Myanmar spans approximately 676,578 square kilometers and is located in Southeastern Asia, and bordered by China to the north and northeast, Lao PDR to the east, Thailand to the southeast, Bangladesh to the west, and India to the northwest. Its coastline stretches 1,930 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Mountainous terrain covers almost 40% of Myanmar. Some notable mountains are the Chin Hills, the Western Plateau/Rakhine Yoma, Bago Yoma, the Eastern Plateau/Shan Plateau, and the Taninthayi Range, which are extensions of the eastern Himalayas.

The country is marked by its ethnic diversity, with major groups including the Bamar (Burmese), Shan, Karen, Rakhine, and Mon. Burmese (Myanmar language) is the official language, and Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion, complemented by significant Christian, Muslim, and Hindu communities. Myanmar’s cultural heritage includes traditional dance, music, and crafts such as lacquerware and weaving, with festivals like Thingyan (Water Festival) and Thadingyut (Festival of Lights) holding cultural significance. 

Fishing remains an important industry, and tourism highlights sites like Bagan, Inle Lake, and Yangon together with agriculture, with rice, pulses, beans, and corn being major crops, alongside notable timber production. Myanmar’s diverse ecosystems include tropical rainforests, river systems, and mountainous regions like the Irrawaddy River Basin and the Shan Plateau. Despite significant forest coverage, deforestation for agriculture and logging pose a threat. In fight against anthropogenic pressures and loss of habitat for wildlife, Myanmar allocated a Protected Forests Estate (PFE) and has established about 44 protected areas, including 3 ASEAN Heritage Parks, to safeguard its rich natural heritage. Approximately 20 million ha of protected areas for around 30% of the whole geographical area and host several threatened species of plants (60 species) and animals (95 species), including Padauk Pterocarps macrocarpus, Tamalan Dalbergia oliveri, Indochinese tiger Panthera tigris corbetti, Myanmar snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus strykeri, and Asian elephant Elaphas maximus.

Myanmar’s biodiversity is both rich and diverse, with approximately 1,155 bird species, 322 species of mammals, 208 species of amphibians, and 380 species of reptiles. Whereas, for plants, an estimated 14,000 species spanning to a variety of trees, shrubs, herbs, ferns, lycophytes and many other plant groups are present in Myanmar.

However, just like any other country in the ASEAN region, this richness is under threat due to significant habitat loss. Forest cover has diminished from about 70% in 1990 to approximately 50% by 2020, a loss driven primarily by logging, agricultural expansion, and infrastructure development. These activities, alongside mining and the impacts of climate change, have led to habitat fragmentation, ecosystem disruption, and reduced forest health. Constant efforts relevant to biodiversity conservation of the terrestrial ecosystem is underway.

Myanmar holds a diverse marine biodiversity and freshwater ecosystem and is notable for its richness and variety of species, hosting 1872 species of reef fish, 320 coral species, and five marine turtles, particularly around the Mergui Archipelago and the Andaman Sea coast. The Salween and Ayeyawady Rivers are significant, while the Chindwin River forms extensive grasslands. Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar’s largest, supports waterbird habitats and rice cultivation and the largest at about 12,000 hectares, supports endangered species and vital migratory waterbird populations. Inlay Lake on the Shan Plateau is known for its floating gardens and the unique leg-rowing Intha people. The country also has numerous smaller and medium-sized lakes, including glacial lakes in the north, which are important for freshwater supply and flood management. Urban lakes provide additional freshwater resources and recreational opportunities.

The marine coastline extends from the Naf River, which serves as the boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar, to Kawthaung, located across the border with Thailand, about 2,831 kilometers to the south. Coastal regions include 5,000 km2 of brackish and freshwater marshes, which serve as crucial biological habitats for the larval and feeding stages of economically and ecologically significant aquatic fauna and flora, including fish and prawns. The mangroves are distributed over many coastal areas, including near estuaries in Rakhine State, Taninthayi Region, and Ayeyawady Region. Additional coastal habitats include intertidal mud and sand flats, crucial for migrating water birds, along with sand dunes and beach forests. The Gulf of Mottama harbors a vast intertidal mudflat, very significant for the survival of the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed sandpiper Calidris pygmaea.