Myanmar is Asia at its best. More than any other Asian country Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has preserved its cultures and traditions. Myanmar is a deeply religious Buddhist country and is well known by travellers for its abundance of sights and sounds, interesting cultures, diversity of nature and most of all for its charming and friendly people. A kind of magic shrouds the whole land with its tropical plains, the Himalayan Highlands, teak woods that create an impenetrable jungle and the Ayeyarwady River. Geography With an area of 676,557 sq. km, Myanmar is almost twice as big as Germany or the state of Arizona. It is sandwiched between India and Bangladesh on one side and China, Laos and Thailand on the other, while to the south is the Andaman Sea with beautiful unspoiled beaches. The Himalayas rise in the north, where the Hkakabo Razi, right on the border between Myanmar and Tibet, is the highest mountain in South-East Asia at 19,290 ft./5881m. Economy Myanmar's per capita income is below US$200 per annum, which is one of the lowest in South-East Asia. Since the economy opened to foreign investment and development in the 1990s a steady improvement in the standard of living has been achieved. Political problems have hindered improvements in the economic welfare of the nation, and foreign investment is only permitted through joint-ventures with local private or state-owned companies.

Population In 1998 the population of Myanmar was 44.5 million. Around 69% of the population is ethnic Burmese. The rest of the population comprise more than 135 ethnic groups such as the Shan, Cachin, Chin, Mon and Rakhine. Over 75% of the population live in rural areas, especially in the fertile plains of the Ayeyarwady River and the delta region. Half of the population is below 20 years of age. Agriculture An estimated 30% of the land could be cultivated but only half of this is under cultivation. Nevertheless, agriculture is the most important sector of the economy in Myanmar - two-thirds of the employed population works in agriculture. Agricultural products are rice, maize, wheat, pulses, peanuts, sesame, sugarcane, jute, tobacco and cotton. Forestry: More than half the country is covered with nearly impenetrable forests but illegal fire clearances are reducing and destroying this invaluable natural resource rapidly. Myanmar is one of the most important exporters of teak wood and hardwoods and it is estimated that more than three-quarters of the world's reserves of teak wood are located in the forests of Myanmar. Smuggling of teak, and hardwoods, especially to Thailand's borders is a serious problem. Climate Myanmar has three quite distinct seasons, although the effects of the monsoon vary in different parts of the country. The best time to visit Myanmar is the ‘cool winter’ season from November to February. At this time of year the weather is very pleasant - not too hot in the day and not too cool at night. In the hills it can get quite chilly in the evenings. During March, April and May the temperatures rise and will often top 100°F/40°C and it can be unpleasantly hot. The rainy season starts in May with almost daily monsoon rainfalls, mainly in the afternoons and evenings, until the rain tapers off in October.