Myanmar is one of the countries on the Indochinese peninsula. Its southwest coast is touched by the Bay of Bengal and its Irrawaddy Delta in the south contains a network of interconnecting canals and nine prime river mouths. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar is considered as the Golden Land.
Myanmar is known for ancient cities, archaeological sites, temples, zoological gardens, famous Buddhist sites and the Lake of No Return.
Football is the most famous and popular sport in Myanmar.
Besides Football, other sports like Athletics, Weightlifting, Sepaktakraw, Traditional Boat Race, Canoe/ Kayak, Rowing, Wushu, Shooting, Boxing, Volleyball etc. are also famous and popular sports which are practiced by many of the young athletes.
Myanmar traditional sports include Chinlon or Caneball, Boxing, Wrestling (Kyin Wrestling played by Rakhine ethnics group and Chin Wrestling played by Chin ethnics group), Tug of War and Kiting.
It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (200 in) of rain annually. The Dry Zone, which is located in central Myanmar, is less than 1,000 mm (40 in).
Northern regions of the country are the coolest. Its climate is greatly modified by its geographic position and its relief.
The cold air masses of Central Asia bring snow to the northern, but they prevents the cold air from moving further south, so that Myanmar lies primarily under the influence of the monsoon winds. The west coast is subject to occasional tropical storms called cyclones.
Myanmar has three seasons: the cool, relatively dry northeast monsoon), the hot, dry intermonsoonal season, and the rainy southwest monsoon. Elevation and distance from the sea affect temperature as well. Although Myanmar generally is a tropical country, temperatures are not uniformly high throughout the year.
The daily temperature range is greater than in nearly all other parts of Southeast Asia.
A diverse range of indigenous cultures exist in Burma, the majority culture is primarily Buddhist and Bamar. These cultures can be seen in language, cuisine, music, dance and theatre.
In a traditional village, the monastery is the centre of cultural life. Burmese culture is most evident in villages where local festivals are held throughout the year, the most important being the pagoda festival.
Myanmar's traditional culture is an amalgam of folk and royal culture. Buddhism has been a part of Myanmar's culture since the 1st century AD and has blended with non-Buddhist beliefs.
The most conspicuous manifestation of Buddhist culture is the magnificent architecture and sculpture of Myanmar's many temples and monasteries. British colonial rule also introduced Western elements of culture to Burma. Burma's educational system is modelled after that of the United Kingdom.
Wood carving, lacquer work, gold work, silver work, and the sculpting of Buddhist images and mythological figures also survived during colonial rule; there has been a revival of these indigenous art traditions under government patronage.
