Myanmar People: 10 interesting things you should know

Myanmar is a country with huge tourism potential. The people of Myanmar are cute and hospitable. If you are considering traveling to Myanmar, let’s find out the interesting facts about Myanmar people.

Where are Burmese people from?

Burmese people refer to Bamar people, the dominant ethnic group in Burma. The Bamar are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group of Southeast Asia. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy River basin and speak the Burmese language, which is the sole official language of Myanmar at a national level. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with the broader Burmese culture.

The Burmese-speaking people first migrated from present-day Yunnan, China to the Irrawaddy valley in the 7th century. Over the following centuries, the Burmese speakers absorbed other ethnic groups such as the Pyu and the Mon. A 2014 DNA analysis shows that Burmese people were “typical Southeast Asian” but “also with Northeast Asian and Indian influences”; and that the gene pool of the Bamar was far more diverse than other ethnic groups such as the Karen.

They are closer to the Yi and Mon people than to the Karen.
Ninth century Chinese sources indicate that Sino-Tibetan speaking tribes were present near today’s Irrawaddy River. These tribes were considered ancestors of Bamar people.

How do you address someone in Myanmar?

To address a grown person older than oneself, a Burmese person would use “U” for adult males and “Daw” for adult females. For addressing younger males or male peers, the titles “Ko” or “Maung” are used, and for younger females or female peers, “Ma” is used.

What do you call a person from Myanmar?

Thus, Myanmar is a country inhabited by the Bamars plus many minorities; and the Bamars and minorities are collectively known as Myanmar people. … Citizens of Burma, regardless their ethnicity, are known as “Burmese”, while the dominant ethnicity is called “Burman”.

What language do they speak in Myanmar?

The official language is Burmese, spoken by the people of the plains and, as a second language, by most people of the hills. During the colonial period, English became the official language, but Burmese continued as the primary language in all other settings.

How many ethnicities are in Myanmar?

There are 135 ethnic groups in the country but Rohingya Muslims are rendered stateless and stripped of citizenship. Myanmar officially recognizes 135 ethnic groups but Rohingya Muslims have been rendered stateless and stripped of their citizenship.

What is the largest ethnic group in Myanmar?

Bamar people are the predominant ethnic group at 68% of the Myanmar population. They dominate Myanmar’s government and the military. The other ethnic minorities make up the remaining 32% of the population. Some of the ethnic minorities include Shan, Kayin, Rakhine, and Karen.

What language do they speak in Myanmar?

The official language is Burmese, spoken by the people of the plains and, as a second language, by most people of the hills. During the colonial period, English became the official language, but Burmese continued as the primary language in all other settings.

How many natives are in Myanmar?

54.5 million people (as of 2020). The Burmans make up an estimated 68% of Myanmar’s 51.5 million people. The country is divided into seven Burman-dominated regions and seven ethnic states.

• 68% Bamar
• 9% Shan
• 7% Karen
• 4% Rakhine
• 3% Chinese
• 2% Indians
• 2% Mon
• 5% others

How many cities are there in myanmar?

Myanmar has 2 cities with more than a million people, 20 cities with between 100,000 and 1 million people, and 44 cities with between 10,000 and 100,000 people. The largest city in Myanmar is Yangon, with a population of 4,477,638 people (as of 2020).

How many languages are spoken in Myanmar?

There are 111 languages are spoken in Myanmar and official language of Myanmar is Burmese.

Is Myanmar language difficult?

Burmese is a Difficult Language! The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has made a list to show how long it takes to learn a specific language for an English speaker. In that list Burmese is in the Group of Category 4 languages and it is estimated it takes at least 1100 hours to reach general proficiency in speaking and reading. This compares to 600 hours for Spanish. However on the positive side, it is still faster to learn Burmese than e.g. Chinese or Arabic which will set you back approx. 2200 hours!

Some photos of Myanmar People