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Myanmar Fast Facts

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Updated 9:05 AM ET, Fri September 7, 2018

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The Burmese make a big deal of the New Year. Thingyan (known as the "water throwing festival") takes place this year from April 13-16. During the festival everyone throws water at each other. Staying dry isn't an option. Water symbolizes the washing away of the previous year's bad luck and sins.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
New Year celebrations last four days – The Burmese make a big deal of the New Year. Thingyan (known as the "water throwing festival") takes place this year from April 13-16. During the festival everyone throws water at each other. Staying dry isn't an option. Water symbolizes the washing away of the previous year's bad luck and sins.
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Along the Andaman Sea, Ngapali Beach is Myanmar's top beach resort area. Much of the surrounding countryside remains undeveloped. Best of all, the sunsets are killer.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
Myanmar has fantastic beaches – Along the Andaman Sea, Ngapali Beach is Myanmar's top beach resort area. Much of the surrounding countryside remains undeveloped. Best of all, the sunsets are killer.
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Poor condition of railway tracks means carriages get shaken about. This makes for a bouncy ride, but trains are still a great way to see the country. Myanmar's trains are slow and have a reputation for running late. The most reliable route, Yangon to Mandalay, takes about 16 hours, assuming no delays.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
The trains are seriously bumpy – Poor condition of railway tracks means carriages get shaken about. This makes for a bouncy ride, but trains are still a great way to see the country. Myanmar's trains are slow and have a reputation for running late. The most reliable route, Yangon to Mandalay, takes about 16 hours, assuming no delays.
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A typical Burmese meal includes steamed rice, fish, meat, vegetables and soup and all the dishes arrive at the same time. Locals use their fingertips to mold rice into a small ball and then mix it with various dishes.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
The food is delicious – A typical Burmese meal includes steamed rice, fish, meat, vegetables and soup and all the dishes arrive at the same time. Locals use their fingertips to mold rice into a small ball and then mix it with various dishes.
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Myanmar has lots of Internet cafes. The connections are just brutally slow. Mobile phones are more popular than the Internet. In June, US$15 SIM cards for mobile phones are expected to be made available to foreigners.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
Mobile phones trump the Internet – Myanmar has lots of Internet cafes. The connections are just brutally slow. Mobile phones are more popular than the Internet. In June, US$15 SIM cards for mobile phones are expected to be made available to foreigners.
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After decades under a repressive military regime, the Burmese are showing a healthy appetite for news. In the past, all publications had to submit stories to the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division for approval. Censorship was phased out in 2012 and at the beginning of 2013 the bureau was formally abolished.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
The press is flourishing – After decades under a repressive military regime, the Burmese are showing a healthy appetite for news. In the past, all publications had to submit stories to the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division for approval. Censorship was phased out in 2012 and at the beginning of 2013 the bureau was formally abolished.
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There are few ATMs in Myanmar, so visitors need to bring plenty of U.S. dollars. The higher the denomination, the better the exchange rate. This whole stack of kyat (pronounced "chat") is worth about US$20.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
You'll need plenty of clean, new bills – There are few ATMs in Myanmar, so visitors need to bring plenty of U.S. dollars. The higher the denomination, the better the exchange rate. This whole stack of kyat (pronounced "chat") is worth about US$20.
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When the Burmese want to get a waiter's attention they make a kissing sound, usually two or three short kisses. It's the sort of sound you might make if calling a cat. Myanmar's national beer is cleverly called ... Myanmar Beer.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
A kissing sound gets you a beer – When the Burmese want to get a waiter's attention they make a kissing sound, usually two or three short kisses. It's the sort of sound you might make if calling a cat. Myanmar's national beer is cleverly called ... Myanmar Beer.
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Room rates in Myanmar shot up 350% last year, which means that a room that cost US$25 a night in 2011 now goes for almost US$100. New hotels are being built, but the hotel shortage is expected to continue five to 10 years. Book accommodation well ahead.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
Hotel rooms are pricey and tough to score – Room rates in Myanmar shot up 350% last year, which means that a room that cost US$25 a night in 2011 now goes for almost US$100. New hotels are being built, but the hotel shortage is expected to continue five to 10 years. Book accommodation well ahead.
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The traditional Burmese dress is the longyi, a wraparound skirt worn by men and women. Men tie theirs in the front and women fold the cloth over and secure it at the side. Here, a longyi-clad visitor walks inside the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
The men wear skirts – The traditional Burmese dress is the longyi, a wraparound skirt worn by men and women. Men tie theirs in the front and women fold the cloth over and secure it at the side. Here, a longyi-clad visitor walks inside the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
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Chewing betel nut is a national pastime. Small street stalls, like this one in Mandalay, selling the palm-sized green leaves are everywhere. The leaves are filled with betel nut, spices and sometimes a pinch of tobacco, then folded and popped in the mouth and chewed.
