Myanmar

1
Myanmar
country profile
2
geography
Formerly Burma. Called Myanmar by its government
since 1989
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population

• Population 42,720,196 (CIA World Factbook) UK
  60,094,648
• Population density 65 per square km UK
  245/square km
• Population figures vary due to high rate of
  deaths from Aids. Myanmar has one of the worlds
  fastest growing rates of HIV/Aids

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religion

• Buddhist 82.9
• Christian 8.7
• Muslim 3.8
• Chinese religions 3
• Animist 0.8
• Hindu 0.5
• Non-religious/other 0.3
• Operation World

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history

• 1044 Unified Burmese State founded at Pagan
• 250 years of relative peace when the devout
  rulers built the many pagodas for which Pagan is
  known today
• 1824 British rule began boom in production of
  rice and timber but increased resentment against
  colonial powers
• 1948 Independence (movement for this led by Aung
  San)
• 1960s-1970s government led by Ne Win attempted
  to build effective totalitarian government and
  establish legitimacy with Burmese people, but led
  the country into economic decline and increasing
  isolation

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Aung San Suu Kyi
Daughter of General Aung San, educated in Rangoon
and Britain 1988 Returned to Myanmar from
England led pro-democracy movement which became
a political party

• 1990 Suu Kyis party wins elections but
  forbidden to convene
• 1989-1995 Suu Kyi under house arrest
• 1991 Suu Kyi wins Nobel Peace Prize
• 2000-2002 Under house arrest
• To date Under house arrest with supporters
  harassed or jailed