Myanmar 🇲🇲
Myanmar is a country in Asia with a population of 54,179,306. Its capital is Naypyidaw. The official currency is MMK, and the main languages are Burmese.
Quick facts
- Capital: Naypyidaw
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 54,179,306
- Area: 676,578 km²
- Density: 80.1 people per km²
- Currency: MMK
- Languages: Burmese
- ISO code: MM
Where Myanmar sits
Myanmar 🇲🇲 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Naypyidaw. It covers 676,578 square kilometres — 39th in the world — and is home to about 54,179,306 people, 26th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Myanmar compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Myanmar sits closest to Kenya and Colombia. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Afghanistan and South Sudan.
At 80.1 people per square kilometre it is somewhat above the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Burmese is listed as official in Myanmar alone. The MMK is used by Myanmar and no one else.
To see Myanmar next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Myanmar
Naypyidaw means 'royal capital' or 'abode of kings'. It replaced Yangon as the capital in 2005-2006, so if a quiz offers Yangon (or Rangoon), that is the old answer. For the flag, a big white star on yellow-green-red, like a star over a field at sunset.
The flag of Myanmar: yellow, green and red, with a white star
🇲🇲 The flag is three horizontal stripes of yellow, green and red with a large white five-pointed star in the centre. Yellow stands for unity and happiness, green for peace and a green, fertile land, red for bravery and decisiveness, and the white star for purity, honesty and compassion.
Region and neighbours
Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. It shares land borders with 5 countries: Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand.
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Laos 🇱🇦 — capital Vientiane
- Thailand 🇹🇠— capital Bangkok
Three facts about Myanmar
- The country was called Burma in English until 1989, and both names are still used.
- Yangon, the former capital, is still the largest city and home to the gold-covered Shwedagon Pagoda.
- Bagan, an ancient city with thousands of Buddhist temples on the plains beside the Irrawaddy River, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sources: Wikipedia: Myanmar, Wikipedia: Flag of Myanmar, Wikipedia: Naypyidaw, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Myanmar
- Asian capitals quiz — match Myanmar to Naypyidaw
- Asian flags quiz — spot the Myanmar flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Myanmar
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Myanmar those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Naypyidaw
- Myanmar capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Myanmar
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Myanmar
- Capital of Myanmar: Naypyidaw — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Myanmar flag?
The flag of Myanmar is three horizontal stripes of yellow, green and red with a large white five-pointed star in the centre. Yellow stands for unity and happiness, green for peace and a green, fertile land, red for bravery and decisiveness, and the white star for purity, honesty and compassion.
Which countries border Myanmar?
Myanmar shares land borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand.
How can I remember the capital of Myanmar?
Naypyidaw means 'royal capital' or 'abode of kings'. It replaced Yangon as the capital in 2005-2006, so if a quiz offers Yangon (or Rangoon), that is the old answer. For the flag, a big white star on yellow-green-red, like a star over a field at sunset.