Photos: 11 things to know before visiting Myanmar
The people with red teeth aren't vampires – Chewing betel nut is a national pastime. Small street stalls, like this one in Mandalay, selling the palm-sized green leaves are everywhere. The leaves are filled with betel nut, spices and sometimes a pinch of tobacco, then folded and popped in the mouth and chewed.
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(CNN)Here's a look at Myanmar, a country in southeast Asia formerly known as Burma.

About Myanmar:
(from the CIA World Factbook)
Area: 676,578 sq km (slightly smaller than Texas)
Population: 55,123,814 (July 2017 est., taking into account excess mortality from AIDS)
Median age: 28.2 years
    Capital: Naypyidaw
    Read More
    Ethnic Groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
    Religion: Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, Other 0.2%, None 0.1%
    GDP (purchasing power parity): $332.3 billion (2017 est.)
    GDP per capita: $6,300 (2017 est.)
    Unemployment: 4% (2017 est.)
    Other Facts:
    Prono: MEE'-an-mar
    Myanmar shares borders with China, India, Laos, Bangladesh and Thailand.
    The United States officially still calls the country Burma.
    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there were more than 849,000 stateless and internally displaced people in Myanmar in 2017, down from 1.3 million in 2016.
    The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State thought to number about one million people at the beginning of 2017. Myanmar does not recognize them as citizens or one of the 135 recognized ethnic groups living in the country. According to Human Rights Watch, laws discriminate against the Rohingya, infringing on their freedom of movement, education and employment.
    According to the UN's International Organization for Migration, 706,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August 25, 2017, bringing the total Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh to 919,000 (As of July 2018).
    Timeline:
    1824-1886 - Burma becomes part of British India after fighting three wars with Great Britain over 62 years.
    January 1947 - After negotiating with the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), Great Britain agrees to give Burma its independence.
    July 1947 - AFPFL leader Aung San is assassinated.
    January 4, 1948 - Burma gains independence from the United Kingdom.
    March 1962 - The military government is established under Ne Win after a bloodless coup.
    August-October 1988 - Mass anti-government demonstrations take place throughout Burma. The official Radio Rangoon figure is 450 dead; the actual number is believed to be much higher.
    September 1988 - Gen. Saw Maung takes over in another military coup.
    1989 - Burma changes its name in English to Myanmar and the name of the capital from Rangoon to Yangon.
    May 1990 - General elections are called by the junta. Aung San Suu Kyi's party wins easily, but the military refuses to hand over power.
    April 23, 1992 - Gen. Than Shwe replaces Saw Maung as head of the junta.
    July 23, 1997 - Myanmar joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
    March 2006 - Naypyidaw becomes the new administrative capital.
    August 19, 2007 - Protests break out in Yangon after the government raises petroleum and diesel prices by 100%.
    September 22, 2007 - In her first public appearance in over four years, Suu Kyi greets monks as they march past her house in Yangon.
    September 24, 2007 - Buddhist monks lead about 100,000 in the largest anti-government demonstrations since 1988.
    September 26, 2007 - As protests continue, Myanmar security forces crack down - clubbing and gassing protestors and arresting as many as 200 monks.
    September 30, 2007 - Special UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari meets with Suu Kyi and with military officials (separately) to attempt to resolve the situation.
    October 20, 2007 - The UN General Assembly approves a resolution condemning the government crackdown and asking for the release of political protesters.
    May 2, 2008 - A cyclone kills more than 70,000 people. The UN later estimates that more than two million people are severely affected by the storm.
    May 20, 2008 - It is announced that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be allowed to tour the devastated area hit by the cyclone. Also shipments of aid barred from coming into the country will be allowed in.
    June 5-10, 2010 - More than 4,000 ethnic Karen leave Myanmar for Thailand after clashes between the Karen National Union rebel group and the Myanmar army.
    June-July 2010 - Floods and landslides kill 68 people and displace thousands.
    October 22, 2010 - Cyclone Giri hits Myanmar, leaving at least 27 people dead and close to 75,000 homeless.
    November 7, 2010 - Myanmar holds its first elections in 20 years. The Union Solidarity and Development Party, backed by the military, claims victory with 80% of the votes.
    November 13, 2010 - Opposition leader Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.
    January 31, 2011 - Myanmar convenes its first parliament in more than two decades in the capital, Naypyidaw.
    February 4, 2011 - The parliament elects Prime Minister Thein Sein as president. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party boycotts the elections, calling it a sham.
    March 30, 2011 - A civilian government is sworn in to replace the military junta.
    October 12, 2011 - Dozens of political prisoners are released as part of a mass amnesty.
    November 30, 2011 - Hillary Clinton arrives in Myanmar, the first visit by a US secretary of state in more than 50 years.
    December 13, 2011 - The National League for Democracy is granted permission to register for future elections in Myanmar.
    April 1, 2012 - Suu Kyi wins a seat in parliament in the first multi-party elections since 1990.
    April 13, 2012 - British Prime Minister David Cameron arrives in Myanmar. He is the first British prime minister to visit the country.
