Rangoon
ရန်ကုန်
Rangoon |
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Downtown Yangon |
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| Motto: Rangoon Purum Manaw Ra Man |
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Location of Yangon, Burma (Rangoon) |
| Coordinates: 16°48′N 96°09′E / 16.8, 96.15 |
| Country |
Burma (Myanmar) |
| Admin. division |
Yangon Division |
| Settled |
6th century AD |
| Government |
| - Mayor |
Brigadier General Aung Thein Lynn |
| Area |
| - City |
400 sq mi (1,036 km²) |
| - Urban |
222.4 sq mi (576 km²) |
| Population (2007)[1] |
| - City |
6,007,000 |
| - Ethnicities |
Bamar, Anglo-Burmese, Burmese Chinese, Burmese Indians, Kayin |
| - Religions |
Buddhism, Christianity, Islam |
| Area code(s) |
1 |
| Website: www.yangoncity.com.mm |
Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma), and former capital. The city is located at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers about 19 miles (30 km) away from the Gulf of Martaban. At 16°48' North, 96°09' East (16.8, 96.15), its standard time zone is UTC/GMT +6:30 hours.
Yangon is a combination of the two words yan (ရန္) and koun (ကုန္), which mean "enemies" and "run out of" respectively. It is also translated as "End of Strife". "Rangoon" most likely comes from the British imitation of the pronunciation of "Yangon" in the Rakhine dialect of Burmese.
Yangon is relatively undeveloped compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia, but it is one of the greenest and most unpolluted major cities in the region.[2] [3] Yangon has the largest number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia today.[4] In the past two decades, mostly with foreign investment from other Asian countries, many high-rise residential and commercial buildings have been constructed or renovated throughout downtown and Greater Yangon. However, most satellite towns that ring the city continue to be greatly impoverished.
Yangon is no longer the administrative capital of the country. The military junta has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006. [5] However, Yangon with a population of 6 million continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial center, and has been announced as a megacity by its mayor. Yangon is a member of Asian Network of Major Cities 21.
History
Early History
Yangon was founded as Dagon in the 6th century AD by the Mon, who dominated the present day Lower Burma at that time. Dagon was a small fishing village centered about the Shwedagon Pagoda. In 1755, King Alaungpaya conquered Dagon, and renamed it "Yangon". The British captured Yangon during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826) but returned it to Burmese administration after the war. The city was destroyed by a fire in 1841.
Colonial Rangoon (1852-1948)
The British Empire seized Yangon and all of Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, and subsequently transformed Yangon into the commercial and political hub of British Burma. Based on the design by army engineer Lt. Fraser, the British constructed a new city on a grid plan on delta land, bounded to the east by the Pazundaung Creek and to the south and west by the Yangon River. By the 1890s Yangon's increasing population and commerce gave birth to prosperous residential suburbs to the north of Royal Lake (Kandawgyi) and Inya Lake. [6] The British also established hospitals including Rangoon General Hospital and colleges including Rangoon University.
Colonial Yangon, with its spacious parks and lakes and mix of modern buildings and traditional wooden architecture, was known as "the garden city of the East." [7] By the early 20th century, Yangon had public services and infrastructure on par with London.[8]
Before World War II, almost half of Yangon's population was Indian or South Asian, [9] followed by Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian populations.
Yangon incurred heavy damage during World War II.
Image:RangoonStreetView.jpg
A view from the Custom House on Dalhousie Street (now Maha Bandula Garden Street) showing the extent of the damage during World War II.
Contemporary Rangoon (1948-present)
Soon after Burma's independence in 1948, many colonial names of streets and parks were changed to more nationalistic Burmese names. In 1989, the current military junta changed the city's English name to "Yangon", along with many other changes in English transliteration of Burmese names. (The changes have not been accepted by many Burmese who consider the junta unfit to make such changes.)
Since independence, Yangon has expanded outwards. Successive governments have built satellite towns such as Thuwana and Okkalapa in the 1950s to Dagon Myothit (New Dagon) in the 1990s. Today, Greater Yangon encompasses an area covering nearly 400 square miles (1000 sqkm).
