Myanmar (also known as Burma) occupies a geographically strategic position where south, southeast, and northeast Asia meet. It shares borders with the world's two largest nations—China and India—and shares a long border with Thailand and smaller ones with Laos and Bangladesh. In terms of land mass, Myanmar is slightly smaller than Texas, making it the largest nation on mainland Southeast Asia. Myanmar is also strategically located near major Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian shipping lanes through which almost one-half of the world's trade passes. Myanmar has magnificent geography consisting of mountains, a long seacoast, fertile valleys, and picturesque cities and towns, but it is susceptible to destructive earthquakes, cyclones, flooding, and landslides during the rainy season (June to September) as well as periodic droughts.

The government of Myanmar has reported the country's population at just over 50 million people. However, other estimates suggest that the...