Yangon

Template:Infobox Burmese city Yangon (Burmese: ရန္‌ကုန္‌မ္ရုိ့, population 4,082,000 (2005 census), formerly Rangoon), is the largest city of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and its former capital. The city is located at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers, and is about 30 km (19 mi) away from the Gulf of Martaban. Yangon is located at 16°48' North, 96°09' East (16.8, 96.15), and its standard time zone is UTC/GMT +6:30 hours. In November 2005, the military junta began relocating the capital to Naypyidaw, Mandalay Division which was officially named as the new capital on 26 March 2006^[1].

As compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia, Yangon is relatively undeveloped. Construction is booming, mostly through the influx of foreign investment (from Singapore and China). Many multi-storied residential and commercial buildings (taik) have been reconstructed or remodelled throughout Downtown and the Greater Yangon areas. Yangon has the largest number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia today.^[2] Government offices inside colonial buildings (e.g. High Court, City Hall, Bogyoke Market and General Hospital) have been listed for renovation. New Towns (မ္ရုိ့သစ္) and other suburban areas, such as Thaketa Township continue to be impoverished.

Yangon is a combination of the two words yan (ရန္) and koun (ကုန္), which mean "enemies" and "run out of" respectively.

History

Yangon was founded as Dagon in the 500s by the Mon, who had dominated the lower portions of present-day Myanmar at the time. Dagon was a small fishing village centred about the Shwedagon Pagoda. In 1753, King Alaungpaya conquered Lower Burma, and renamed Dagon, "Yangon". The city was destroyed by a fire in 1841, and suffered extensive damage in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852.

The British Empire seized Yangon in 1852, and transformed it into the commercial and political hub of Burma. As Lower Burma became integrated into British India, the city's present boundaries were established, with the Cantonment's streets (Downtown) paved in a chessboard fashion along the eastern banks of the Yangon River. In addition, the British introduced a westernised educational system in Burma, establishing major colleges, such as Judson College (modern-day Yangon University) and the Theological College for Karens (modern-day Myanmar Institute of Theology). In addition, many religiously-affiliated boarding schools were built in order to teach English, Anglo-Burmese and Christian Karen children. During the colonial period, Rangoon's main industries were rice and timber, although other exports, such as raw cotton, precious stones, cheroots, and ivory were also exported.

Rangoon was heavily damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 1930, and again during World War II. After the war, it retained its position as capital of Myanmar. Before WWII, Indians formed the majority in Rangoon; however, after independence, the population became more Bamar. (Note: Nowadays, the size of the population of ethnic minorities is gradually getting larger). Because the colonial policies that encouraged Indian and Chinese immigration, as well as Caucasian intermixing with the local Bamar were dismantled, their presence has dwindled significantly. The English name Rangoon was officially changed in 1989 to Yangon. This is controversial, however, because the military junta that changed the name is not officially recognised as legitimate by some governments. For example, the United States government still maintains the usage of Rangoon, as well as Burma. Likewise, street names were renamed in Burmese. However, many locals continue to use British names for major streets. In 1996, to protect some colonial buildings under government jurisdiction, the Burmese government devised a "Heritage List", of buildings to preserve. Yangon was site of the World Buddhist Summit in December 2004, which was attended by over 1,000 monks and world leaders including Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand. On 6 November 2005, the junta began its move from Yangon to the newly-developed city of Naypyidaw, 320 km north in Mandalay Division. The motives for this were unclear, although it has been suggested that the regime moved further inland for a better position in the event of an Iraq-style invasion. Other theories include easier control of Karen, Shan, and Chin States, and that the regime wanted a capital free from foreign telecommunications.

Administration

Yangon is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). The city is divided into four districts. The districts combined have a total of 32 townships. The mayor of Yangon currently is Brigadier General Aung Thein Lynn. Each township is administered by a committee of township leaders, who make decisions regarding city beautification and infrastructure.

Administrative divisions

File:Yangoncitydistrictsmap.png

Districts of Yangon

Yangon Municipality's jurisdictions are inclusive of 32 townships. Myo-thit (New Towns) are not within such jurisdictions.

Western District (Downtown)

Ahlone Township
Bahan Township
Dagon Township
Kyauktada Township
Kyeemyintdine Township
Lanmadaw Township
Latha Township
Pabedan Township
Sanchaung Township
Seikkan Township

Eastern District

Dagon Seikkan Township
East Dagon Township
North Dagon Township
North Okkalapa Township
South Dagon Township
South Okkalapa Township
Thingangyun Township
Botahtaung Township

Northern District

Hlaing Township
Hlaingthaya Township
Insein Township
Kamayut Township
Mayangone Township
Mingaladone Township
Pazundaung Township
Shwepyitha Township

Southern District

Dala Township
Dawbon Township
Mingalataungnyunt Township
Thaketa Township
Tamwe Township
Yankin Township
Seikkyi Kanaungto Township

Culture

The vernacular language of Yangon is Burmese. English is widely spoken in the urban areas of the city, and is predominantly spoken among those of the elder generation and educated Burmese.

The City is famous for the "Golden Pagoda's of Rangoon."

Yangon is home to the oldest university in Myanmar. A former affiliated college of the University of Calcutta, Yangon University was officially founded as a separate institute of higher learning in 1920. Two of the four Institutes of Medicine in Myanmar are located in Yangon.

Economy

Yangon is the economic centre of Myanmar. The majority of imports and exports come through Yangon, mostly through the Yangon River (Hlaing River), which merges with the Ayeyarwady River, the main river of Myanmar. In 2004, the government authorised Shanghai Jingqiao Export Processing Zone Development Corporation to create plans for Myanmar's largest Special Economic Zone, to be built in Thanlyin Township, adjacent to Thilawa Port. The plans were finished in 2006, and approval is pending.^[3]

Transport

All international air travel arrives at the Yangon International Airport, which is located about 19 km (12 mi) from Downtown Yangon. Buses are cramped with daily commuters. An archaic railroad extends to upper Myanmar. Cars, although expensive, have become increasingly more common on Yangon's streets, and there is much traffic congestion. The government regularly places restrictions on car imports. As a result, the black market is the primary source of used and new cars (which primarily come from Thailand and China). In addition, because the government rations petrol, the majority of cars utilise both government-supplied and black market-supplied gasoline. Within Yangon, it is illegal to drive trishaws, bicycles, and motorcycles.

More photos

Downtown Yangon, facing Sule Pagoda and Hlaing River
Sule Pagoda at night
Downtown Yangon by night
Karaweik Palace on Kandawgyi Lake
Downtown flats
The High Court as seen from Mahabandoola Garden

The High Court as seen from Mahabandoola Garden
Shwedagon Pagoda, a landmark of Yangon
Ngahtatgyi Buddha image

References

The Popular Encyclopedia or Conversation Lexicon. Blackie & Son, 1890.

Notes

^ "Burma's new capital stages parade". BBC News. 2006-03-27. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
^ Martin, Steve (2004-03-30). "Burma maintains bygone buildings". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-05-22.
^ Parker, Clive (May 2006). "Rangoon Bets on Business". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2006-05-22.

External links

[1] "Burma's new capital stages parade". BBC News. 2006-03-27. Retrieved 2006-08-03.

[2] Martin, Steve (2004-03-30). "Burma maintains bygone buildings". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-05-22.

[3] Parker, Clive (May 2006). "Rangoon Bets on Business". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2006-05-22.

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