Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is a country located in Southeast Asia, bordered by the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Covering an area of 676,553 square kilometers, its population of 56,424,000 (est. 2023) makes it the 26th most populous country. The capital of Myanmar is Nay Pyi Taw (Naypyidaw), which was proclaimed in 2006; prior to this, Yangon (Rangoon) served as the historical capital from 1948-2006. Inhabitants of the country are mainly Burman, with other ethnicities such as Chin, Shan, and Karen also present.
The official language of Myanmar is Myanmar (Burmese), but there are many indigenous languages spoken as well. Regarding religion, Buddhism, traditional beliefs, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism are all practiced in the country. The currency used is the Myanmar kyat.
Myanmar may be divided into five main regions: the northern mountains, the western ranges, the coastal plains, the central lowlands, and the Shan Plateau in the east. Major rivers in the country include the Irrawaddy and the Salween. The climate is tropical and greatly affected by the monsoons of southern Asia. Only a small portion of the country's mostly mountainous terrain is arable. The economy is largely nationalized and based on agriculture and trade, with rice and teak being two of the most important crops and exports.
The government of Myanmar is a military regime, led by a strong leader. Myanmar is a developing country, with a GNI of 68,703 U.S.$’000,000 (2020) and a GNI per capita of 1,260 U.S.$ (2020). Life expectancy at birth for males is 61.2 years (2018) and for females is 70.7 years (2018). Literacy rates are high, with 92% of males and 86% of females aged 15 and over being literate (2019).