Get to know Myanmar
At times referred to as Burma, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, often abbreviated as Myanmar, stands as an independent nation in Southeast Asia. In 1989, an unelected military regime instigated a name change from Burma to Myanmar. Nevertheless, the legitimacy of this alteration is not universally acknowledged by all nations, primarily because it was enacted by an unelected military regime. Some countries, as well as the United Nations, accept this change on the grounds of administrative paperwork and the principle of allowing member states to choose their own names, provided such decisions are duly documented. Interestingly, both "Myanmar" and "Burma" have the same meaning, with the latter being a local adaptation of the former, as indicated in the aforementioned report.
Myanmar's demographic landscape is exceptionally diverse, with the government recognizing 135 distinct ethnic groups. Moreover, there are at least 108 different ethnolinguistic groups within Myanmar. The largest ethnic group, the Bamar, constitutes approximately 68% of the population, followed by the Shan at 10%, Kayin at 7%, Rakhine at 4%, and overseas Chinese at 3%. Ethnic minorities within the country often prefer to be referred to as ethnic nationalities to underscore their distinct identities in contrast to the dominant Bamar population. Additional ethnic groups in Myanmar include the Mon (2%), Overseas Indians (2%), as well as the Kachin, Chin, Anglo-Indians, Nepali, and Anglo-Burmese communities. The official language employed is Burmese, although some ethnic groups utilize their native languages.
In terms of religion, Myanmar exhibits a diverse religious landscape, with Buddhism being the predominant faith, embraced by 87.9% of the population. Christianity accounts for 6.2%, Islam for 4.3%, Animism for 0.8%, Hinduism for 0.5%, while other religions constitute 0.2%, and a negligible fraction identifies as non-religious, at 0.1%.
The median age in Myanmar/Burma is 28.2 years, with an average life expectancy of approximately 68.2 years. Quality of life indicators encompass healthcare accessibility, improved sanitation and drinking water availability, as well as the World Happiness Report ranking. Only 2.3% of the GDP is allocated to the healthcare sector, a figure that likely correlates with the low physician and hospital bed density in the region, standing at just 0.57 physicians and 0.9 beds per 1,000 residents. Slightly over 80% of the country has access to clean drinking water, and 77% have access to improved sanitation facilities. According to the World Happiness Report, Myanmar ranks 130th, with an overall rating of 4.3 out of 10. Additionally, the literacy rate stands at 75.6% for the population aged 15 and above.
Historically, the last partial census occurred in 1983, and until 2014, the last officially recorded nationwide census dated back to 1931. It is estimated that there are at least 300,000 refugees from Burma situated along the Thai-Burma border, with many of these camps having been established in the 1980s. Illegal groups in the country are not recognized as citizens and have faced relentless persecution, leading to the expulsion of nearly 300,000 Burmese Indians.
As for the projected population for 2030, it is expected to reach 58,915,869.
<source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/myanmar-population>
Myanmar Area and Population Density
Myanmar has 676,578 square kilometers of surface area available within its boundaries. This includes 1,930 km of coastline. The population density overall is approximately 79 people per square kilometer.
Largest Cities in Myanmar
Rangoon/Yangon is the largest city and the capital of the area. It contains 4,477,638 residents. Mandalay comes in second, with 1,208,099; and is also known as the economic center of the country.
