General Information

People

Myanmar is made out of 54.3 million people from 135 different ethnic groups. Out of this, 75% of the people live in rural areas, with half of the urban population living in the 3 largest cities: Yangon, Mandalay, and Mawlamyine. There are many different cultures throughout Myanmar due to the number of ethnic groups: Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, and etc.

Art & Architecture

Arts plays an important part in the culture of Myanmar as most paintings and sculptures are confined within a Buddhist context. One can also see the change in architecture through time, where each monument or pagoda has a different design accordingly to its time. Other forms of art come from artisans that are well known for their woven skills and lacquerware.

Language and Religion

Most of the linguistic group in Myanmar are monosyllabic and polytonal, similar to those of Tibet and China. The official Myanmar language is spoken by the majority of the population, including many of the ethnic minorities. About 15% of the population speaks Shan and Kayin. As Myanmar just opened up, English is spoken only among the educated and the country have a sizable number of people that speaks Chinese.

In terms of religion, more than 86% of the population in Myanmar are Buddhist; most of them adhere to the school of Buddhism, as Buddhist in neighboring countries like Thailand. Buddhism makes up a big part of people in Myanmar as their way of life is influenced through the teachings of Buddha. The everyday practice of Buddhism is a well-developed culture of animism and the worship of spirits known as Nats. On the other hand, Christians (mostly Baptists) make up to around 15% of the population and there is a significant number of Muslims as well. Different religions are mostly welcomed in Myanmar as in cities like Yangon, you will be able to find pagodas, churches, and mosques within a mile radius.