Shan State

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{{Infobox Burmesestatedivision | englishname = Shan State | burmesename = ရုမ္‌းပ္ရည္‌နယ္‌ | transcription = yum: pranynai | flag = shanstate | capital = Taunggyi | region = East central | area = 155,800 | population = 4,702,000 (1999) | ethnic = Shan, Bamar, Chinese, Kachin, Danu, Intha, Palaung, Pa-O, Indians | religious = Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism | locatormapfile = MyanmarShan }} Shan State is a state located in Myanmar (Burma), which takes its name from the Shan people, the majority ethnic group in the Shan State. Shan State is comprised of 54 townships. Its capital is Taunggyi. The state is largely rural. Major cities of Shan State are Lashio and Taunggyi.

1 Geography
2 Economy
3 Population
4 History
5 External links

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Geography

Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south. It also shares borders with five administrative divisions of Myanmar. Most of the Shan State is a hilly plateau; there are higher mountains in the north and south. The gorge of the Thanlwin (Salween) River cuts across the state.

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Economy

Silver, lead, and zinc are mined, notably at the Bawdwin mine, and there are smelters at Namtu. Teak is cut, and rice and other crops are grown. Shan State is part of the Golden Triangle, an area in which much of the world's opium and heroin are illegally produced. Drug trafficking is controlled by local warlords, some of whom have private armies amounting to thousands of soldiers.

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Population

The valleys and tableland are inhabited by the Shans, who in language and customs resemble the Thais and the Lao. They are largely Buddhists and are mainly engaged in agriculture. Among the Shans live Bamar, Chinese, and Karens. The hills are inhabited by various peoples, notably the Wa, who are numerous in the north and along the Chinese border.

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History

The Shans dominated most of Myanmar from the 1200s to the 1500s. In the 1800s, long after their power declined, they were distributed among more than 30 petty states; most of them paid tribute to the Bamar king. Under British rule, the Shan States were ruled by their hereditary chiefs (saophas) as feudatories of the British crown. In 1922 most of these small states were joined in the Federated Shan States, under a commissioner who also administered the Wa states. This arrangement survived the constitutional changes of 1923 and 1937. A single Shan state, including the former Wa states, was established by the 1947 Burmese constitution. In 1959 the sawbwas relinquished much of their power to the Burmese government. Shan State's autonomy was further eroded by increased federalization of the Burmese government in the 1970s. Generally, the Shans remain committed to the preservation of their distinct ethnic heritage.

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