During Gen. Ne Win's isolationist rule (1962-1988), Yangon's infrastructure never kept up with its increasing population, and deteriorated severely. In the 1990s, the current military junta's relatively more open market economy saw an influx of investment. Many colonial-period buildings were demolished to make way for high-rise hotels, office buildings, and shopping malls. (In 1996, to protect some colonial buildings under government jurisdiction, the Burmese government devised a "Heritage List".) Some inner city residents were relocated to new satellite towns. Major road-and bridge-building programs were undertaken, including construction of a bridge across the river to Thanlyin and its industrial hinterland. [10] Still, much of Yangon remains without 24-hour electricity and regular rubbish collection.
Yangon has become much more indigenous Burmese in its ethnic makeup since independence. After independence, many South Asians and Anglo-Burmese left. Many more South Asians and Anglo-Burmese were forced to leave during the 1960s by Gen. Ne Win's xenophobic government. Nevertheless, sizable South Asian and Chinese communities still exist in Yangon. The Anglo-Burmese have effectively disappeared, having left the country or intermarried with other Burmese groups.
In November 2005, the military junta designated the newly developed city of Naypyidaw, 200 miles (322 km) north in Mandalay Division as the new administrative capital. The motives for the move remain unclear. At any rate, Yangon remains the largest city, and the most important commercial center of Burma.
Notables
- Rangoon was the site of the Sixth Buddhist Synod in 1954. It was the site of the World Buddhist Summit in December 2004, where over 1,000 monks and world leaders.
- As of 2006, residents in certain townships of Rangoon are required to hang family photographs (of members inhabiting a home) for "security" reasons.[11] Likewise, residents of Rangoon must keep a list of family members.[11] Visitors and guests living in the homes of Rangoon residents must register with local authorities prior to moving in.[12]
Administration
Yangon is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). YCDC also coordinates urban planning.[13] 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. Myo-thit (lit. "New Towns", or satellite towns) are not within such jurisdictions.
Road layout
Central Yangon's road layout follows a grid pattern, based on four types of roads:
- Broad 160-foot (49-m) wide roads running west to east
- Broad 100-foot (30-m) wide roads running south to north
- Two narrow 30-foot (9.1-m) wide streets running south to north
- Mid-size 50-foot (15-m) wide streets running south to north
The pattern of south to north roads is as follows: one broad 100-foot wide broad road, two narrow streets, one mid-size street, two more narrow streets, and then another 100-foot wide broad road. This order is repeated from west to east. The narrow streets are numbered; the medium and broad roads are named. For example, the 100-foot Lanmadaw Road is followed by 30-foot-wide 17th and 18th streets then the medium 50-foot Sint-Oh-Dan Road, the 30-foot 19th and 20th streets, followed by another 100 foot wide Latha Road, followed again by the two numbered small roads 21st and 22nd streets, and so on.
The roads running parallel west to east were the Strand Road, Merchant Road, Maha Bandula (nee Dalhousie) Road, Anawrahta (Fraser) Road, and Bogyoke Aung San (Montgomery) Road.
Climate
Yangon has an equatorial monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification system.
| Weather averages for Yangon (Rangoon), Burma |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Average high °F |
90 |
94 |
96 |
98 |
92 |
86 |
85 |
85 |
86 |
88 |
89 |
88 |
| Average low °F |
64 |
66 |
70 |
75 |
77 |
76 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
72 |
66 |
| Precipitation inch |
0.20 |
0.10 |
0.30 |
0.60 |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
8.10 |
2.40 |
0.30 |
| Average high °C |
32 |
34 |
36 |
37 |
33 |
30 |
29 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
32 |
31 |
| Average low °C |
18 |
19 |
21 |
24 |
25 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
22 |
19 |
| Precipitation mm |
5.1 |
2.5 |
7.6 |
15.2 |
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
205.7 |
61.0 |
7.6 |
| Source: The Weather Channel [14] 4 Jan 2008 |
Culture
The vernacular language of Yangon is Burmese. English is widely spoken among the elder generation and educated Burmese.
