View allAll Photos Tagged REPLACING
Replaced the trans-dark blue facade from my original model with the trans-light blue found in the LEGO Architecture set.
Canon's entry level camera R10 is replacing the R6 as my go to camera. Great little camera!!!
Arb0536B-0161b
Despite the livery having been replaced over 5 years ago, Air Canada's old Evergreen livery still lives on and whilst in certain conditions does look particularly dated and even weathered poorly, in most cases such as good lighting and well-maintained still looks sleek and elegant... The winter light certainly proves the old colours still looks superb and dare I say better than the new livery.
For the W22 scheduler, Air Canada are certainly busy at London Heathrow; the carrier is operating 8 daily flights from their usual hubs across Canada, as well as a fifth-freedom flight to and from Mumbai. 5 out of the 8 daily flights are in the hands of the large Boeing 787-9 fleet, whilst the remaining 3 flights are provided by one Airbus A330-300, Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Boeing 777-300ER each.
At present, Air Canada is in the process of finalising their upcoming S23 schedule where capacity and frequency are expected to increase, expect a update in the future...
Currently, Air Canada operates 37 Boeing 787s, which includes 8 Boeing 787-8s and 29 Boeing 787-9s. Air Canada have 2 Boeing 787-9s on-order.
Foxtrot Romeo Sierra Alpha is one of 29 Boeing 787-9s operated by Air Canada, delivered new to the flag-carrier on 5th January 2017 and she is powered by 2 General Electric GEnx-1B engines.
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner C-FRSA on short finals into Runway 27L at London Heathrow (LHR) on AC858 from Toronto-Pearson (YYZ), Ontario.
On cloudy days you can take pictures of the observatory until the weather clears. Full disclosure: the sky was replaced with some more interesting clouds.
Gemini and SOAR domes, Cerro Pachon, Chile April 2024
Edit: ninja replaced, game crashed while I tried to apply some DoF.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- 3300x4400;
- Project Toussaint Lighting, ReShade framework;
- Zanzer's cheat table for setting time of day;
- HD reworked project, Autumn Flora Enhancement, increased LOD and other mods;
- Timestop, weather toggle and tilt via Photomode2inOne.
Take into account that I am not permanent here.
Away I am swimming.
Three.
Ps. I have received sopranosflight's print.
I might say I squealed a little when it came in the mail.
I tagged her, so you should go check out her wondrous stream.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version, plus DeNoise AI 04-Dec-22.
Taken into the sun on a cold, misty and frosty morning!
Fleet No: '008'.
This aircraft was delivered to Continental Airlines as N78008 in Mar-99. It was sold to a lessor in Apr-01 and leased back to Continental. In Oct-10, Continental was merged into United Airlines. Now 23.5 years old, the aircraft continues in service. Updated 04-Dec-22
Note: The rear fuselage was damaged by a tail strike at New York - Newark on 02-Mar-05. It was repaired by Boeing and returned to service on 16-Apr-05.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 14-Apr-15.
BKS = Barnby, Keegan and Stevens, the airline's founders.
G-ALZR in it's final livery, just 16 months before it was written off at London-Gatwick (LGW)
G-ALZR was delivered new to BEA British European Airways in Feb-52. Just over five years later, in Aug-57, it was sold to Rolls Royce and was re-registered G-37-4 in Feb-59. It was used as a test-bed for the Rolls Royce Tyne engine.
It was sold to BKS Air Transport in May-63 and was converted to a freighter in Nov-64 for the BKS Bloodstock Division specialising in the carriage of horses.
It was damaged beyond repair while landing at London-Gatwick Airport in Jul-69 when the nosewheel collapsed. It was sold to Dan-Air London in Nov-69 for spares and transported to Dan-Air's Engineering base at Lasham, Hants, UK, where it was broken up in 1972.
