Kayahs, Mons, Arakanese (Rakhines), Shans and many subgroups.

The climate of Burma is hot, humid and tropical, although the northern part is more temperate and cold. Six months (June-November) of the year is a rainy season with monsoon winds. The pleasant cool season (from the end of rains until about the latter half of February) and the summer (average temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit) follow.

The capital is Rangoon, a trading port city on the delta. It was named 'Yangon' (End of Dangers) by the King Alaungpaya in 1755 when his army vanquished enemy forces. Yangon became the capital of the country after Burma fell to the British colony in 1885. The last capital of Burmese kings was Mandalay (1857) in central Burma.

Burma is currently ruled by a military regime seized power in 1988. The country has had a turbulent history through the monarchy, colony, republic, socialist authoritarian and military. The present military junta has been accused of gross human rights abuses, including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labour, which includes children and women. There are over 2000 political prisoners in the military prisons.

The Head of State is General Than Shwe. He became head of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in 1992. The SLORC reconstituted itself as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997. SPDC has ruled out a transfer of power to the National League for Democracy, which won a landslide election victory in 1990 - Burma's first multi-party elections for 30 years. The prominent opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is under house arrest. She has not been allowed to contact with any one.

States and divisions: 1. Yangon ( the capital and the major sea and airport location, industries and central government ) 2. Ayeyarwaddy ( the main agricultural region known as the rice bowl, plain, rivers ) 3. Bago ( former Mon capital; agricultural and timber land, mountains, rivers ) 4. Mon ( sea products, agriculture, timber, sea port and beaches ) 5. Thanin-Tha yi ( sea products, timber, mountains, beautiful islands, beaches, border with Thailand, trade ) 6. Kayin ( bordering with Thailand; agriculture, plain and mountains, rivers, border trade ) 7. Kayah ( bordering with thailand; agriculture, mountains, scenic beauty ) 8. Rakhine ( bordering Bangladesh, sea products, mountains, ancient city ) 9. Magway ( agriculture, plain and mountains, rivers ) 10. Mandalay ( second capital, former Kings's capitals, pagodas, agriculture, trading ) 11. Shan ( mountains, fruit and vegetable farms, scenic beauty, bordering Thailand, Laos and China ) 12. Chin ( mountains, scenic beauty, bordering Bangladesh and India, border trade ) 13. Sagaing ( mountains, plain and rivers, Chindwin river, border with India, border trade ) 14. Kachin ( mountains, plain, rivers, beginning of Ayeyarwaddy, snow land, border with China and India )

Kingdoms..
 - Pagan Dynasty
 - Taungu Dynasty
 - Konbaung Dynasty

Colonial Period
 - British Colony
 - Japanese Occupation

Independence (1948)