Myanmar

C

Principal Cities

The largest city and principal seaport is Rangoon (also called Yangon), with a population of 3,874,000 (2003 estimate). Mandalay, population 801,707 (2000 estimate), in the centre of the country, is an important trade centre. Other important cities are Moulmein, population 219,961 (1983), on the Gulf of Martaban, and Sittwe, 107,621 (1983), a major seaport on the Bay of Bengal. The country’s political capital is Naypyidaw, in the centre of the country.

D

Religion

More than 85 per cent of the people of Myanmar are Buddhists, most of whom adhere to the Theravada school of Buddhism. Small groups of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians also live there. For the Burman majority population, Buddhism is central to daily life, with the monastery (pongyi kyaung) forming the core of the community, especially in the villages. The shinpyu rite of passage, usual for boys, involves entering the monastery temporarily as a novice monk, and many return later in life for temporary retreats. Monks normally begin each day by going round the villages begging alms.

Underlying the everyday practice of Buddhism is an indigenous culture of animism, the worship of spirits known as nat. This provides a basis for many nat festivals, and for much traditional medical practice. Muslims have long formed part of the population, and there is also a significant number of Christians (mostly Baptists), particularly in the hill areas.

E

Language

The official language, Burmese (or “Myanmar”), is a first language for over half the population, and a second language for most of the remainder. A tonal language, it has its own alphabet and is from the Sino-Tibetan language family, as are many of the over 100 other languages spoken by ethnic minorities in Myanmar (Sino-Tibetan languages are spoken by 78 per cent of the population).

About 6 per cent of the population speaks Shan, a Tai-Kadai language, as a mother tongue, and different forms of the Karen language (Sino-Tibetan) are spoken by similar numbers, in particular S’gaw Karen and Pwo Eastern Karen, each of which have over 1 million first-language speakers in Myanmar. Some Austro-Asiatic languages are also spoken, including Vo, Parauk, Pale Palaung, and Mon. Chinese is also used by an immigrant community.

F

Education

Education is free, and is compulsory in primary schools between five and ten years of age, and optional for a further four to six years of secondary schooling. Instruction is in Myanmar (Burmese); English is the second language in many secondary schools. In 1995-1996 some 5,995,000 pupils attended about 36,500 primary schools, and about 1,819,600 students attended some 3,040 middle schools and high schools. More than 80 per cent of the adult population is reportedly literate, but this statistic is believed to be a considerable overestimate. In 1994, 2.4 per cent of the national budget was spent on education.

The chief universities of Myanmar are the University of Rangoon (1920) and the University of Mandalay (1925). Other institutions of higher education include state schools of fine arts and of music and drama in Rangoon and in Mandalay, and the Defence Services Academy (1955) in Maymyo. Universities and colleges in the country reportedly enrolled more than 281,260 students in 1995-1996, but institutes of higher education were closed for most of the time over the period since the 1988 rebellion.

G

Culture

Indian culture strongly influenced the historical development of the culture and civilization of Myanmar. However, such Indian institutions as the caste system were not adopted, and the country also retained an indigenous language and literature.

Myanmar is one of the strongest enclaves of Buddhist culture in all of Asia; the numerous temples have led to the country becoming widely known as the Land of Golden Pagodas.

Formal libraries and museums, as such, are limited in number and facilities. The thousands of Buddhist temples, however, serve as repositories for books and religious artefacts. A particularly noted pagoda is Shwe Dagon, in Rangoon. The National Museum of Art and Archaeology (1952) is in Rangoon, and state museums are in Kyaukpyu, Mandalay, and Moulmein.

Myanmar has a rich literary tradition; Myanmar (Burmese) is a language that is especially suitable for poetry and puns. The first examples of an indigenous literature are found on stone carvings dating from ad 1113. By the 15th century, a rich tradition of historical and religious poetry had developed. Prose works did not become important until the late 19th century, when a proliferation of novels and plays received impetus from a revival of Burmese nationalism. Notable modern writers have included the poet and essayist Thakin Kodaw Hmaine, the novelist and satirist Thakin Thein Pe Myint, and the novelist Ludu U Hla.

A popular form of entertainment is the pwe. A type of folk opera, it combines generally light storylines with music and dance. The texts are taken from local folk tales or the Hindu Ramayana, interspersed with comic or satirical skits; the musical accompaniment comes from an orchestra of tuned gongs, bamboo clappers, bamboo xylophone, cymbals, and hne (a six-reeded oboe).

Secular art is rare in Myanmar; most sculpture and painting is confined to a Buddhist context. Kings and nobles seeking religious merit would commission ornate pagodas. Architecture, as well as other art forms, displays a dominant Indian influence. Artisans are known for their lacquerware and woven silks.