First day of New Route 304 operating between Custom House & Manor Park Part replacing Route 104 between Lonsdale Avenue and Manor Park Station, the new route provides a new connection to the Elizabeth Line as well as being the 1st and only Double Deck Route to directly serve Newham hospital,
Compared to most first days of New Contract Wins or New Route introductions the 304s suffered no problems apart from the General Public still trying to process the Route Changes in newham,
The route is operated by Go-Ahead London from River Road Garage (RR) using a mixed Allocation
If you wish to use any of my photos please do contact me via FlickrMail, I will be happy to consider releasing a Clean Copy depending on intention of use. Thank You
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 14-Aug-22 (DeNoise AI).
This aircraft was delivered to Alaska Airlines as N796AS in May-98. It was sold to a lessor on delivery and leased back to Alaska. It was returned to the lessor in May-16 and stored at Victorville, CA, USA.
The aircraft was sold to Safair Operations Pty Ltd (South Africa) in Sep-16. It was due to be registered ZS-WRO but that wasn't taken up and it was registered ZS-WMP (after Safair's Executive Director 'Wimpie' Davidson. It's operated by flySafair.co.za. Current, updated 14-Aug-22.
Replacing an earlier digital photo with a better version, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 28-Mar-23.
Southern England storm 'Katie' diversion from London-Heathrow. With a nice shot of Derbyshire's snow covered hills in the background.
Special livery celebrating "50 years, Singapore's Golden Jubilee" in 2015.
First flown in Jan-09 with the Airbus test registration F-WWSC, the aircraft was ferried to the Airbus airfield at Hamburg-Finkenwerder for interior fitting out and painting.
It was delivered to Singapore Airlines as 9V-SKI in Jul-09. The aircraft was withdrawn from service and stored at Singapore at the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mar-20.
It was moved to Alice Springs, Australia in Apr-20 for continued long term storage. The aircraft never re-entered service and was broken up at Singapore in Nov-22.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 18-Jan-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 14-May-23.
Built in 1947 this aircraft was originally sold to Iranian Airways as EP-ACH. It was sold to Morton Air Services as G-ANAN in Jul-53. It was leased to the Burma Oil Company in Burma (now Myanmar) as XY-ADE in Feb-55 and returned to Mortons as G-ANAN in Mar-56.
The aircraft was sold to Alares Development in Dec-68 and sold to SONATRA Societe Nationale de Transport Aerien (Senegal) as 6V-ABT in Jun-69. It was eventually broken up (details unknown).
The Brickell Avenue Bridge is a bascule bridge in Downtown Miami, Florida, that carries U.S. Route 1 (US 1; Brickell Avenue) over the Miami River.
The original Brickell Avenue Bridge was built in 1929 and replaced in 1995. The Brickell Avenue Bridge was widened by one additional northbound lane in 2006 to reduce the traffic bottleneck through downtown. Before this, there were three southbound but only two northbound lanes. Currently, there are three lanes in each direction as well as a pedestrian walkway on both sides. Still, the bridge causes frequent traffic delays on the busy Brickell Avenue when it opens. According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the bridge opened 4,990 times in 2010.
The statue is a 53-foot bronze monument commissioned by the Florida Department of Transportation and created by Cuban Master Sculptor Manuel Carbonell in 1995. The "Pillar of History" consists of a 36-foot high carved bas-relief column that graphically narrates the lives of the Tequesta Indians, Miami's first inhabitants, and features 158 figures. At the top stands a 17-foot bronze sculpture, "Tequesta Family" portraying a Tequesta Indian warrior aiming an arrow to the sky, looking for space in eternity, with his wife and child by his side, while the son covers his face in expectation of their extinction.
Carbonell also created four bas reliefs, measuring 4-feet by 8-feet, which were installed in niches on the bridge's supporting piers. Each relief honors Miami's early founders and pioneers - William and Mary Brickell, Henry Flagler, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Julia Tuttle.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickell_Avenue_Bridge
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 09-Apr-22 (DeNoise AI).
Right side.
