15 Fun Facts About Myanmar (Burma)

by Janis on December 18, 2014

Since we will be visiting Myanmar for the first time in the next few weeks, we wanted to do a little background research.

Map of Myanmar by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Myanmar (pronounced MEE’-an-mar) is a country in southeast Asia that shares borders with China, India, Laos, Bangladesh and Thailand. It was formerly known as Burma.

Here are 15 Interesting Facts About Myanmar (Burma)

1. With a total area of 261,970 square miles, Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, and the 40th-largest in the world. It is somewhat smaller than Texas and slightly larger than Afghanistan.

2. The population of Myanmar is 55,746,253 (July 2014.) The country’s literacy rate is 83 percent, the median age is 27.9 years and the average life expectancy is 57 years.

3. Myanmar is one of only three countries in the world that has not adopted the metric system of measurement. The other two holdouts are Liberia and the United States. The Common local unit of weight in Myanmar is the peiktha, which equals to 3.6 pounds.

The ancient city of Bagan (formerly Pagan), located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar, was the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan between the 9th to 13th centuries. More than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains area of Myanmar, of which more than 2,200 temples and pagodas can still be seen today. Photo by Corto Maltese.

4. Temples and pagodas found throughout Myanmar were built during the 12th and 13th centuries under the Pagan Empire as Theravada Buddhism spread throughout the country.

5. Today 89 percent of the population of Myanmar is Buddhist.

6. Both men and women in Myanmar use a yellow paste from the bark of the Thanakha tree as a cosmetic. Applied to the face, it is an effective sunscreen that also tightens the skin and prevents oiliness.

7. A typical meal in Myanmar includes steamed rice, fish, meat, vegetables and soup served at the same time. Locals use their fingertips to mold rice into a small ball and then mix it with various dishes.

8. Major credit cards are not always accepted in Myanmar, and there are few ATMs, so visitors need to bring plenty of U.S. dollars. The higher the denomination, the better the exchange rate. The national currency of Myanmar is the kyat (pronounced “chat”). $1 U.S. dollar equals approximately 1031.60 kyat.

Rice is the major agricultural crop of Myanmar. Photo by Richard-dicky.

9. Myanmar depends on agriculture for more than half of its GDP. Rice is the major product.

10. You will see small children wear holy thread around their neck or wrist for protection from bad spirits or spells.

11. When the locals in Myanmar want to get a waiter’s attention, they make a kissing sound, usually two or three short kisses. It is the sort of sound you might make if calling a cat.

12. Myanmar’s national beer is uniquely named … Myanmar Beer.

13. The traditional Burmese dress is the longyi, a wraparound skirt worn by men and women. Men tie theirs in the front and women fold the cloth over and secure it at the side.

14. Chewing betel nut is a national pastime. Small street stalls sell the palm-sized green leaves filled with betel nut, spices and sometimes a pinch of tobacco. The leaves are folded, popped in the mouth and chewed.

15. Chinlone — a combination of sport and dance team sport with no opposing team — is the traditional sport of Myanmar. The focus is on how beautifully one plays the game. Any number of players form a circle and keep the chinlone in the air as long as possible by kicking it soccer-style from player to player, using any body part except the hands.

Learn more about Myanmar (Burma) through these books:

Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Travel Guide)

Letters from Burma

Have you visited Myanmar? What fun fact can you add?

If you enjoy history and interesting facts about far-flung destinations, check out these other Fun Facts posts:

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