Myanmar Travel Guide

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Country Facts

Location

South-East Asia.

Language

The official language is Myanmar (Burmese). There are over 100 dialects spoken in Myanmar. English is spoken in business circles.

Area

676,552 sq km (261,218 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 6.5.

Electricity

220-230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Population

47.4 million (CIA estimate 2007).

Population Density

70.1 per sq km.

Capital City

Yangon (Rangoon). Population: 4.1 million (UN estimate 2005). Administrative capital: Nay Pyi Taw. Note: The authorities plan to move the seat of government to Pyinmana.

Government

Socialist Republic since 1974. Power assumed by the army in 1988.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Soe Win since 2004.

Head of State

Senior General Than Shwe since 1992.

Religion

89% Theravada Buddhist. The remainder are Hindu, Muslim, Christian and animist.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +95. Only larger cities can be dialed direct from within Myanmar; smaller towns still use manual switchboards and callers need to ask the operator to connect them to a specific town operator. International calls are difficult to place outside hotels.

Mobile Telephone

There is no international roaming in Myanmar. Note: Mobile phones may be collected by customs on arrival and released to you upon departure.

Internet

There are a few Internet cafes, but access to many free international e-mail services is blocked. All Internet use is monitored by the government and is usually expensive.

Media

The military junta closely oversees the media, thereby preventing criticism from within, suppressing any bad news (even bad sport results), and heavily censoring all other programming. Radio Myanmar is state-run; City FM is a Yangon-based entertainment channel; Democratic Voice of Burma is an opposition station based in Norway and broadcasts via shortwave radio. TV Myanmar is state-run; MRTV-3 is a state-run international service; TV5 is a joint state-private Pay-TV service, while New Light of Myanmar is the English-language voice of the government. Myanmar Times is a state-run English-language weekly newspaper; Kyehmon is the principal state daily.

Post

Service to Europe takes up to one week and letter forms are quicker than ordinary letters. To ensure despatch, it is advisable to go to the post office personally to obtain a certificate of posting, for which a small fee is charged.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas Day

2011
4 Jan Independence Day
12 Feb Union Day
2 Mar Peasants’ Day
19 Mar Full Moon of Tabaung
27 Mar Armed Forces Day
13 Apr - 16 Apr Maha Thingyan (Water Festival)
17 Apr Myanmar New Year
1 May May Day
17 May Full Moon of Kason
15 Jul Full Moon of Waso (Beginning of Buddhist Lent)
19 Jul Martyr’s Day
12 Oct Full Moon of Thadingyut (End of Buddhist Lent)
10 Nov Full Moon of Tasaungmon
20 Nov National Day
25 Dec Christmas Day

2012
4 Jan Independence Day
12 Feb Union Day
2 Mar Peasants’ Day
8 Mar Full Moon of Tabaung
26 Mar Armed Forces Day
12 Apr - 15 Apr Maha Thingyan (Water Festival)
16 Apr Myanmar New Year
1 May May Day
6 May Full Moon of Kason
2 Jul Full Moon of Waso (Beginning of Buddhist Lent)
19 Jul Martyr’s Day
29 Oct Full Moon of Thadingyut (End of Buddhist Lent)
28 Nov Full Moon of Tasaungmon
8 Dec National Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
Buddhist holidays are determined according to lunar sightings, and dates given here are approximations only. Other festivals celebrated by minorities include the Islamic observance of Bakri Idd in late November; Christmas and Easter; and the Karen New Year in early January. For further information, contact the embassy.

Contact Information

Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board

c/o Traders Hotel, Level 3, Business Center, 223 Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (1) 242 828 ext 6462.
Website: www.myanmar-tourism.com

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar in the UK

19A Charles Street, Berkeley Square, London W1J 5DX, UK
Tel: (020) 7499 8841 or 7629 6966.
Website: www.myanmar.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1630.

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar in the USA

2300 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 332 3344 or 4350.
Website: www.mewashingtondc.com