This aircraft was delivered to QANTAS Airways as VH-EBQ in Dec-79. It was leased to Air Pacific (Fiji) as DQ-FJI in Dec-98 and returned to QANTAS as VH-EBQ in Aug-00.
It was withdrawn from service and retired in Nov-02 and was donated to the Outback Museum, Longreach, Australia where it's on display.
Late 1974 the 240-Series replaced the 140-Series. The outside body stayed almost the same.
Both 140- and 240-Series were designed by Jan Wilsgaard.
Almost every year some modifications were executed, like a new grille, rear lamps, door handles, ventilation windows, bumpers, etc.
1987 cc engine runs on LPG.
1258 kg.
Production 140-Series: 1966-1974.
Production 240-Series: 10/1974-1993.
Production 242: 10/1974-1984, this version: 1974-1979 (round head lamps).
Original first reg. number: Sept. 18, 1975.
New Dutch reg. number: June 28, 2006.
Amsterdam-N., Vikingpad, March 10, 2018.
© 2018 Sander Toonen Amsterdam | All Rights Reserved
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 03-Apr-22, plus Topa DeNoise AI 09-Feb-24
Operated by Lauda Air on behalf of Lauda Air Italy.
An early CRJ.100 (Line No:36), this aircraft was first flown with the Canadair test registration C-FROL, it was delivered to Lauda Air as OE-LRC in Mar-94. It was sold to Lufthansa Leasing GmbH as D-ACLX and leased to Lufthansa CityLine in Oct-95.
It was wet-leased to Air Littoral (France) the same day and returned to Lufthansa CityLine in Jul-96. The aircraft was returned to Lufthansa Leasing, leased to Lauda Air again, as OR-LRC and sub-leased to Lauda Air Italy in Mar-99.
It wasn't with Lauda Air Italy for long (I was lucky to catch it!) and returned to Lauda Air in Apr-01. It was returned to Lufthansa Leasing a few days later. The aircraft was sold to Bombardier Capital Inc as D-ANIM and leased to Eurowings (Germany) towards the end of Apr-01.
The aircraft was returned to Bombardier Capital Inc in Nov-01 and stored at Maastricht, Netherlands. It was re-registered C-FZZO in Jul-0 and remained stored until it was leased to Lufthansa CityLine as D-ACJZ in Nov-02.
It was returned to Bombardier Capital Inc in May-03 and was re-registered N652ML in Jun-03 for a lease to Midways Airlines (USA). However, the lease was cancelled and the aircraft was stored.
It was leased to Mesa Airlines in Jul-04 and operated on behalf of US Airways Express. It returned to Bombardier Capital in Jan-06. It was sold to Voyageur Airways as C-FIPX in May-06 and operated on behalf of Harmony Airways between Jun/Oct-06.
The aircraft continued in service with Voyageur until late 2012. The registration was cancelled in Feb-13. No further information. Updated 03-Apr-22.
The AEM-7s are gradually being replaced. This might the last winter to photograph these tired veterans in the snow. Having photographed one of each of Amtrak's current locomotive classes at this location I decided to move on to another location.
I replaced the leather on a few joints of Alisha, my Paperwhite Doll by Teri. Teri offered to do it for me of course, but I decided to tackle it myself rather than having to ship her back. I'll be posting more of my notes on the Hearts of Clay forum soon. :)
first one of the year. i wanted to try something different so i slapped a "Y" in there to replace the I. it was fun painting something different then the norm. wish i had a better pic. but my phone did a better job then i thought.
Replaced with Hasselblad X1 Scan:
A Kyrgyz Mil-Mi 17 helicopter at Khan Tengri (7010m) and Pik Pobeda (7439m) base camp in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, about to pick up a group of climbers.
August 2010.
