76 images Created 29 May 2014
Myanmar - Burmese People, Places and Events
My original motive for visiting Myanmar was to gain access to some of the remaining wild regions, but as that was not possible on this trip I had plenty of time to become acquainted with the people, and how friendly and hospitable they are, even though very few can speak English. I overcame my disappointment of not being able to photograph the flora and fauna by immersing myself in the people and their Buddhist culture, and they proved to be the most willing and photogenic photographic subjects. Apart from in a few of the more remote hill villages I never felt uncomfortable trying to photograph the people, and the children were especially willing, and many of them have become familiar enough with cameras to want to hold the camera and take photos themselves! Everywhere I travelled people were happy to smile at me and exchange the common Burmese greeting of “mengalava.”
The Burmese government identifies 8 major ethnic races including 135 distinct ethnic groups, which includes the predominant Bamar (68%), Shan (9%), Kayan (7%), Rakhine (4%), Mon (2%), Kayah, and Kachin. However the classification system is flawed, because it groups ethnic groups under ethnic races by geography, rather than by linguistic or genetic similarity. Unrecognised ethnic groups include Burmese Indians (2%) and Chinese (3%), and the remaining 5% of the population belong to small ethnic groups such as the remnants of the Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian communities, as well as the Lisu, Rawang, Naga, Padaung, Moken, and many minorities across Shan State. Burmese is the official language spoken by 65% of the population but there are multiple languages including Shan (6.4%), Karan (5.2%) Kachin (1.8%), Chin (1.6%) and English is still spoken by the urban elite, and is the secondary language taught in schools. During my time in Myanmar there was the first official census since 1983 when the population was over 35 million. As of 2012 it is estimated to have increased to over 60 million.
The Burmese government identifies 8 major ethnic races including 135 distinct ethnic groups, which includes the predominant Bamar (68%), Shan (9%), Kayan (7%), Rakhine (4%), Mon (2%), Kayah, and Kachin. However the classification system is flawed, because it groups ethnic groups under ethnic races by geography, rather than by linguistic or genetic similarity. Unrecognised ethnic groups include Burmese Indians (2%) and Chinese (3%), and the remaining 5% of the population belong to small ethnic groups such as the remnants of the Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian communities, as well as the Lisu, Rawang, Naga, Padaung, Moken, and many minorities across Shan State. Burmese is the official language spoken by 65% of the population but there are multiple languages including Shan (6.4%), Karan (5.2%) Kachin (1.8%), Chin (1.6%) and English is still spoken by the urban elite, and is the secondary language taught in schools. During my time in Myanmar there was the first official census since 1983 when the population was over 35 million. As of 2012 it is estimated to have increased to over 60 million.
