The Southeast Asian Country Under Military Rule
Myanmar — formerly Burma — has been ruled by its military for most of the period since 1962. A brief democratic opening under Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (2015-2021) was ended by a February 2021 military coup that triggered widespread civil war. As of 2025, significant portions of the country are controlled by ethnic resistance armies and pro-democracy forces rather than the military junta.
Before the 2021 coup, Myanmar had been opening to tourism — the temples of Bagan (one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites, with over 2,200 temples across a 104 km² plain), Inle Lake, Mandalay, and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon offered one of Asia’s most striking heritage experiences. Post-coup, most Western governments advise against travel.
A Brief History
The Pagan Kingdom (9th-13th centuries) unified much of modern Myanmar and produced the temples at Bagan. The country was successively part of the Mongol, Burmese dynastic, and British Empire (as part of British India, 1885-1937; separate British colony 1937-1948).
Independence in 1948. Military coup in 1962 began 56 years of military rule until a 2011 opening. The 2021 coup ended the democratic experiment.
Geography and Climate
Myanmar covers 676,578 km² — the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. Climate: tropical with monsoons.
Culture, Language and Religion
Burmese is official; many other ethnic languages (Shan, Karen, Kachin, Chin, Mon). Religion: approximately 88% Buddhist (Theravada).
The Economy
Myanmar has a lower-middle-income economy (~$64 billion GDP in 2024, severely disrupted). Key sectors: agriculture, natural gas, gems (rubies).
UNESCO Sites
Myanmar has 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Pyu Ancient Cities and the Cultural Landscape of Bagan (added 2019).
Travel Guide
Most Western governments advise against non-essential travel since 2021.
Surprising Facts
- Bagan has over 2,200 Buddhist temples still standing from the Pagan Kingdom (original had over 10,000).
- Myanmar drives on the right but most cars have right-hand drive (imported from Thailand, Japan, UK tradition).
- Myanmar has its own calendar — the Burmese calendar is approximately 638 years behind the Gregorian.
- The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is one of Buddhism’s holiest sites, said to enshrine eight hairs of the Buddha.
- The Rohingya crisis — from 2017 — saw the military’s ethnic cleansing of Muslim Rohingya people, with over 750,000 fleeing to Bangladesh.
- Naypyidaw — the official capital since 2005 — is a planned city roughly 1.5 times the size of London but with a population of about 1 million.
Sources and References
See the frontmatter for cited sources.