MYANMAR - ပြည်ထောင်စု သမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်‌

Myanmar (Burmese: မြန်မာ, or Burma), officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is a country in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter. With a size of 676,578 square kilometres (261,228 square miles), Myanmar is the largest of the Mainland Southeast Asian states by area. As of 2017, the population is about 54 million. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city is Yangon (Rangoon). Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.

Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma. In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia. The early 19th-century Konbaung dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British East India Company seized control of the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship under the Burma Socialist Programme Party.

For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country. In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions. There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes. In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics. 

Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land. Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.

Starting in 1854, Burma used the stamps of British India without any form of overprinting. The stamps may be identified by the postmarks used which, after 1856, were specially prepared for Burma post offices. The first stamps of Burma were stamps of British India overprinted BURMA from 1 April 1937. The first stamps inscribed Burma in the design, rather than simple overprints, were definitive stamps depicting King George VI issued between 1938 and 1940. On 6 May 1940 a commemorative stamp was issued to celebrate the centenary of the first postage stamp by overprinting one of the 1938 stamp with the inscriptions "Commemoration Postage Stamp 6th May 1840". During World War II, Burma was occupied by the Japanese between 1942 and 1945. Stamps were issued by the Japanese Army and by the Burma Independence Army in 1942. In 1943 and 1944 stamps were issued by the Burma Government with the permission of the occupying forces. In 1943 separate stamps were also issued for use in the Shan States under Japanese occupation. After the liberation of Burma, normal postal services were gradually restored under a British Military Administration. Pre-war stamps of Burma from 1938 were overprinted MILY ADMN in 1945. When civilian administration of Burma was restored, new stamps were issued in the designs of the stamps from 1938 but in different colours. In 1946 a set of 4 Victory stamps were issued.

In 1947, the 1946 series was overprinted Interim Government in Burmese characters as Burma gained self government. On 4 January 1948 Burma became an independent republic as the Union of Burma and stamps were issued in that name until 1973. From 1974 stamps were marked Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, and from 1990 Union of Myanmar.