Mingalaba! Welcome to the “Golden Land”—Myanmar (formerly Burma), a culturally rich nation in Southeast Asia that borders five countries and the Bay of Bengal. There are around 55 million people living here, and the capital is Naypyidaw, a massive, planned city, though Yangon remains the largest city and the main economic heart. The official language is Burmese, which uses a beautiful, circular script.

Myanmar covers about 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles). To imagine its size, the country is roughly the same size as the state of Texas in the U.S., or about the same size as France. It is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia, stretching from the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas in the north to the tropical beaches of the Andaman Sea in the south.

The most popular sports are Football and Chinlone, a traditional non-competitive sport where players keep a rattan ball in the air using their feet and knees in a dance-like way. Their national animal is the Green Peafowl, though the Tiger is also a significant national symbol.

The flag consists of three horizontal stripes of yellow, green, and red with a large white five-pointed star in the center, where the yellow represents solidarity, the green stands for peace and tranquility, and the red symbolizes courage and decisiveness.

The food is a delicious intersection of Southeast Asian and South Asian flavors. You must try Mohinga, the national dish, which is a savory fish soup with rice noodles, ginger, and lemongrass, typically eaten for breakfast. Another favorite is Lahpet Thoke, a unique fermented tea leaf salad mixed with roasted peanuts, fried beans, and toasted sesame. You’ll also find that meals are often served with a variety of small side dishes and fresh vegetables.

Myanmar is home to Bagan, an ancient archaeological zone featuring more than 2,000 Buddhist pagodas and temples dating back to the 9th century. In Yangon, you can see the Shwedagon Pagoda, a 99-meter tall golden stupa that is considered the most sacred site in the country. On Inle Lake, the local Intha people are famous for their unique “one-legged rowing” technique, where they stand on the stern of their boats and wrap one leg around the oar. Interestingly, both men and women in Myanmar commonly wear Thanaka, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark that protects the skin from the sun.

From the floating gardens of the Shan hills to the white sands of Ngapali Beach, Myanmar is a land of shimmering gold and deep-rooted traditions. Jesun tin ba de! That means “Thank you!”