Contax G2, 21mm Biogon, B+W yellow filter and Fuji Acros 100 (in HC-110)
------------------------------
The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone is a Canadian Forces helicopter used for anti submarine warfare, surveillance and search and rescue. It was introduced to the CAF in 2018 and replaced the CH-124 Sea King. Abbotsford International Airshow, Abbotsford, B.C.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 09-Nov-21 (DeNoise AI).
Slightly blurred...
Operated on behalf of British Airways Express by CityFlyer Express.
Originally ordered by TAT Transport Aerien Transregional (previously Touraine Air Transport) as F-GKNF. The order was cancelled before completion.
The aircraft was first flown as F-WWLP in Oct-92 and was stored at Toulouse until it was delivered to the GPA Group Ltd and leased to CityFlyer Express as G-BVEF in Mar-94. It was operated on behalf of British Airways Express.
It was returned to the lessor in Mar-01 and stored at Exeter UK. The aircraft was leased to Coast Air (Norway) in Feb-02 and re-registered LN-FAI in Nov-02. It returned to Nordic Aviation Capital A/S in Mar-04 and was immediately leased to Air Wales as G-CDFF.
Air Wales ceased operations in Apr-06 and the aircraft was returned to the lessor and stored at Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK. In Nov-06 it was leased to Aurigny Air Services and operated in association with Flightline.
It was briefly sub-leased to EuroManx in Sep-07. It was returned to operation by Aurigny from May-08 and was wet-leased to Aer Arann between May/Jul-08. It was returned to Nordic Aviation Capital in Sep-08 and stored at Billund (Denmark).
The aircraft was sold to First Air (Bradley Air Services) as C-GKLB in Feb-09. First Air consolidated their services with Canadian North in Nov-19. The aircraft was removed from service in Jan-21 and stored at Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.
Canadian North took over the operation of the aircraft in May-21 and it returned to service in Jul-21. It's now 32 years old and continues in service. Updated 30-May-24.
► █░▓ LAST SUMMER I payed a visit to my watchmaker. After almost four years I was looking forward to se him and replace a battery in my watch. A young woman, which happened to be his daughter in law, stood behind the counter. She said that he had passed away. I was struck. He was a relatively young and good, healthy looking man. A real gentleman, like all watchmakers used to be in old Belgrade.
—She took my condolences and kindly let me take a picture of this old watch in the drawer while I was still confused with what I'd just heard.
This old Eterna watch plays kind of a symbolic roll in my memory. We've been using other devices to read time for a while already. In this electronic day and age not just the watchmakers pass away, as they always have; their craft is dying too. Along with a superb craft of designing and making beautiful watches like this one. Let anyone show me any modern watch design that can distantly match this one.
The time has stopped for the watchmaker and his favorite timepiece; the eternity has obviously opened up. But note that the pointer hasn’t reached ETERNA, and that both the pointers are slightly bent and have a broken part. Even the time – for us humans the boldest, the least malleable and the most insurmountable of all dimensions – has to stop at the gate of eternity.
We will never be truly able to understand eternal life from the perspective of this world. Yet, there are so many people who think that something they don’t fathom cannot be true or even doesn’t exist, just because they cannot grasp it.
The cameraphone capture edited in Snapseed app.
~SHORTCUTS~ ...→Press [F11] and [L] key to engage Full Screen (Light box) mode with black background ↔ Press the same key or [Esc] to return... →Press [F] to "Like" (Fave)... →Press [C] to comment.
St. Quentin's Cathedral in Hasselt bears the mark of many changes over the centuries. The 8th century church was replaced by a Romanesque church, to which a Romanesque tower was later added. During several centuries the church was enlarged with additions such as side aisles but also many gothic elements.
