Motorcycle trip

Burma

Geography of Burma

Surrounded by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand and opening out to the Gulf of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, Burma is the biggest country in South-East Asia with an area measuring 1.2 times that of France. The country extends over a length of more than 2 000 km. During a motorcycle trip in Myanmar, you will explore this long inclined plateau, which is surrounded by mountains and deep valleys. Myanmar’s North is the southern point of the Himalayas where Mount Hkakobo Razi (5 881 m), the highest peak of the country, can be found. To the west, the Arakan range brings up the frontier with India. To the East, the mountain ranges of Thailand and Laos extend into the Shan region. The hydrographic system is dominated by Irrawaddy, the large feeding river, 2 710 km in length, with its source in the Himalayan mountains. The country is irrigated from the North to the Sough by the Chindwin, Sittang rivers and above all, the river Irrawaddy, which divides the country into two zones, upper Myanmar and the Lower Myanmar. The latter, situated around Yangon and the Irrawaddy Delta, experiences strong monsoons while around Mandalay, the weather is less humid.

History and culture in Burma

Burma is a fabulous mix of Asian civilizations. One thing stands out during a motorcycle trip in Burma: it is the omnipresent nature of Buddhist religion in everyday life. Though nearly 90 % of the population is Buddhist, the Burmese retain strong animistic beliefs such as the cult of spirits or the Nat. The Burmese population is composed of more than 130 ethnic groups: the Burmese, the Shan, the Arakanese, the Karens, the Mons, etc. In the 9th century, the Burmese established a kingdom with Pagan as the capital. From 1824 onwards, the English colonized the country and established their capital at Yangon. In 1941, Aung San formed the Burmese Independence Army: it was proclaimed independent in 1947. Democracy did not last long before General Ne Win led a military coup and established a socialist military dictatorship which increased the country's vulnerability. Elections were held in 1990 and the Democratic Party of Aung San Suu Kyi, independence leader’s daughter was victorious. She was refused power and placed under house arrest. From 2010 onwards, the military junta softened gradually and the country opened out to tourism and foreign investment. The landslide victory of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party in the 2015 elections marked the first step towards democracy. However the situation has been tainted recently with the rise of extremist Buddhist nationalism which is targeting Muslims, especially the Rohingyas.