Burma’s Geostrategic Profile

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Population
Historical Conflicts
Climate Change
Religious Ideology
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

Every state has its own features that differentiate it from the others. Geostrategic is a terminology that is used to enhance one’s understanding of geography and politics of a country. The term, which is a subfield of geopolitics, is associated with a foreign policy that is normally guided by the geography of a country. It is, therefore, a means to an end. Geostrategy helps countries to deal with the various issues they face.

The geographical outlook of a country is the mother of strategies that countries use in dealing with various issues affecting them including demographics, politics, topographic, and geologic matters. This paper uses Burma as a case study country in explaining and elaborating various geostrategic concepts of the country. The four concepts that the paper will investigate include climate change, historical conflicts, religious ideologies, and the population of Burma.

Population

Burma is one of the countries that have an averagely high population. As per the 2012 report, the population of the country is currently 54,584,650 (Omundi, 2012, Para. 6). The population consists of the aged, the middle-aged, and children below the age of 14. The population consists majorly of the middle-aged between 15 to 64 years, which is approximated at 18,342,696. The population growth rate is 1.07 % (Omundi, 2012, Para. 7).

Various factors explain this slow population growth rate. These include the increased rate of death of people who are suffering from HIV and other chronic diseases, as well as the high mortality rates among infants. A larger percentage of the population of Burma people live in rural areas. Approximately 34% of the entire population lives in urban centers. These demographics are indispensable for the future strategic planning of the country, as well as foreign countries or interested parties who would like to enter any kind of relationship with the country. The government should come up with a strategy to ensure that people from rural areas access fundamental amenities to live well like those living in urban centers.

Major cities that host many people in Burma include Rangoon, which is the capital city. It has an approximate of 4.259 million people (Omundi, 2012, Para. 9). Other cities include Nayi PyiTaw and Mandalay. Population in the capital city is high and will increase in the future, as many people flock to cities to search for jobs and greener pastures. There is a need for authorities to come up with appropriate plans to deal with the expected increase in population.

In densely populated areas, the crime rate increases, pollution is also experienced due to the high consumption of foods and careless littering. All these issues need to be factored in Burma’s strategic plan to ensure its city is safe and clean. Furthermore, more houses should be built to cater for the increasing number of people or the immigrants who come from various parts of the country and outside the country. Other ethnic groups that live in Burma include Shan, Karen, Chinese, Rakhine, Mon, India, amongst others (Omundi. 2012, Para. 10). Burma is a country that appreciates other communities. The government can woo investors to invest in the country in a bid to promote the growth of its economy because of the diversity of people living there.

Historical Conflicts

Burma has faced or experienced historical conflicts since it gained independence in 1948 from the British colonies. The conflicts in the country are internal. They are associated with different religious and political ideologies. When the government was sworn in, the communist party and supporters rebelled against the newly elected government thus marking the dawn of conflicts in the country. It led to ethnic conflicts in several parts of the country with various states fighting to acquire larger areas. For instance, the Christian Karen movement fought for acquisition of Kawthoolei (Smith, 2007, p. 9). Fighting went on.

The situation was aggravated when the government made Buddhism the official religion of Burma. Other believers from other religious groups were opposed to this move thus leading to conflicts. One of the Muslim community Rohingyas has faced harsh treatment from Burma, as well as the Bangladesh government. The people have been rejected by the two countries despite having stayed in Burma for many years. Many of them have lost lives since 1978. Many have been harassed (Smith, 2007, p. 10). Burma’s government has also faced continuous fight with the Karen rebels who demand their rights as citizens of Burma.

The government entered an agreement with the rebels to negotiate and resolve their problems. There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Conflict is tremendously destructive, as it retards economic development besides making people live with fear and suspicion. It also keeps away potential investors that would have invested in the country. They cannot invest in a country that is in turmoil because they risk their investments and life. The geostrategic position of the government is, therefore, to strike a deal with the communities that are fighting in a bid to regain investor confidence and other people from foreign countries.

