Bamar People and Agriculture in Myanmar

Bamar People in Myanmar

• In 2014, the Bamar population was about 36.39 million, which is 70.6% of Myanmar's total population.
• The Bamar primarily live in the:
  • 7 regions
  • Nay Pyi Taw Union Territories
  • 7 provinces
• They live mixed with all ethnic groups.

Traditional Bamar Business Practices

• Traditional economy is based on agriculture.
• Agriculture includes cultivation, upland agriculture, and horticulture.
• Cattle are commonly used for cultivation.
• Buffalo and modern farming tools are also used for cultivation.
• Rice is the main cultivated crop.
• Additional crops include:
  • Wheat
  • Sesame
  • Peanut
  • Sunflower
  • Millet
  • Corn or maize
  • Potatoes
  • Pepper
  • Sugar cane
  • Thanaka
  • Beans
  • Vegetables
  • Farm crops such as tea, betel leaves, betel nut, coffee
  • Tobacco leaves
  • Industrial raw materials such as jute, cotton yam, rubber Virginia medicine
• Other business traditions include:
  • Raising:
    • Chicken
    • Pig
    • Duck
    • Quail
    • Goat
    • Buffalo
    • Cattle
  • Domestic industries
  • Iron fabric
  • Bronze casting industry
  • Gold shift industry
  • Textile industry
  • Gold and silver embroidering
  • Goldsmith
  • Silversmith businesses
• Other businesses include:
  • Making Myanmar instruments
  • Stone quarrying
  • Weaving
  • Bird's nest industry
  • Pottery industry
  • Pearl industry
  • Freshwater and saltwater fishing
  • Blacksmithing
  • Prospecting
  • Mining
• Metal exploration is also a means of income.
• Traditional Bamar clothes are made by handlooms.
• The total agricultural land in the regions and territories where Bamar live is about 5,751,000 hectares.
• Most of the agricultural land is farmland.
• The rest is Kaingkyun land and garden land.
• Cattle are used for farming.
• They raise buffalo, pigs, chickens, and goats of mixed breeds.
• Forested area inhabited by the Bamar totals over 7,352,301 hectares.
• Teak trees grow in the forest.
• Timber, hardwood, honey, and forest products are available.
• Wood mills are primarily in:
  • Sagaing Region
  • Mandalay Region
  • Magway Region
  • Yangon Region
  • Cities along the Irrawaddy River
  • Towns along the railway line
• Big wood mills are also in:
  • Bago
  • Taungoo
  • Pyay
  • Paung Tae
  • Nattalin in Bago Region
• Found in towns along the railway are small mills.
• The Plywood factory is in Sua city and the paper factory is in Yae Ni City.

Mineral Production

• Minerals mined include:
  • Gold from Kyaukpu Htou region, Kolin Township in Sagaing Region
  • Coal from Kalewa region
  • Copper from the west bank of the Chindwin River
  • Marbles from the marble mill in Mattayar, Mandalay Region
  • Ruby from Mokok township
  • Sapphires
• Mineral products produced in Bago Region:
  • Oil
  • Natural gas
  • White clay
  • Laterite
• Oil from the Irrawaddy Region:
  • Extracted from Shwe Pyi Thar and Htan Tapin oil fields near Cane Bay (Kyankhin) township.
• Natural gas:
  • Obtained from Shwe Pyi Thar and Aphyaut.
• In Tanintharyi Region, tin and copper are mined, refined at the Ka Myaw Kin metallurgical plant near Dawei, and sent to the Thanlyin tin metal refinery.
  • Natural gas is produced offshore.
• Natural power plants and electricity are located in:
  • Alone
  • Hlawga in Yangon region
  • Pyay
• Hydropower plants are located in:
  • Bago Region
  • Mandalay Region
  • Magway Region
  • Nay Pi Taw Union Territory
• Electricity is distributed to all parts of Myanmar.
• Rice mills are in 7 regions.
• Large rice mills are in Irrawaddy Region and Yangon Region, where rice is grown in large amounts.
• Large wheat mills are in Yangon Region.
• Sesame oil mills:
  • Found in large areas of Mandalay Region and Magway Region, where sesame is widely planted.
• Bean separators are found in every town in Magway Region.
• Food and consumer goods manufacturing:
  • Beer and liquor factories in Mandalay Region
  • Separators, vermicelli factory, noodle factory, tube ice machines, juice machines, and coffee grinder factory.
  • Factories producing food products and garment factories are in Yangon Region.
• Flourishing industries:
  • Freshwater fish and shrimp industry, Halawa industry in Irrawaddy Region
  • Refrigeration machines that pack shrimps and fish, tube ice machines, durian jam, pineapple jam, Dhani Syrup and sugar industries in Tanintharyi Region

