Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, Myanmar is a state in Southeast Asia that borders the People’s Republic of China, Laos, Thailand, India, and the Indian Ocean. The Mergui Archipelago is located in the south of Myanmar.
The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, often also called Burma or Burma, has around 51 million inhabitants on an area of 676,578 square kilometers.
The country’s largest city – Rangoon – was also the capital of Myanmar for a long time, but the government is now in Naypyidaw. Another metropolitan area in Burma is the city of Mandalay in the center.
The Shan highlands with elevations of up to 2500 meters extend in the east, the Arakan-Joma Mountains behind the marshland along the southwest coast even have mountains up to 3000 meters high. At the border between Myanmar, India and China lies the highest mountain in Southeast Asia, Hkakabo Razi, at 5881 meters. A sunken mountain landscape off the coast has created around 800 islands.
The journey to Myanmar usually takes place via Bangkok. The required visa must be applied for in advance, either at the responsible consulate in Germany or at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok. Numerous online service providers also arrange the Myanmar visa very conveniently, but comparatively expensive. From Frankfurt, Mandalay is around 8,000 kilometers, and Rangoon around 8,450 kilometers as the crow flies.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Myanmar.
Climate in Myanmar
Myanmar is largely under the influence of the Indian monsoons. As a result, there is a tropical climate with only three seasons, which are caused by the change of monsoon winds. The north-eastern part of the country, however, is not in the direct area of influence of the monsoons. A subtropical climate is predominant there.
In the months from November to February a dry and cool climate is common as the northeast monsoon blows from the dry and cool Central Asia. During this period it is mostly very sunny in the whole of Myanmar, but not completely free of rain. It gets very hot in March and April, from May to the end of October, it is the rainy season in Myanmar.
During this time the southwest monsoon blows from the Bay of Bengal, which brings high humidity and again more moderate temperatures. The western flanks of the mountains receive abundant precipitation, which can lead to a blanket of snow at heights above 2000 m. Tropical cyclones can occur in the summer months.
In the plateaus in the east and north of the country and on the coast there is a comparatively high amount of precipitation. In the former capital Rangoon, up to 2,600 mm of rain falls during the rainy season, in Moulmein even up to 4,800 mm per year. Less precipitation falls in the inland plains. Mandalay with 840 mm annually and the northern Irrawaddy Basin with 400 mm receive comparatively little rainfall.
When to go to Myanmar
The best time to travel to Myanmar is between the end of October and the end of February, as you will now find pleasant temperatures and little rainfall throughout Burma. When traveling to the Hillstations or the Rakhine Coast, which is located in northwest Myanmar, we can also recommend the months of March to May as a suitable travel time.
The months of March and April are generally very dry, but in many parts of Myanmar they are already unbearably hot and therefore difficult to travel to. A trip from May to October is not recommended, because during the rainy season in Burma there can be heavy precipitation every day and the air is uncomfortably humid.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Myanmar).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Rangoon | January, February, November and December |
| Mandalay | January, February, November and December |
| Myitkyina | January, February, March, November and December |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Yangon (Myanmar)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 32 ° C | 35 ° C | 36 ° C | 37 ° C | 33 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C |
| Night temperature | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 22 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 24 ° C | 22 ° C | 19 ° C |
| Water temperature | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 5 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 303 | 547 | 559 | 602 | 368 | 206 | 60 | 7 |
| Hours of sunshine | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| Sunrise | 6:35 | 6:30 | 6:15 | 5:50 | 5:35 | 5:30 | 5:40 | 5:50 | 5:55 | 6:00 | 6:10 | 6:25 |
| Sunset | 17:50 | 18:10 | 18:15 | 18:20 | 18:30 | 18:40 | 18:40 | 18:30 | 18:10 | 17:45 | 17:30 | 17:35 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Rangoon is 27.5 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is April (30.6 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 25 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Rangoon is 29 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 2681 mm. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of May, June, July, August, September and October are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 2585 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Yangon.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, November is the sunniest month with an average of 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 6.8 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Hlegu.
Highlights and attractions
Myanmar offers a great deal of attractions. You can visit the largest and probably most valuable stupa in the world in the former capital, Rangoon. Other highlights in Burma are the more than 2000 sacred buildings from four centuries in Bagan, the Golden Rock near Kyaikto in Mon State, the city of Mandalay and Inle Lake with the floating gardens.
In Mandalay you can marvel at the second heaviest free-hanging and ringable bell in the world. The particularly beautiful Ngapali Beach is located in the west of Rakhine State and is one of the most popular travel destinations in Myanmar. Until a few years ago, there were no ATMs or card payments in Myanmar. This is slowly changing as the number of tourists increases, but we strongly recommend a cash reserve.