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 Universities of Medicine in Burma are located in Yangon.
Media
Television Stations
The main TV Stations are located in Yangon. There are two local TV channels: TV Myanmar and Myawaddy with programs running from 7 am to 9 am; and from 4 pm to 11 pm. Most hotels also have satellite TV. Myawaddy was started on the 27th March, 1995. The average broadcasting hours is about 8 hours per day when it started. But now there's more, MRTV3, MRTV4 and Channel 5.
MRTV 3 - English programs are telecast for viewers in Myanmar from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. The transmission hours for viewers from abroad are from 13:00 P.M. to 14:00 P.M., 18:00 P.M. to 19:00 P.M., and from 02:00 A.M. to 04:00 A.M. It is an English channel for oversea audience. It can be received from 126 countries and is transmitted from Thaicom-3 C Band Global beam. In addition, the Ministry have also broadcast the MRTV3 programs pm the Internet using web based video streaming system via the gateway of Myanma Posts and Telecommunications. It can be accessed on Internet through http://www.mrtv3.net.mm web site.
MRTV 4 - It was launched on (15-5-2004) like a streaming video via satellite. MRTV 4 contains non-formal education programs and other entertainment programs.It can be easily received by UHF antennas.This transmission contains educational programs from Ministries, Burmese movies, English movies with Burmese subtitles, cartoon programs and other entertainment programs. The transmission time is 24 hours. For more quality and convenience, MRTV 4 is now broadcasting with Digital Video Broadcasting Technology (DVBT) terrestrial system.
Channel 5 - Broadcasts movies in different languages such as English, Chinese, Korean, Indian etc ... but all the movies are subtitled in Burmese language. There are great cartoon programs for the children too. There is monthly fees for this service.
Radio
The Myanmar Radio National Service (576 kHz MW, various SW, and 104 MHz FM) broadcasts English on the following schedule: 8:30 am to 9:00am 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm; and 9:00 pm to 10:30 pm. City FM (89.0 MHz) broadcasts from 07:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. daily, starting from January 1, 2002. Myanmar & English songs, Entertainment programs, Live Interviews with Movie Stars are broadcast from this station. Also the traffics and conditional announcement are transmitted via this station.
Newspapers and Magazines
Three morning newspapers Myanmar Ah Lin and Kye mon in Myanmar and The New Light of Myanmar in English are published in Yangon and The Yadanabon News in Myanmar is published in Mandalay. Myanmar Times Journal (English Version) is distributed every Monday, and the Myanmar Version is distributed every Friday. Both journals are published in Yangon. The locally published magazines in English; Golden Myanmar, Myanmar Chronicle, and Myanmar Perspective, are available in bookshops. Foreign newspapers such International Herald Tribune, as Singapore Straits Times. and some foreign magazines and periodicals are available at In-wa (Ava) Bookshop, No.232, Sule Pagoda Road. There are also a number of journals and magazines issued weekly and monthly. Magazines have somewhat taken over the new generation and youth of the past few decades are turning to more Westernized publications dealing with issues such as fashion, the superstar life, and glamour.There are large amounts of paparazzi magazines and fashion publications.
There are a variety of ways to enjoy Yangon through the performing arts. There is also a large number of "cafes", or nightclubs in the city. Yangon has several cinema multiplexes
Museums and art galleries
Yangon national museum is situated on Pyay road. About two miles from downtown Rangoon. It it close to the Indonesian Embassy. In this museum there are exhibition inc Thihathana Palin, National treasure like the cloths and utensils of kings during Kong Baung dynasty. There are also Mya-ze-di Kyaunk Sar(stone inscription written in four languages namely Mon,Pyu,Bamar and Pali) You can find the remains of primates from Pong Taung in this museum also. There are a lot of handicrafts and arts show in this museum.
Concert halls and theatres
- National Theatre
- Myanmar Covention Centre
Nightlife
Most of Yangon's larger hotels offer some kind of nightlife entertainment. Some offer traditional Burmese performing arts shows complete with a traditional Burmese orchestra. The pub scene in larger hotels is more or less the same as elsewhere in Asia. discos, Other options include karaoke bars and pub restaurants in certain places like Yangon Chinatown.
