Yangon

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**Yangon**
Demographics
Yangon
Burmese:	ရန္ကုန္
- IPA	[jàngòun mjoṵ]
- MLCTS	ran kun mrui.
Admin. division:	Yangon Division
Area:	400 sq m km²
Population:	5,000,000(nearly) (2007)^{[citation needed]}
Coordinates:	16°48'N, 96°09'E
Mayor:	Brigadier General Aung Thein Lynn
Ethnicities:	Bamar, Anglo-Burmese, Burmese Chinese, Burmese Indians, Kayin
Religions:	Buddhism, Christianity, Islam

Yangon (Burmese: ရန္‌ကုန္‌မ္ရုိ့, population 5,000,000(nearly) (2007 census)^{[citation needed]}, formerly Rangoon, is the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma). The city is located at the convergence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers about 30 km (19 mi) 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. 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]

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 corruption of the pronunciation of "Yangon" in the Arakanese dialect of Burmese.

Yangon had been a model city in Southeast Asia. Three kinds of roads were incorporated into the design. Roads running west to east were broad roads 160 feet wide. Roads running south consisted of two small 30 feet wide roads, one medium-sized road 50 feet wide, two more 35 feet wide roads and then one broad 100 feet wide road. This order was repeated from west to east. The smaller roads were numbered, while the medium and broad roads were given names, some for eminent persons of that time.

As laid down, there was the 100 feet wide Lanmadaw Road, followed by 17th and 18th street, which were small roads, then the medium 58 feet road Sint-O-Dan Road, next the smaller 19th and 20th streets, followed by 100 feet wide Latha Road, followed again by the two numbered small roads 21st and 22nd streets.

The roads running parallel west to east were the Strand Road, Merchant Road, Dalhousie Road (Maha Bandoola), Fraser Road, (Anawrahta) and Montgomery Commissioner Road (Bogyoke Aung San).

After leading of Military Leader General Ne Win from 1962, Yangon is relatively undeveloped as compared to other major cities in Southeast Asia. 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.^[3] New Towns (မ္ရုိ့သစ္) and other suburban areas, such as Thaketa Township continue to be impoverished.

Yangon is a member of Asian Network of Major Cities 21.

Downtown Yangon In The Evening

1 History
2 Administration
- 2.1 Administrative divisions
3 Climate
4 Culture
- 4.1 Cultural sites
- 4.2 Mugal Road
5 Economy
6 Transport
7 More photos
8 References
9 Notes
10 External links

[edit] 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, and Anglicized the name to "Rangoon." 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 following the Second Anglo-Burmese War, planned by military engineers Fraser and Montgomerie, and developed by the Public Works Department and the Bengal Corps of Engineers. In addition, the British introduced a westernised educational system to Burma, establishing major colleges, such as Government College (merged with Judson College to form the 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 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. By the early 1900s, Rangoon had public services and infrastructure on par with London.^[4]

A view from the Custom House on Dalhousie Street (now Mahabandoola Garden Street) showing the extent of the damage in Rangoon during World War II.

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; after independence, the population became more Bamar. (Note: Currently, ethnic minority populations in the city are gradually increasing). Because of the dismantling of the colonial policies that encouraged Indian and Chinese immigration, as well as the departure of most of the Caucasian population with its intermixing with the local Bamar, the presence of these ethnicities has dwindled significantly. The English name Rangoon was officially changed in 1989 to Yangon, at the same time as many names throughout the country were changed. While this change does reflect the correct pronunciation of the city in the local dialect, it was nonetheless controversial because the military junta that changed the name is not officially recognised as legitimate by some governments and citizens. For example, the United States government still maintains the usage of the old names of "Rangoon" and "Burma". At the same time, street names were changed to Burmese names. 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 the 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.