Many people around the globe may not be willing to travel or enter relationships with such a country because they feel that it has failed to restore social order to enable people to live well with one another. Historical conflicts in Burma have manifested themselves since independence time. Various governments that reigned have failed to restore peace (Smith, 2007, p. 11). The peace accord that was reached between the government and the Karen rebel is a satisfactory beginning for the process of restoring peace in the country. From the international spectrum, the problems the country faces are internal and can be solved amicably to end the historical conflicts that have continued to claim the lives of many innocent people.

Climate Change

Burma is ranked among the riskiest countries in terms of climatic change. Global warming is one of the climatic changes that the country faces. It is estimated that the sea level is likely to increase to a height of 5 meters (Wade, 2012, Para. 2).

This is likely to cause flooding, which may cause deaths and destruction to property. This kind of climate poses a threat to the country’s agricultural activities, which again has a direct effect on the food production capacity of the country. The government should come up with measures or strategies to help mitigate or protect the life of the people living in such areas. For instance, evacuations should be done in advance to ensure that flooding does not lead to many deaths. Burma and other countries around the globe should also learn from the current conditions in the country to reduce their level of toxic emissions in the atmospheres. The whole world should be educated on the effects of global warming to alleviate such as effects in the future.

Religious Ideology

In Burma/Myanmar, most of the people are Buddhists. Buddhism is the largest religious ideology that people believe. Almost 80% of the people are Buddhists (Jordt, 2006, p. 193). There are also other religious ideologies such as Christianity, Muslim, Hinduism, and animists. These are not dominant, but there is religious tolerance, as people respect each other’s ideologies. The Buddhists cannot be separated from their Buddhism rituals. They host exceptionally strong beliefs in their doctrines, and no person can change or influence them to change from their ideologies. In Burma, the Buddhists have their lent during the rainy season between the month of July to October.

During such moments, people are not supposed to marry or even go home, but they dedicate their time to worshiping. Because of the dominant Buddhist ideologies, most of the programs in Burma are inclined to these ideologies. A person or foreigner visiting the country should be aware of these ideologies in order to behave in a manner that the people in the country expect. The Burma people and their religions teach them to be respectful besides always having faith in their doctrines. These virtues are manifested on how they relate with other people. Therefore, they are extremely welcoming people who like to associate with others regardless of their religious inclination. However, there are some people especially those who reside in the rural areas that engage in rituals and superstition. These people believe in magic.

Therefore, most of their lives are determined or are based on superstitions. An example of things that people engage in or consult a witchdoctor include marriages, doing businesses, and even in issues to do with the naming of their children. Therefore, a person visiting Burma should be acquainted with this information in order to be aware of such people. The religious fraternity around the world or any individual that may be interested in researching about these religious practices may find Burma the best research area because people are staunch believers in the religion. Therefore, since time immemorial, most of their lives are based on the doctrine of Buddhism. Furthermore, it is also pertinent to note that Burma is one of the countries in the world that strongly believes in the Buddhism ideology. Many countries believe in Christianity, Islamic, or Hinduism.

Conclusion

The geostrategic considerations based on climate, history on conflict, population, and the religious ideologies of Burma are pivotal in understanding the way people live, as well as the issues that they face. Climatic change is one of the biggest concerns in Burma. There is global warming, which might cause an increase in the sea level that may lead to flooding and earthquakes. Understanding this concept is helpful in selecting the area to settle in when one migrates to the country. Religious ideologies that most Burma people believe in are based on the Buddhism religion. It is widespread with a larger percentage of people holding to this ideology.

Historical conflicts have also characterized the country over a considerable amount of time, but efforts are underway to resolve the conflicts. The population is high and heterogeneous. Hence, people interact with one another freely. The government and any other stakeholders should come up with strategies that can help mitigate or solve problems or challenges faced by the people of Burma and foreign visitors.

Reference List

Jordt, I. (2006). Defining a true Buddhist: meditation and knowledge formation in Burma. Ethnology, 45(3), 193-207. Web.

Omundi, I. (2012). Burma Demographics Profile 2012. Web.

Smith, M. (2007). State of Strife: The Dynamics of Ethnic Conflict in Burma. Washington: East West Centre. Web.

Wade, F. (2012). Climate change threatens Burma. Web.

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