Urban lifestyle
Bogyoke Aung San Market, one of Yangon's oldest shopping places, has also been a tourist hotspot and a hangout for teenagers. Although a major Asian city, the pace of life is somewhat relaxed[citation needed], as the city offers enormous amounts of getaway locations. Many people of the city of Yangon go shopping, hanging out with friends or go to places such as Peoples' Park and Peoples' Square, Kandawgyi Park, Hlawgar Park on weekends. Some people leave the city on weekends to visit beach resorts such as Chaung Tha and Ngwe Saung beaches which are in Ayerwaddy Division. Youths of Yangon tend to stay within the city and use the weekends to relax. Most Yangonites spend their time at the almost ubiquitous tea-shops, which can be found in any corner or street of the city. Religion doesn't play a very influential role in the capital as it does in other cities. A good proportion of the population remains devout and daily offers the monks who walk their neighbourhoods alms. Christians and Muslims live freely throughout the city and there are many churches and mosques in the downtown.
Cultural sites
Economy
Yangon is the economic centre of Myanmar. The currency is known as the kyat. The majority of imports and exports come through Yangon, mostly through the Yangon River (Hlaing River), which merges with the Ayeyarwady River. In 2004, the government authorized Shanghai Jingqiao Export Processing Zone Development Corporation to create plans for Myanmar's largest Special Economic Zone, to be built in Thanlyin, adjacent to the existing Thilawa Port. The approval is pending.[15]
Education
Universities and Colleges
Notable High Schools
Public
- Bahan 2
- Botataung 6
- Dagon 1
- Dagon 2
- Lanmadaw 1
- Lanmadaw 2
- Latha 1
- Latha 2
- Sangyaung 2
- TTC
Private
Health Care
In Yangon, there are several hospitals and clinics. Some of them are under the management of Ministry of Health and the rest are operated privately.
Myanmar has many internationally qualified surgeons and physicians in all branches of medical field. There is, however, a wide range of variability in quality, expertise, expenses and services offered. Frequently medical experts from abroad visit Yangon to take care of medical and surgical cases together with Myanmar counterparts.
Hospitals and Polyclinics
- Yangon General Hospital (Public)
- New Yangon General Hospital (Public)
- Eastern Yangon Hospital (Public)
- Western Yangon Hospital (Public)
- Workers' Hospital (Public)
- Thingangyun Sanpya Hospital (Public)
- Wai Bar Gee Hospital (Public)
- Ywar Tha Gyi Psychiatric Hospital (Public)
- Pun Hlaing International Hospital (Private)
- Shwe Gone Dine Hospital (Private)
- Bahosi Medical Clinic (Private)
- Panglong Polyclinic (Private)
- Asia Royal Polyclinic (Private)
- Jivitadana Sangha Hospital (Private -- for Buddhist clergy)
Transport
Air transport
All domestic and international traffic goes through Yangon International Airport, located 12 mi (19 km) from downtown. The airport recently opened a new passenger terminal to accommodate larger aircraft.
Buses and cars
Motor transportation in Yangon is highly expensive for most of its citizens. First, due to severe restrictions on car imports, car prices in Yangon (and in Myanmar) are among the highest in the world. It is not uncommon to pay an equivalent of 50,000 USD for a 20-year-old Japanese pickup truck. The second contributor is the ever rising cost of petrol. Nonetheless, car usage in Yangon is on the rise, and already causes much traffic congestion. Most people rely on public and private buses, which are always cramped.
Since 1970, cars are driven on the right side of the road in Myanmar. However, as the government has not required left hand drive (LHD) cars to accompany the right side road rules, many cars on the road are still right hand drive (RHD) made for driving on the left side. Japanese used cars, which make up most of the country's imports, are still come with RHD and are never converted to LHD. As a result, the Burmese drivers have to rely on the passengers when passing other cars.
Within Yangon, it is illegal to drive trishaws, bicycles, and motorcycles.
Rail
Yangon Central Railway Station is the gateway to Myanmar's 2,480-mile (3,991 km) rail network whose reach covers Upper Myanmar (Naypyidaw, Mandalay, Shwebo), upcountry (Myitkyina), Shan hills (Taunggyi, Kalaw) and the Taninthayi coast (Mawlamyine, Ye).
A decrepit local commuter rail circuit system connects Yangon's satellite towns. The 28.5-mile (45.9 km) 39-station system is heavily utilized by the local populace, selling about 150,000 tickets daily. The popularity the commuter line has jumped since the government reduced petrol subsidies in August 2007, and rail travel became considerably cheaper than the city bus service.[16]
Changes
After Burma's independence in 1948, many street names were changed, although some continue to be used interchangeably. The following list presents major thoroughfare name changes within Yangon city limits:
- Campbell Road → Ngahtatgyi Pagoda Road
- Dalhousie Street → Maha Bandula Road
- Lower Kemmendine Road → Lower Kyimyindine Road
- Montgomery Street → Bogyoke Aung San Road
- Pagoda Road → Shwedagon Pagoda Road
- Prome Road → Pyay Road
- Upper Phayre Road → Upper Pansodan Road
- Sparks Street → Bo Aung Kyaw Street
- Stockade Road and Judah Ezekiel Road → Theinbyu Road
- Voyle Road → U Wisara Road
- Lancaster Road → Nawaday Road
- Windermere Road → Thanlwin Road
- Windsor Road → Shin Sawpu Road
- Stevenson Road → Hledan Road
- Fraser Road → Anawratha Road
- Lewis Street → Seikkantha Street
- Barr Street → Maha Bandula Park Street
- York Street→ Yaw Mingyi Street
More photos
Yangoon-south.jpg
Downtown Yangon, facing Sule Pagoda and Hlaing River
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Karaweik-Palace.JPG
Karaweik Palace on Kandawgyi Lake
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Shwedagon-Pagode.jpg
Shwedagon Pagoda, a Landmark of Yangon
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Ngatatgyibuddhayangon.jpg
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DSC03791.JPG
Downtown Yangon in the Evening
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References
- The Popular Encyclopedia or Conversation Lexicon. Blackie & Son, 1890.
Notes
- ^ United Nations World Urbanization Prospects, 2005 revision
- ^ http://www.yangoncity.com.mm/index.asp
- ^ http://www.visit-mekong.com/myanmar/
- ^ Martin, Steven. "Burma maintains bygone buildings", BBC News, 2004-03-30. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.
- ^ "Burma's new capital stages parade", BBC News, 2006-03-27. Retrieved on 2006-08-03.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Falconer, John et al. (2001). Burmese Design & Architecture.
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ a b "Rangoon Residents Told to Show Photos", The Irrawaddy, 2006-06-05. Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
- ^ "Lawyer Aye Myint warns oppression could lead to implosion in Burma", Democratic Voice of Burma, 2006-08-24. Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
- ^ Yangon. Asian Network of Major Cities 21. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
- ^ Monthly Averages for Yangon, Burma (English). Retrieved on Jan 4, 2008.
- ^ Parker, Clive. "Rangoon Bets on Business", The Irrawaddy, May 2006. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.
- ^ [5]
External links
ar:يانغون bn:ইয়াংগুন be:Горад Рангун bo:རན་གུང་ bs:Rangoon bg:Янгон ca:Yangon cs:Rangún da:Rangoon de:Rangun et:Yangon es:Rangún eo:Jangono eu:Yangon fa:یانگون fr:Rangoon ko:양곤 hy:Ռանգուն hi:यांगून hr:Rangoon io:Rangoon id:Yangon it:Rangoon he:יאנגון sw:Yangon ht:Yangon la:Iangon lv:Jangona lt:Rangūnas mr:रंगून ms:Yangon nl:Rangoon (stad) ne:रंगुन ja:ヤンゴン no:Yangôn oc:Rangon pl:Rangun pt:Yangon ro:Yangon ru:Рангун scn:Rangoon simple:Yangon sk:Rangún sr:Јангон sh:Yangon fi:Yangôn sv:Rangoon th:ย่างกุ้ง vi:Yangon tr:Yangoon
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