Irrawaddy Dolphin
This rare, round-headed dolphin lives in the Irrawaddy River and has been known to work alongside local fishermen, herding fish toward their nets in a remarkable partnership.
Flag of Myanmar
Field Report
Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia, tucked between India, China, and Thailand, shaped a bit like a kite with a long tail stretching down toward the sea. It is home to thick jungles, wide rivers, ancient temple cities, and more than 54 million people from dozens of different ethnic groups. Most people there have never had a chance to hear about Jesus, which makes it one of the most important places in the world to pray for.
From the Field Notebook
Irrawaddy Dolphin
This rare, round-headed dolphin lives in the Irrawaddy River and has been known to work alongside local fishermen, herding fish toward their nets in a remarkable partnership.
Indochinese Tiger
One of the rarest big cats on earth, this tiger still prowls the dense forests of Myanmar's remote hills, moving almost silently through the undergrowth.
Green Peafowl
Unlike the blue peacock most people recognize, the green peafowl has iridescent emerald-green feathers and is considered a national symbol of Myanmar.
Mohinga
Often called Myanmar's national dish, this rich fish-broth noodle soup is eaten by many families for breakfast, warm and savory with a squeeze of lime.
Laphet Thoke
A fermented tea-leaf salad tossed with crunchy fried garlic, sesame seeds, and peanuts — it has a tangy, earthy taste unlike anything most kids in the West have ever tried.
Shan Noodles
From the Shan highlands, these flat rice noodles are served in a mild tomato-and-meat broth and eaten as a simple, filling meal throughout the day.
Myanmar is home to more than 135 distinct ethnic groups, each with its own language, clothing traditions, and customs — making it one of the most culturally layered countries in all of Asia.
The ancient city of Bagan contains over 3,500 Buddhist temples and pagodas spread across a dry plain, many of them built between the 9th and 13th centuries — you can see them stretching to the horizon.
Myanmar only switched from driving on the left side of the road to the right side overnight in 1970, which meant the country woke up one morning to find that most cars suddenly had their steering wheels on the wrong side.
The largest ruby ever recorded came from Myanmar, which has been producing some of the world's finest rubies and sapphires for centuries from mines in a region called Mogok.
Alongside the Western calendar, Myanmar still uses the traditional Buddhist calendar, which counts about 543 years ahead — so the year 2024 in the West is the year 2567 by Myanmar's traditional reckoning.
Daily Life
67
Years life expectancy
94%
Can read and write
98%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Myanmar is home to 229 distinct people groups — 59 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
A majority of Myanmar's people follow Buddhism (76.2%). Evangelical Christians make up about 5.3% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Burmese
29,810,000 people
Shan
4,851,000 people
Rakhine
2,588,000 people
Mon
1,140,000 people
Han Chinese, Mandarin
1,051,000 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.