Myanmar

Burmais the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia.

History

The British began conquering Burma in 1824 and incorporated the country into the British Raj in 1886. Burma was administered as a province of British India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. The country achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 4 January 1948, as the "Union of Burma". It became the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" on 4 January 1974.

Location

The country is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest.

One-third of Burma's total perimeter, 1,930 kilometers (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline.