Geography
The country has total land area of about 676,577 Sq. Kilometers. It borders with Bangladesh and India on the north-west , China on the north and north-east , Laos on the east , and Thailand on the east and south-east. Total length of coastline is 2832 Kilometers on the Indian Ocean.
Major rivers are Ayeyawaddy , Chindwin , Sittoung and Thanlwin. Ayeyawaddy serves not only as a major transport routes but also as a very important source for the agriculture. The Ayeyawaddy division which is indeed a flooded areas of Ayeyawaddy river is the biggest rice growing region in the country.
The central areas consists of vast plains and rivers. The only prominent highland in the central region is Bago mountain range. The highland mountain areas can be seen on the eastern and southern areas bordering Thailand , on the northern Kachin state bordering China , on the western areas bordering Bangladesh and India. The highest peak is Hkakabo Razi , in Kachin state , located 3 Kilometers from the border with Tibet ( China ) . The snow capped Khakabo Razi which is 5881m ( 19,296 Ft ) high is also the highest peak in south east Asia.
About half of Myanmar is covered with forests , but if various kinds of logging operations continue at current rates , widespread deforestation will be inevitable.

Climate
Myanmar enjoys a tropical climate with three general seasons.
Rainy season : May to October : wet and hot in the central region ; Bago, Yangon and Ayeyawaddy divisions and other lowland areas.
Cool season : November to February which is the best time to visit Myanmar. The temperature in highland areas can be very low.
Hot season : February to May : Temperatures can be as high as 39ºC during day time in the central region , however highland areas offer comfortable summer retreat.

The people

Total population in 1996 is about 47 millions with the growth rate of 1.88%. Out of total population , 65% are Bamars ( Burmese ), and the rest are Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Mon, Kayah, Chinese, Indian, and others. In fact there are at least 135 groups with their own languages and dialects living in the country.
More than 85% follow Theravada Buddhism , others are of Christianity, Muslim, Animism, etc.
The official language is Myanmar . English is fairly understood in the cities and tourist areas. In the far-flung mountain areas people often use their own language for daily communication.

Entry Requirements
28 days tourist visas can be obtained at any Myanmar embassy or consulate abroad for a fee. Valid passport and three passport sized photos are required. Two types of visa are available : FIT ( Foreign Independent Traveler ) visa holders are required to purchase US$ 200 worth of Foreign Exchange Certificate ( FEC ) upon arrival Myanmar. The rate is  1 US$ = 1 FEC. For Package Tour Visa holders no purchase of FEC is required. To get Package Tour Visa, a confirmation letter of your booking at a tour operator ( in Myanmar ) is required when applying visa at a Myanmar embassy. Please see the Myanmar embassies / consulates locations abroad.

Visa on arrival. This is new !
Now travelers can get visa on arrival Yangon airport. Travelers need to inform full names, gender, nationality, passport number, and occupation of each of them to their travel agency in Yangon at least 2 weeks before the arrival date. The travel agency in Yangon has to apply for the visa on arrival permission. It also need to inform the incoming air carrier to allow the travelers board on their flight to Yangon without having Myanmar visa. Visa on arrival fee is US$ 20 / person. And each tourist need to exchange US$ 200 into FEC's 200 units in Yangon airport.

Border Crossing
With a border pass , tourists coming from Yunnan ( China ) have been allowed to enter Lweje, Namkhan, Muse, Kyukok and Kunlong in Shan state. Organized groups can travel to Yangon via Lasho and Mandalay. On Thai-Myanmar border , tourists can enter Tachilek ( opposite Mae Sai in Thailand ) and travel to Kengtung. From Kengtung organized groups can travel to Sipxhaungbana in Yunnan. Day return Thai-Myanmar cross border traffic is allowed at Myawady ( opposite Mae Sok in Thailand ) , Three Pagoda Pass ( Sankhalaburi in Thailand ) and Kawthaung ( opposite Ranong in Thailand )

Currency
Myanmar currency is known as Kyat ( pronounce Chat ). Present usable denominations are : Ks. 1000 , 500 , 200 , 100 , 90 , 50 , 45 , 15 , 10 , 5 and 1. Licensed money changers can help you exchange FEC's into local Kyats. Only major hotels and a few restaurants accept credit cards.

Health Issue
No immunization are formally required , although malaria propnylaeis is often recommended by personal physicians. Occasionally typhoid , hepatitis , tetanus and Japanese encephalitis vaccinations are also recommended.
Drink only bottled or boiled water. All hotels as well as good restaurants supply bottled water.

Electricity
The electrical outlets are rated at 230 Volts , 50 Cycles. However black out and low voltage are not uncommon even in the cities.

Time
Myanmar standard time is GMT + 6.5 Hours.

Business Hours
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 14:00 pm, and government offices on week days only from 09:30 am to 16:30 pm. Shops are generally open longer but their hours vary.

What to wear
Casual and light clothing is recommended all year round. A light sweater or jacket will be useful during the cool season, and a heavy sweater when traveling in the hilly areas. Visitors are requested to dress decently in religious places and to remove their footwear before entering religious buildings such as Temples , Pagodas and monasteries.

Shopping
You are advised to buy gems, jewelry and silverware at the authorized shops where you will be given a voucher with a permit for export.

Food
Myanmar Food
The basic Myanmar food is mainly rice and curry. Some Myanmar curries are spicy, and there is always fish paste in many forms with salad. Soups mostly made of vegetables is taken together with rice and other dishes. The famous Myanmar breakfast : "Mohinga" is rice noodles with fish gravy. And "Ohn-No-Khaukswe" is noodles with coconut and chicken curry.
Seafood
Seafood is available almost everywhere in the country.
Other Food
Chinese food both Cantonese and Fukienese are popular in almost everywhere along with a variety of Indian Food. European , Thai , Japanese and Korean Food are available only at hotels and specific restaurants.