BURMA, a country of southern Asia, bounded on the N. by Assam and Tibet, on the E. by Chinese territory and Siam, elsewhere mainly by the Bay of Bengal; area, about 230,000 square miles. It is country—Rangoon, Bassein, Moulmein, Akyab, etc. The Irrawaddy is of great value as a highway of communication and traffic, being navigable beyond Bhamo, near the Chinese frontier, or over 800 miles. In their lower courses the rivers often overflow their banks in the rainy season. Though its resources are almost entirely undeveloped, the country, as a whole, is productive. es pecially in the lower portions. Here grow rice, sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, indigo, etc. Cotton is grown almost amber, and jade are also obtained. Among wild animals are the elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, deer of vari ous kinds, and the wild hog. Among domestic animals arc the ox, buffalo, horse, and elephant. The rivers abound with fish. The most common fruits are the guava, custard apple; tamarind, everywhere; tea is cultivated in many of the more elevated parts. The forests produce timber of many sorts, including teak, which grows most luxuriantly, and is largely exported. Ironwood is another valuable timber; and among forest prod ucts are also the bamboo, cutch, sticklac, and rubber. Burma has great mineral wealth—gold, silver, precious stones, iron, marble, lead, tin, coal, petroleum, etc.; but these resources have not yet been much developed. The chief pre cious stone is the ruby, and the mines of this gem belong to the crown. Sapphire, pine, orange, banana, jack, and mango. The yam and sweet potato are culti vated, and in some parts the common po tato. The climate, of course, varies ac cording to elevation and other circum stances, but, as a whole. is warm, though not unhealthful, except in low, jungly districts. The rainfall among the mountains reaches as high as 100 inches per annum.
The population may be stated at about 12,000.000, made up of a great variety of races besides the Burmese proper, as Talaings, Shans, Karens, etc. The Bur mese proper are of a brown color, with lank, black hair (seldom any on the face), and have active, vigorous, well proportioned frames. They are a cheer ful, lively people, fond of amusement, averse to continuous exertion, free from prejudice of caste or creed, temperate and hardy. The predominant religion is Buddhism. Missionaries are active in their efforts, but the Christian faith has not yet made much progress in the coun try. Polygamy is permitted by Buddhist law, but is rare, and is considered as not altogether respectable. Divorce is easily from India) are more or less circular. There is a considerable literature.
Burma is now divided into Lower Burma and Upper Burma, the former till 1886 being called British Burma, while the latter till that date was an independent kingdom or empire. Lower Burma was acquired from Independent Burma in 1826 and 1852 as the result of two wars terminating in favor of Great Britain. It comprises the divi
sions of Aracan, Pegu, Irrawaddy, and Tenasserim; area, 87,473 square miles; pop. about 3,000,000. Under British rule obtained. Women in Burma occupy a much freer and happier position than they do in Indian social life. They go about freely, manage the household and make successful women of business, con ducting not merely retail trades but also large wholesale concerns. Education is very general, one of the chief occupa tions of the monks in the numerous monasteries being the teaching of boys to read and write. Many of these mo nastic schools are under government in spection. The Burmese are skillful weavers, smiths, sculptors, workers in gold and silver, joiners, etc. The ordi nary buildings are of a very slight con struction, chiefly of timber or bamboo raised on posts; but the religious edifices are in many cases imposing, though the material is but brick. Carving and gild ing are features of their architecture. The Burmese language is monosyllabic, like Chinese, and is written with an al the characterA of which (derived it has prospered greatly, the population and trade having increased immensely, there being regularly a large surplus revenue. Roads, canals, and railways have been constructed and other public works carried out, as also public build ings erected. The total foreign trade is valued at over $120,000,000. The chief city and port is Rangoon, which is now connected by railway with Mandalay in Upper Burma.
The government is administered by a lieutenant-governor, and a legislative council of 19 members.
The Burmese Empire is of little note in ancient or general history. Since the 16th century the Burmese proper have mostly been the predominant race, and ruled the Peguans, Karens, etc., through out the country. The capital has at dif ferent times been at Ava, Pegu, Prome, or elsewhere. In the latter half of the 18th century the Burmese Emperors be gan a series of wars of conquest with China, Siam, and Assam, through which they greatly enlarged the Empire. This brought them into contact with the Brit ish, and, in 1824, war was declared against them on account of their en croachments on British territory and their seizure of British subjects. The war terminated in the cession of the provinces of Aracan and Tenasserim to the British. Peace continued for some years, but latterly various acts of hos tility were committed by the Burmese, and, in 1852, the maltreatment of Brit ish subjects occasioned a second war, at the end of which the British possessions were extended to include the whole of Pegu. The third and last war occurred in 1885 in consequence of the arrogance and arbitrary conduct of King Theebaw. The result was that Upper Burma was annexed to the British Empire by proc lamation of the Viceroy of India, Jan. 1, 1886. The area thus annexed was about 200,000 square miles, of which half be longed to the Kingdom proper, and half to the semi-independent Shan states.