    April 28, 2012 - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton meets with Suu Kyi. The EU has suspended most of the sanctions it had imposed on Myanmar, citing the "transparent and credible" election that brought Suu Kyi to office and other reforms.
    April 29, 2012 - UN Secretary-General Ban arrives in Myanmar to meet with President Thein Sein and Suu Kyi.
    May 2, 2012 - Suu Kyi takes the oath of office for Myanmar's parliament, resolving an impasse that had been preventing her from taking her seat in the legislature. She and 33 other newly elected members of the National League for Democracy had been delaying their swearings-in due to objections to the wording of the oath they would have to take.
    June 2012 - Unrest breaks out in the western state of Rakhine. Religious violence leaves more than 200 dead and close to 150,000 homeless -- predominantly members of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
    November 19, 2012 - US President Barack Obama becomes the first sitting US president to visit Myanmar. He meets with President Thein Sein and activist Suu Kyi.
    March 10, 2013 - Suu Kyi wins re-election as Myanmar's leader of the National League for Democracy.
    March 22, 2013 - A state of emergency is declared as ethnic clashes between Muslims and Buddhists lead to killings.
    May 2, 2013 - US President Obama extends sanctions against Myanmar for one year while lifting the 1996 visa ban.
    April 7, 2014 - The UN's Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, reports that the recent persecution of the Rohingya group "could amount to crimes against humanity."
    May 15, 2014 - Obama extends sanctions against Myanmar for another year.
    May 15, 2015 - Obama extends sanctions against Myanmar for another year.
    August 3, 2015 - Authorities say that heavy monsoon rains in the past month have left at least 47 people dead and displaced more than 200,000.
    August 7, 2015 - Government officials say that the death toll from the flooding has risen to 88 and 330,000 others have been affected.
    November 13, 2015 - The Myanmar election commission announces that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party has won the majority in the nation's first democratically held parliamentary elections. They will choose the country's next president.
    March 15, 2016 - Myanmar's parliament elects Htin Kyaw as the country's new president. Htin Kyaw was elected to the position by 360 votes, more than a third of the parliament's available 652 votes.
    October 9, 2016 - About 300 men armed with knives, pistols and swords attack border posts in Rakhine State, killing nine police officers. Rakhine State is home to a large population of Rohingya Muslims. The attacks spark an intense crackdown by the Myanmar military, which they call "clearance operations" in the Rohingya villages to find the suspects involved, and to retrieve their weapons.
    February 3, 2017 - A UN report alleges Myanmar's security forces are waging a brutal campaign of murder, rape and torture in Rakhine State. Aye Aye Soe, a spokeswoman for the Myanmar government, says the government has seen the report and is "very concerned about the allegations" and will investigate.
    August 25, 2017 - Myanmar's state media reports 12 security officers were killed during a series of coordinated attacks targeting at least 20 police outposts and an army base in Rakhine State. An insurgent group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, formerly known as Harakat al-Yaqeen -- or "Faith Movement" -- claims responsibility for the attack on Twitter. In response to the attacks, Myanmar's military renews an offensive inside the state against what it says are "terrorists."
    September 11, 2017 - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein says the continuing Myanmar military operation against the minority Rohingya people appears to be a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," but the full humanitarian situation in Rakhine State can't be fully assessed because of Myanmar's refusal to give access.
    September 19, 2017 - In a 30-minute televised address from Nyapyidaw, Suu Kyi does not denounce alleged atrocities against the Rohingya community and claims the government needs more time to investigate the exodus of more than 400,000 members of the group from Myanmar. Amnesty International describes the speech -- in which Suu Kyi only once refers to the Rohingya by name -- as a "mix of untruths and victim blaming."
    December 12, 2017 - According to a report released by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), at least 6,700 Rohingya died as a result of violence in Rakhine state between August 25 and September 24.
    March 12, 2018 - Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee says that Myanmar's ongoing crackdown on the Rohingya may amount to genocide. She states, "I am becoming more convinced that the crimes committed following 9 October 2016 and 25 August 2017 bear the hallmarks of genocide and call in the strongest terms for accountability."
    March 21, 2018 - The government announces President Htin Kyaw has resigned due to poor health.
    March 28, 2018 - Myanmar's parliament elects Win Myint as the new president.
    March 31, 2018 - The UN announces that Myanmar and the UN have reached a deal to work together to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence in the country in the last year.
    May 22, 2018 - An Amnesty International report finds members of the Rohingya militant group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) allegedly massacred dozens of men, women and children, execution-style in Hindu villages in Myanmar's Rakhine State in August 2017.
      December 2017 - Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone are detained after working on an investigation on the mass killing of a number of Rohingya villagers in Myanmar's Rakhine state.
      September 3, 2018 - After being convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act during their investigation, Kyaw and Wa are sentenced to seven years hard labor by a Myanmar court. Reuters stands by the reporters, with editor-in-chief Stephen Adler saying, "They were just doing their jobs. They were operating with integrity, with freedom from bias."