 Yangon
(Rangoon) Myanmar Burma
Yangon
Mandalay
Bagan
Yangon,
population of nearly 5,000,000 (2007 census), formerly Rangoon, is
the largest city and former capital of Myanmar (previously known as Burma,
prior to 1989). The city is located at the convergence of the Yangon and
Bago Rivers about 19 miles (30 km) away from the Gulf of Martaban. At
16°48' North, 96°09' East (16.8, 96.15), its standard time zone is UTC/GMT
+6:30 hours. In November 2005, the military junta began relocating the
capital to Naypyidaw, Mandalay Division which was officially named as the
new capital on 26 March 2006.
Yangon is a combination of the two words yan and koun, which mean
"enemies" and "run out of" respectively. It is also translated as "end of
strife". "Rangoon" most likely comes from the British corruption of the
pronunciation of "Yangon" in the Arakanese dialect of Burmese.
Yangon had been a model city in Southeast Asia. Three kinds of roads were
incorporated into the design. Roads running west to east were broad roads
160 feet (49 m) wide. Roads running south consisted of two small 30 feet
(9.1 m) wide roads, one medium-sized road 50 feet (15 m) wide, two more 35
feet wide roads and then one broad 100 feet (30 m) wide road. This order
was repeated from west to east. The smaller roads were numbered, while the
medium and broad roads were given names, some for eminent persons of that
time.
As laid down, there was the 100 foot wide Lanmadaw Road, followed by 17th
and 18th street, which were small roads, then the medium 58 foot road Sint-O-Dan
Road, next the smaller 19th and 20th streets, followed by 100 foot wide
Latha Road, followed again by the two numbered small roads 21st and 22nd
streets.
The roads running parallel west to east were the Strand Road, Merchant
Road, Dalhousie Road (Maha Bandoola), Fraser Road, (Anawrahta) and
Montgomery Commissioner Road (Bogyoke Aung San).
After leading of Military Leader General Ne Win from 1962, Yangon is
relatively undeveloped as compared to other major cities in Southeast
Asia. Construction is booming, mostly through the influx of foreign
investment (from Singapore and China). Many multi-storied residential and
commercial buildings (taik) have been reconstructed or remodelled
throughout Downtown and the Greater Yangon areas. Yangon has the largest
number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia today.[2] Government
offices inside colonial buildings (e.g. High Court, City Hall, Bogyoke
Market and General Hospital) have been listed for renovation.[3] New Towns
and other suburban areas, such as Thaketa Township continue to be
impoverished.
Yangon
Mandalay
Bagan |