As of mid-2006, residents living in certain townships of Yangon have been required to hang family photographs (of members inhabiting a home) for security purposes.^[5] Likewise, residents of Yangon must keep a list of family members.^[5] Visitors and guests living in the homes of Yangon residents must register with local authorities prior to moving in.^[6]

[edit] Administration

Yangon City Hall (YCDC)

Yangon is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). YCDC also coordinates urban planning.^[7] 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.

[edit] Administrative divisions

Districts of Yangon

Yangon Municipality's jurisdictions are inclusive of 32 townships. Myo-thit (lit. "New Towns", or satellite towns) are not within such jurisdictions.

[edit] Western District (Downtown)

Ahlone Township
Bahan Township
Dagon Township
Kyauktada Township
Kyeemyintdine Township
Lanmadaw Township

[edit] Lanmadaw Township

Lanmadaw Township (Burmese: လမ္‌းမတော္‌မ္ရုိ့နယ္‌‌; MLCTS: lam: ma. taw mrui. nai; IPA: [lánmədɔ̀ mjo̰ʊnɛ̀]; population 37,339; abbreviated LMDW) is one of 34 townships in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Myanmar. It is located in downtown, formally known as the Western District. Encompassing an area of 0.543 square miles, Lanmadaw Township shares borders with Latha Township in the est, Ahlone Township in the west, Seikkan Township in the south, and Dagon Township in the north. The township has a large population of ethnic Chinese and contains 17 joss houses (Burmese bon-chaung). The Ministry of Energy has headquarters in Lanmadaw Township.

Latha Township
Pabedan Township
Sanchaung Township
Seikkan Township

[edit] Eastern District

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

[edit] Northern District

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

[edit] Southern District

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

[edit] Climate

Yangon has an equatorial monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification system.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °C (°F)	31 (89)	34 (94)	36 (97)	37 (99)	33 (92)	30 (86)	29 (85)	29 (85)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (89)	31 (88)	32 (90)
Avg low temperature °C (°F)	18 (65)	19 (67)	21 (71)	24 (76)	25 (78)	25 (77)	24 (76)	24 (76)	24 (76)	25 (77)	22 (73)	19 (67)	22 (73)

Source: Weatherbase

[edit] 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 Institutes of Medicine in Myanmar are located in Yangon.

[edit] Mugal Road

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Mughal Road, pronounced Ma-gho in Burmese, is an important part of Downtown Yangon and the centre of the Indian community in Yangon. It was renamed like many other places in Myanmar, to Shwe Bone Thar (Golden and Beautiful Place) Road in 1989. The area is inhabited by both Indians Hindus and Muslims of Persian descent. Many of its inhabitants were brought there by the British when they conquered Lower Burma. There is a large mosque on each of the three blocks, and several Hindu temples. About three minutes walk from Mughal Road is St. Mary's Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Yangon. The famous Bogyoke Market forms the northern border of Mughal Road, while the wharfs along the Yangon River form its southern limit. The road was named in honour of Zafar Shah, the last Mughal Emperor, Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar, or Bahadur Shah II, who was exiled to Yangon by the British.

In the upper block, antique and coin venders line the street, mingling with people selling second-hand equipment, DVDs, VCDs and Indian snacks. In the middle of the block, sign board makers, opticians and gem dealers occupy much of the available shops, competing with clinics for space. The lower block contains some government offices, apartment blocks and shops.

[edit] 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 (also known as the Irrawaddy 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.^[8]

[edit] 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 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, Japan and China). Drivers travel on the right side of the road. 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. After Burma obtained 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 → Mahabandoola Road
Lower Kemmendine Road → Lower Kyimyindi 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 → Than Lwin Road
Windsor Road → Shin Sawpu Road
Stevenson Road → Hledan Road
Fraser Road → Anawratha Road

[edit] 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	Shwedagon Pagoda, a landmark of Yangon	Ngahtatgyi Buddha image
Downtown Yangon In The Evening	Central Yangon	Taxi at Yangon City Hall	Yangon River Jetty