Economic Development

Myanmar's economic development since British rule has been extremely erratic.  Originally, under British rule Myanmar (then Burma) was the second-wealthiest country in South-East Asia.  This is misleading, however, as the majority of the wealth brought in to the country remained in the hands of the Europeans in charge and very little made it to the native people of Myanmar.  One of the greatest exports that the country has had, throughout its history, has been rice.  In the first half of the year in 2018 the country had earned just under $220 Million USD from exporting nearly 638,468 tons of rice.  This continues to be a major economical driver for the country.

Image Source: https://rove.me/to/myanmar-burma/rice-harvest

Myanmar also has a large variety of gems, minerals, and ore that provide the country with an economic boost as well.  Precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, pearls, and jade are among some of the more valuable gems from the country.  Rubies, however, are the largest export - nearly 90% of the worlds rubies come from Myanmar.  These rubies were formed by an Eocene-Oligocene extinction event, which took place about 34 million years ago.  This event was one of the largest extinctions of marine invertebrates in the ocean and of fauna in Europe and Asia.

Although the country has many large and valuable exports it remains one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia to this day.  Years of mismanagement and isolation, as well as a lack of adequate infrastructure have prevented the country from further economic development.




Sources:

http://elevenmyanmar.com/business/14301
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep07463
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Myanmar