Myanmar

In brief

Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia. Its capital is Naypyidaw. With 54.9 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 27th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 676,578 km². It shares land borders with Bangladesh, China, India, Laos and Thailand.

GDP per capita stands at $1,489 (2025), 163rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years (2024). 31% of the population lives in cities.

History of Myanmar

The Pagan kingdom, founded in the 11th century, covered the plain of Bagan with thousands of temples. After the Toungoo and Konbaung dynasties, Burma was conquered by the British in the 19th century and attached to British India. Independent on 4 January 1948, it came under military rule in 1962. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. After a democratic opening in the 2010s, the army seized power again on 1 February 2021, and the country has since been in civil war. In 2017 the crackdown on the Rohingya drove hundreds of thousands to flee.

Geography of Myanmar

The Irrawaddy valley forms the heart of the country, between the Himalayan foothills in the north, where Hkakabo Razi (5,881 m) is the highest peak in South-East Asia, and the Andaman Sea in the south. In the east, the Shan plateau holds Inle Lake.

Map of Myanmar

Download the map (SVG)Interactive world map

Flag of Myanmar

The flag of Myanmar is red, white, green and yellow. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Yellow33%
• Red32%
• Green25%
• White10%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Yellow, green and red, with a large white star in the centre, adopted in 2010. Yellow evokes solidarity, green peace and nature, red courage; the star, the union of the country.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Myanmar” and “Flag of Myanmar”.

See also: flags with a star.

Download the flag (SVG) All 2 red, white, green and yellow flags All the flags of the world

Fact file

Economy and society