Myanmar (formerly Burma) Genealogy

Asia Myanmar

Guide to Myanmar, family history and genealogy parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

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Country Information
Myanmar, known for most of its history in the West as Burma, lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E.

Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border straddles the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Burman border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Burma has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.

In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 meters (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Burma. Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Burma, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.

"Country" Clickable Map
Genealogy records are kept on the local level in the United States. Click on a place below to go to the corresponding Wiki article listing more information.

Jurisdictions
Genealogy records are kept on the local level in the United States. Click on a place below to go to the corresponding Wiki article listing more information.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in resourcing your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Learning Center - Online genealogy courses
 * Historical Records
 * Family History Center locator map

RELIGION
Following the establishment of the Pagan Empire in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country.

Today, many religions are practiced in Burma. Religious edifices and orders have been in existence for many years. Festivals can be held on a grand scale. The Christian and Muslim populations do, however, face religious persecution and it is hard, if not impossible, for non-Buddhists to join the army or get government jobs, the main route to success in the country.

The religious population mix follows:

Buddhist:80%   Burmese folk religion: 6%   Protestant Christians: 5%   Muslim: 4%   Hindu: 2%   Roman Catholic Christians: 2%   Other:1%

ECONOMY
Because of the civil unrest that Myanmar has experienced over the past 50 years, the economy is really not very vibrant. Over the past few years, some smaller Chinese business entities have invested in the country, but nothing of major significance has occurred.

As in many locations in Asia, Myanmar has turned to trafficking in illegal drugs as a way of augmenting the economy. The country is the world's second largest producer of opium, accounting for 8% of entire world production and is a major source of illegal drugs, including amphetamines.

The country does have a number of natural resources it can export. Myanmar produces precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, pearls, and jade. Rubies are the biggest earner; 90% of the world's rubies come from the country, whose red stones are prized for their purity and hue. Thailand buys the majority of the country's gems. Burma's "Valley of Rubies", the mountainous Mogok area, 200 km (120 mi) north of Mandalay, is noted for its rare pigeon's blood rubies and blue sapphires.

RECORDS
At present all Birth, Marriage, and Death records in Myanmar are almost non-existent. What records that did exist during the British occupation have either been destroyed or lost.

The following links can be a start:

Burmese records

Family Search

Roots web Ancestry.com

NATIONAL ARCHIVES
BMD returns were not formally organized until the arrival of the British in 1826, when they gained the territory of Tenasserim, bordering Siam. Civil Administration was initially centered at Prince of Wales Island, Penang. In 1834 the province became part of Bengal, however military administration was based in Madras until the 1840's. Records relating to baptisms, marriages and burials in Tenasserim may therefore appear in Chaplain's Returns in the UK or Madras (for military events) or in Madras, Penang or Bengal returns during this period.

The only official returns were Anglican and RC until the 1850's, when the Government of India provided means for returns of minority religions such as the Baptists. Records from the Myanmar National Archives show that Baptist marriages were not reported until November 1858.

Further expansion took place in 1853 which gave Britain control of Pegu and Arakan provinces (including Rangoon and Akyab.) The northern border of British territory at that time was a rough line between Thayetmyo and Toungoo.

The last Anglo-Burmese war ended in 1886, when Upper Burma was incorporated into the Empire.

The British granted independence to Burma (now known as Myanmar) in 1947. Aung San, who was ostensibly to have been the new leader, was assassinated the same year, and his colleague Thakin Nu became president. Thakin Nu stayed in power only briefly, asking General Ne Win to assume control as soon as the first signs of civil unrest erupted in 1958. Since 1988, the military government has made repeated gestures toward democratic government, although they have in fact taken no real steps in that direction.

Jurisdictions
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Research Tools

 * http://www.foundationburma.org/links.php
 * http://burmalibrary.org/
 * http://www.angloburmeselibrary.com
 * http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/asian/burma/burma.html
 * http://www.suite101.com/reference/myanmar
 * http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/mm.html

Things you can do
In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by:

Featured Content

 * Old Burma Images
 * Vintage frames of Burma

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