Maps of Myanmar

Myanmar in Southeast Asia

Myanmar sits at the crossroads of South and Southeast Asia, bordered by China to the north and northeast, Laos and Thailand to the east, Bangladesh and India to the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the south and southwest. It is roughly the size of Texas, with a population of approximately 55 million people.

Its geographic position has shaped centuries of migration, trade, colonization, and conflict. The country's border regions are mountainous and remote — terrain that has long sustained distinct ethnic communities and, in recent decades, active resistance movements.

Myanmar shown in regional context, bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, and Thailand. Click and drag to pan; scroll or pinch to zoom.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO.

States and Regions

Myanmar is divided into seven states and seven regions — a distinction that carries ethnic and political weight. The seven regions (formerly called "divisions") are predominantly Burman and were created by military governments to center Burman culture. The seven states are named for the ethnic minority groups who have historically called those areas home.

Understanding this division matters: most of the country's Christian population lives in the ethnic minority states — particularly Chin, Kachin, Karen (Kayin), and Kayah (Karenni). These are also among the regions most affected by long-running armed conflict between ethnic armies and the military.

Myanmar's geographic extent, from the Irrawaddy delta in the south to the Himalayan foothills in the north. The country spans more than 2,000 km from tip to tail.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO.

Gold-bordered rows indicate states with significant Christian populations where SGM's partner network is most present. This website does not identify specific locations, leaders, or operational activity.

The People of Myanmar

Myanmar is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia. The government officially recognizes 135 ethnic groups, though scholars and community leaders debate whether this classification reflects real identities or was designed to divide minority communities. There are more than 100 languages spoken across the country.

The Burman (Bamar) majority — approximately 68% of the population — has historically dominated military and political power. They are concentrated in the central regions. Ethnic minority groups live primarily in the highland border states, and it is among these communities that the church has the longest and deepest roots.

The map below, drawn from Wikimedia Commons, shows the broad ethnic distribution across Myanmar's territory. Borders between groups are not sharp — communities have lived in overlapping regions for generations, and displacement has shifted populations significantly since 2021.

Approximate ethnic homelands across Myanmar. Boundaries are broad — communities overlap, and displacement since 2021 has shifted populations significantly. Colors indicate general regions, not sharp borders.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors © CARTO. Ethnic regions are approximate and for educational context only.

Conflict and Displacement

Since the February 2021 coup, armed conflict has expanded dramatically across Myanmar. Fighting that was once concentrated in historically contested ethnic states has spread into previously stable regions — particularly Sagaing and Magway — as civilian resistance groups and established ethnic armies have pushed back against military rule.

As of mid-2026, the military no longer controls significant portions of the country. Resistance forces hold territory in multiple states and regions. The front lines shift frequently. Any static map of the conflict would be outdated within weeks.

For this reason, this page links to organizations that maintain regularly updated conflict tracking rather than embedding a map that could mislead.

As of the last update on this page, more than 3.6 million people remain internally displaced across Myanmar — the largest displacement crisis in the country's recorded history.

Statistics: UN OCHA Myanmar, updated November 2025.

The Truth to Remember