Consumer Product Factories

• Included are:
  • Marble slab mill in Mattayar in Mandalay Region
  • Furniture industries
  • Garment factories
  • Handloom industries
  • Umbrella and shoe industries
  • Lacquerware in Nyaung Oo in Bagan
• Traditional domestic industries in Mandalay:
  • Stone carving
  • Bronze casting
  • Gold shift business
  • Gold and silver embroidering
  • Goldsmithing
  • Silversmithing
  • Making Myanmar instruments
• Factories in Yangon region:
  • Insein Railway locomotive factory
  • Ywama iron and steel factory
  • Danyingone car factory
  • Myanmar Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Factory (MPF) in Gyogone
• Shipyards:
  • Kamayut, Alone, Dawbone, Dala, And Botahtaung townships
• Thanlyin industries:
  • Oil refineries
  • Glass industry
  • Tin metal refineries
• State-owned factories in Bago Region in the west of the Irrawaddy River:
  • Large-scale industries in Sintae in Pataung township, Htone Bo and Nyaung Chae Daut.
• State-owned factories in Irrawaddy Region:
  • Pathein glass mill
  • Plywood machine
  • Cement plant in the Kyan Kin

Tourism

• The following are visited by tourists and pilgrims:
  • Kaunghmudaw pagoda in Sagaing City
  • Swan Oo Pon Nya Shin pagoda
  • The pagodas in the foothills of Sagaing Mountain in Sagaing Region
  • Moenyin Thambuddhe Pagoda
  • Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung
  • Alaungdaw Kathapa Pagoda in Monywa
  • Maha Myat Muni Pagoda
  • Mandalay hill
  • Jade Stupa Mandalay Region
  • The old town of Ava
  • Stone pagodas and temples
  • Ananda Pagoda and Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan - Nyaung Oo
  • Bagan ancient cultural area
  • The Shwe Set Taw Pagoda
  • The Sandalwood Kyaung Dawyar Pagoda
  • The Myathalun Pagoda in Magway Region
  • The Shwemawdaw Pagoda
  • Kanbawzathadi palace in Bago Region
  • Tharay-Khit-taya and the cities of Taungoo
  • Shwedagon Pagoda
  • Sule Pagoda
  • Botahtaung Pagoda
  • Hlawga National Park in Yangon Region
  • Shwe Mou-htaw Pagoda in Pathein and the beaches of Chaung Thar and Ngwe-Saung in Irrawaddy region
  • Shin Ko Shin Pagoda and Maungmagan Beach in Dawei in Tanintharyi Region
  • Upata Santhi Pagoda and Safari Park in Nay Pi Taw area
• The presence of famous stupas, natural scenery, and recreational beaches mean the area is favorable for tourism development.

Cities and Communication

• The routes of railway, roads, and air are connected from the center of Nay Pyi Taw to Yangon, Mandalay and various parts of Myanmar.
• Nay Pi Taw is the administrative capital of Myanmar:
  • Located in the Nay Pi Taw Union Territory.
• Yangon is the former capital of Myanmar:
  • Now the commercial city and main economic region.
  • Is a seaport city and an intersection of road, land, and air routes.
  • The routes of land, railway, and air are connected from Yangon to Nay Pi Taw – Mandalay and all parts of Myanmar.
  • Tourism is developing gradually.
• Mandalay is an economical, industrial, and commercial developed city:
  • Is also an intersection of road, land, and air routes.
• Prominent regional and agricultural capitals which export minerals and industrial products:
  • Sagaing
  • Magway
  • Bago
  • Pathein
  • Dawei
• Kawthaung:
  • Border town in southernmost Myanmar, bordering Thailand.