++++ FROM WIKIPEDIA ++++
U Bein Bridge (Burmese: ဦးပိန် တံတား) is a crossing that spans the Taungthaman Lake near Amarapura in Myanmar. The 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) bridge was built around 1850 and is believed to be the oldest and (once) longest teakwood bridge in the world.[1][2][3] Construction began when the capital of Ava Kingdom moved to Amarapura,[4] and the bridge is named after the mayor who had it built.[5] It is used as an important passageway for the local people and has also become a tourist attraction and therefore a significant source of income for souvenir sellers.[1][5][6][7] It is particularly busy during July and August when the lake is at its highest.[8]
The bridge was built from wood reclaimed from the former royal palace in Inwa. It features 1,086 pillars that stretch out of the water, some of which have been replaced with concrete. Though the bridge largely remains intact, there are fears that an increasing number of the pillars are becoming dangerously decayed. Some have become entirely detached from their bases and only remain in place because of the lateral bars holding them together. Damage to these supports have been caused by flooding as well as a fish breeding program introduced into the lake which has caused the water to become stagnant. The Ministry of Culture’s Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library plans to carry out repairs when plans for the work are finalised.[1]
From 1 April 2009, eight police force personnel have been deployed to guard the bridge. Their presence is aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour and preventing criminal activities, with the first arrest coming in September 2013 when two men were reported for harassing tourists.[8]
Contents
1 Construction
2 Design and Structure
3 Gallery
4 References
Construction
The construction was started in 1849 and finished in 1851. Myanmar construction engineers used traditional methods of scaling and measuring to build the bridge. According to historic books about U Bein Bridge, Myanmar engineers made scale by counting the footsteps.
Design and Structure
The bridge was built in curved shape in the middle to resist the assault of wind and water. The main teak posts were hammered into the lake bed seven feet deep. The other ends of the posts were shaped conically to make sure that rain water would fall down easily. The joints of the bridge are intertwined.
Originally, there were 984 teak posts supporting the bridge and two approach brick bridges. Later the two approach brick bridges were replaced by wooden approach bridge. There are four wooden pavilions at the same interval along the bridge. By adding posts of two approach bridges and four pavilions, the number of posts amounts to 1089.
There are nine passageways in the bridge, where the floors can be lifted to let boats and barges pass. There 482 spans and the length of the bridge is 1,209 metres.
Myanmar (Burmese pronunciation: [mjəmà]),[nb 1][8] officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by India and Bangladesh to its west, Thailand and Laos to its east and China to its north and northeast. To its south, about one third of Myanmar's total perimeter of 5,876 km (3,651 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 mi) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country's 2014 census counted the population to be 51 million people.[9] As of 2017, the population is about 54 million.[10] Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers (261,228 square miles) in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city and former capital is Yangon (Rangoon).[1] Myanmar has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 1997.
Early civilisations in Myanmar included the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states in Upper Burma and the Mon kingdoms in Lower Burma.[11] In the 9th century, the Bamar people entered the upper Irrawaddy valley and, following the establishment of the Pagan Kingdom in the 1050s, the Burmese language, culture and Theravada Buddhism slowly became dominant in the country. The Pagan Kingdom fell due to the Mongol invasions and several warring states emerged. In the 16th century, reunified by the Taungoo Dynasty, the country was for a brief period the largest empire in the history of Mainland Southeast Asia.[12] The early 19th century Konbaung Dynasty ruled over an area that included modern Myanmar and briefly controlled Manipur and Assam as well. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948, as a democratic nation. Following a coup d'état in 1962, it became a military dictatorship.
For most of its independent years, the country has been engrossed in rampant ethnic strife and its myriad ethnic groups have been involved in one of the world's longest-running ongoing civil wars. During this time, the United Nations and several other organisations have reported consistent and systematic human rights violations in the country.[13] In 2011, the military junta was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. This, along with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, has improved the country's human rights record and foreign relations, and has led to the easing of trade and other economic sanctions.[14] There is, however, continuing criticism of the government's treatment of ethnic minorities, its response to the ethnic insurgency, and religious clashes.[15] In the landmark 2015 election, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a majority in both houses. However, the Burmese military remains a powerful force in politics.
Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. In 2013, its GDP (nominal) stood at US$56.7 billion and its GDP (PPP) at US$221.5 billion.[6] The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.[16] As of 2016, Myanmar ranks 145 out of 188 countries in human development, according to the Human Development Index.[7]
Etymology
Main article: Names of Myanmar
In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma's colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: "Burma" became "Myanmar". The renaming remains a contested issue.[17] Many political and ethnic opposition groups and countries continue to use "Burma" because they do not recognise the legitimacy of the ruling military government or its authority to rename the country.[18]
In April 2016, soon after taking office, Aung San Suu Kyi clarified that foreigners are free to use either name, "because there is nothing in the constitution of our country that says that you must use any term in particular".[19]
The country's official full name is the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" (ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, Pyidaunzu Thanmăda Myăma Nainngandaw, pronounced [pjìdàʊɴzṵ θàɴməda̰ mjəmà nàɪɴŋàɴdɔ̀]). Countries that do not officially recognise that name use the long form "Union of Burma" instead.[20]
In English, the country is popularly known as either "Burma" or "Myanmar" /ˈmjɑːnˌmɑːr/ (About this sound listen).[8] Both these names are derived from the name of the majority Burmese Bamar ethnic group. Myanmar is considered to be the literary form of the name of the group, while Burma is derived from "Bamar", the colloquial form of the group's name.[17] Depending on the register used, the pronunciation would be Bama (pronounced [bəmà]) or Myamah (pronounced [mjəmà]).[17] The name Burma has been in use in English since the 18th century.
Burma continues to be used in English by the governments of many countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.[21][22] Official United States policy retains Burma as the country's name, although the State Department's website lists the country as "Burma (Myanmar)" and Barack Obama has referred to the country by both names.[23] The Czech Republic officially uses Myanmar, although its Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions both Myanmar and Burma on its website.[24] The United Nations uses Myanmar, as do the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia,[25] Russia, Germany,[26] China, India, Bangladesh, Norway,[27] Japan[21] and Switzerland.[28]
Most English-speaking international news media refer to the country by the name Myanmar, including the BBC,[29] CNN,[30] Al Jazeera,[31] Reuters,[32] RT (Russia Today) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)/Radio Australia.[33]
Myanmar is known with a name deriving from Burma as opposed to Myanmar in Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Greek – Birmania being the local version of Burma in the Spanish language, for example. Myanmar used to be known as "Birmânia" in Portuguese, and as "Birmanie" in French.[34] As in the past, French-language media today consistently use Birmanie.,[35][36]
History
Main article: History of Myanmar
Prehistory
Main articles: Prehistory of Myanmar and Migration period of ancient Burma
Pyu city-states c. 8th century; Pagan is shown for comparison only and is not contemporary.
Archaeological evidence shows that Homo erectus lived in the region now known as Myanmar as early as 750,000 years ago, with no more erectus finds after 75,000 years ago.[37] The first evidence of Homo sapiens is dated to about 11,000 BC, in a Stone Age culture called the Anyathian with discoveries of stone tools in central Myanmar. Evidence of neolithic age domestication of plants and animals and the use of polished stone tools dating to sometime between 10,000 and 6,000 BC has been discovered in the form of cave paintings in Padah-Lin Caves.[38]
The Bronze Age arrived circa 1500 BC when people in the region were turning copper into bronze, growing rice and domesticating poultry and pigs; they were among the first people in the world to do so.[39] Human remains and artefacts from this era were discovered in Monywa District in the Sagaing Division.[40] The Iron Age began around 500 BC with the emergence of iron-working settlements in an area south of present-day Mandalay.[41] Evidence also shows the presence of rice-growing settlements of large villages and small towns that traded with their surroundings as far as China between 500 BC and 200 AD.[42] Iron Age Burmese cultures also had influences from outside sources such as India and Thailand, as seen in their funerary practices concerning child burials. This indicates some form of communication between groups in Myanmar and other places, possibly through trade.[43]
Early city-states
Main articles: Pyu city-states and Mon kingdoms
Around the second century BC the first-known city-states emerged in central Myanmar. The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu city-states, the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are extant, from present-day Yunnan.[44] The Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organisation.[45]
By the 9th century, several city-states had sprouted across the land: the Pyu in the central dry zone, Mon along the southern coastline and Arakanese along the western littoral. The balance was upset when the Pyu came under repeated attacks from Nanzhao between the 750s and the 830s. In the mid-to-late 9th century the Bamar people founded a small settlement at Bagan. It was one of several competing city-states until the late 10th century when it grew in authority and grandeur.[46]
Imperial Burma
Main articles: Pagan Kingdom, Taungoo Dynasty, and Konbaung Dynasty
See also: Ava Kingdom, Hanthawaddy Kingdom, Kingdom of Mrauk U, and Shan States
Pagodas and kyaungs in present-day Bagan, the capital of the Pagan Kingdom.
