Myanmar is among the ethnically most mixed countries of Southeast Asia. Officially the Myanmar government distinguishes 135 different nationalities, with their own languages and dialects, far too many for all to be mentioned here. The term Myanmar embraces all nationalities: the Bamar, the Chin, the Kachin, the Kayah, the Kayin, the Mon, the Rakhine and the Shan.

The population of Myanmar is 47 million (1998) and the Bamars make up about 69 %. The rate of growth is 1.88 %.

Geography

Myanmar is situated in Southeast Asia and is bordered on the north and northeast by China, on the east and southeast by Laos and Thailand, on the south by the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal and on the west by Bangladesh and India. Covering an area of 676,552 square kilometers Myanmar is almost twice the size of Germany.

The capital of Myanmar is Yangon. The Myanmar Standard Time is 6 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich meantime.

The length of contiguous frontier is 3,828 miles (6,159 km) and the coastline is 1,385 miles (2,228 km).

Climate

The Myanmar distinguish three major seasons: the winter from October to February, the summer from March until the beginning of June (with peak temperatures around 45 degrees Celsius) and the rainy season from the middle of June to September. During the rainy season about four fifths of the total annual precipitation is received.

As a whole, the location and topography of the country generate a diversity of climate conditions. Seasonal changes in the monsoon wind directions crate summer, rainy and winter seasons. Extremes of temperature are rare.