Burma (its name during the years covered by this feature) is the largest country in Southeast Asia, with borders abutting India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Although forests cover half of its total land mass, Burma has huge areas capable of supporting intensive agriculture. Generously endowed with valuable minerals including oil, chromium, nickel, copper, gold, lead, zinc, silver, tin and tungsten, it can add to its resources precious gem deposits, and waters abundantly stocked with edible fish. The country is, nevertheless, greatly underdeveloped and relatively poor as a result of isolation.
Centuries ago Burma’s riches caused wars between Mongols, Siamese and Buddhists; each later defeated by superior European firepower. Portugal, Holland and Britain continued to compete until Britain alone held sway and began to treat Burma as a province of…
