Yangon is the capital and the largest city of Burma. Formerly known as Rangoon, the city derived its name from the two words yan and koun, which mean “enemies” and “run out of”. It was founded in the 500s as Dagon, a small fishing village by the Mon, an ethnic group that dominated the lower portions of the country. In 1753, King Alaungpaya, who captured Lower Burma, changed the name of the city from Dagon to Yangon. The British Empire seized the city in 1852, after it suffered major destruction in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. The British made the city into the commercial and political hub of Burma and with this by 1900s, Yangon grew further to possess the public services and infrastructure equal to that of London. The country attained independence in 1948.The English name Rangoon was changed to Yangon in 1989. It was an underdeveloped city but is now the economic center of Burma. Today, the city holds the largest number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia.
Area & Location: Located at the confluence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers, the city is located at 16?8′ Latitude North and 96?9′ Longitude East. The city, which is about 30 km away from the Gulf of Martaban occupies a total area of 576 sq. km. Yangon has a population of 4,082,000.
Tourist Attractions: The city, which hosts numerous cultural heritages, is a very popular tourist destination.
Transportation: Yangon International Airport situated in the heart of the city operates both domestic as well international flights. Buses and cars are used by the public for their daily travel. The use of trishaws, bicycles and motorcycles are illegal in Yangon.
Hotels: As a tourist attracted city, Yangon offers a wide range of hotels that serve as host to the millions of tourists visiting the city. The hotels that provide tailor made reception to its guests are Traders Hotel, Savoy Hotel, Hotel Nikko Royal Lake, Central Hotel, Dusit Inya Lake Resort, Grand Plaza Parkroyal, Sedona Hotel and Season of Yangon.
Places of Attraction: Shwedagon Pagoda- the Buddhist shrine, the religious sites such as Sule Paya and Kyaik-Khauk Paya, Ngwe Saung,-a beach, Memorial to the Forgotten War and the Island of Kyauktan lure the visitors. Aung San Suu Kyi House, Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue -the only Jewish temple in the city, National Museum that exhibits the treasures of the last king, are the other religious as well as historically important places in the city. Kyaikto (Golden Rock) stands as the landmark of Yangon.