The Basics of Burma

It is finally time for the mandatory introduction to a beautiful country. This post is for all of those who are only faintly familiar with all of the ingredients that make up the fresh and diverse sauna of Burma. So let's push away the rising steam of violence and oppression that obscures the landscape, and see what's underneath.


First, Geography:

Burma is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia with a rough area of 262,000 square miles (678,500 sq km). The Irrawaddy is the longest river in Burma and runs in a nearly straight line from north to south, roughly bisecting the country. The long running waters then terminate in the Irrawaddy Delta, an area of rich soil that once made Burma the regions largest rice grower. This is where a majority of Burmese live.

Burma is further divided by three mountain chains, the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma and the Shan Plateau further divide the country. These natural barriers have played a large role in creating a large diversity of people, animals and flora in the country. Much of Burma is occupied by dense jungle. The jungle's prowling predators and disease carrying mosquitoes have played a large role in stopping several invasions of the country.

Burma is also rich in natural resources such as natural gas, teak (a fancy high quality wood) and precious gems. 90% of the world's rubies actually come from Burma. Unfortunately for fans of rubies, this means that 90% of rubies are effectively "blood rubies" as the junta uses hazardous slave labor to dig them out of the ground.

People:

Unlike many countries that have amalgamated their populations over time, Burma continues to have a large number of somewhat separate ethnic groups. An estimated 68% of Burmese are supposedly Bamar, making them the largest ethnic group by a large margin. However, many minority groups believe that the Bamar in fact do not even carry a majority. After the Bamar, the military junta recognizes 65 other ethnic groups (bringing the total to a suspiciously lucky number of 66), but most independent reports believe there are more than 100. With equally questionable numbers, the next largest groups are the Shan, a group strongly related to the Thais (9%), the Karen (7%), the Rakhine (4%), and the Mon(2%), one of the oldest inhabitants of Burma. Burma also hosts more recent Chinese (3%)and Indians (2%).

Two things make this ethnic group business confusing. First, many of the larger groups, such as the Shan and Karen, can be broken into many smaller groups, with different people disagreeing about the importance of the distinction. Second, these percentages are probably not too accurate as the military junta has not, and will probably never, do an accurate census. Especially one that would decrease the power of the Bamar group that dominates the military.

To finish this up...

One thing you probably know,

Poverty:

Like media reports would suggest, Burma is extremely poor. According to the CIA's World Fact Book, 1/4 of Burmese live below the subsistence level, meaning they are just barely getting by and dying in droves from malnourishment and disease. Additionally, a 1/3 of Burmese children are malnourished. Parts of Burma are even on par with the worst of sub-Saharan Africa.

One one thing you probably don't,

High Literacy/English Speaking:

When I first tell people that many Burmese can speak English, they almost don't believe me. I find this especially interesting as an American, because during my separate trips to nearby Mexico and Burma, I encountered many more people in Burma who could speak English than in America's direct neighbor! With a little thought though, this isn't surprising. During the colonial era, parts of Burma were under British control for over a hundred years with the entirety of British Burma existing from 1886-1948. By the time the British left the country, a large portion of the population was literate.

Although recent events such as declining education rates and purges of college students (who frequently lead demonstrations and rebel movements) have had a negative affect on literacy, many Burmese remain surprisingly educated. Once again, statistics are hard to pin down, but literacy estimates range from the military junta's low 23% to a high 83%. The real number is somewhere in the middle, but anyone who travels to Burma will find that the Burmese love to read, perhaps even more than Americans. Just another proof of Burmese resilience against an education squashing military.