Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia bordered by India, Bangladesh, China and Thailand. It was long considered a pariah state while under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 to 2011. However, even though its more recent government is led by veteran opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, it is still struggling with its global reputation on account of the country’s oppression of half a million Muslim Rohingyas who have been driven to neighbor Bangladesh.
The Himalayan mountain range extends to mountain chains such as the Rakhine Yoma within Myanmar. The mountain chains divide Myanmar’s river systems, which include the Irrawaddy, Myanmar’s longest river. Much of the country lies within the monsoon region of south asia, receiving approximately 98.4 inches of rainfall annually. Its largest cities are Yangon and Mandalay.