Pagan gradually grew to absorb its surrounding states until the 1050s–1060s when Anawrahta founded the Pagan Kingdom, the first ever unification of the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Pagan Empire and the Khmer Empire were two main powers in mainland Southeast Asia.[47] The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon and Pali norms by the late 12th century.[48]
Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level, although Tantric, Mahayana, Hinduism, and folk religion remained heavily entrenched. Pagan's rulers and wealthy built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Pagan capital zone alone. Repeated Mongol invasions (1277–1301) toppled the four-century-old kingdom in 1287.[48]
Temples at Mrauk U.
Pagan's collapse was followed by 250 years of political fragmentation that lasted well into the 16th century. Like the Burmans four centuries earlier, Shan migrants who arrived with the Mongol invasions stayed behind. Several competing Shan States came to dominate the entire northwestern to eastern arc surrounding the Irrawaddy valley. The valley too was beset with petty states until the late 14th century when two sizeable powers, Ava Kingdom and Hanthawaddy Kingdom, emerged. In the west, a politically fragmented Arakan was under competing influences of its stronger neighbours until the Kingdom of Mrauk U unified the Arakan coastline for the first time in 1437.
Early on, Ava fought wars of unification (1385–1424) but could never quite reassemble the lost empire. Having held off Ava, Hanthawaddy entered its golden age, and Arakan went on to become a power in its own right for the next 350 years. In contrast, constant warfare left Ava greatly weakened, and it slowly disintegrated from 1481 onward. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States conquered Ava itself, and ruled Upper Myanmar until 1555.
Like the Pagan Empire, Ava, Hanthawaddy and the Shan states were all multi-ethnic polities. Despite the wars, cultural synchronisation continued. This period is considered a golden age for Burmese culture. Burmese literature "grew more confident, popular, and stylistically diverse", and the second generation of Burmese law codes as well as the earliest pan-Burma chronicles emerged.[49] Hanthawaddy monarchs introduced religious reforms that later spread to the rest of the country.[50] Many splendid temples of Mrauk U were built during this period.
Taungoo and colonialism
Bayinnaung's Empire in 1580.
Political unification returned in the mid-16th century, due to the efforts of Taungoo, a former vassal state of Ava. Taungoo's young, ambitious king Tabinshwehti defeated the more powerful Hanthawaddy in the Toungoo–Hanthawaddy War (1534–41). His successor Bayinnaung went on to conquer a vast swath of mainland Southeast Asia including the Shan states, Lan Na, Manipur, Mong Mao, the Ayutthaya Kingdom, Lan Xang and southern Arakan. However, the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia unravelled soon after Bayinnaung's death in 1581, completely collapsing by 1599. Ayutthaya seized Tenasserim and Lan Na, and Portuguese mercenaries established Portuguese rule at Thanlyin (Syriam).
The dynasty regrouped and defeated the Portuguese in 1613 and Siam in 1614. It restored a smaller, more manageable kingdom, encompassing Lower Myanmar, Upper Myanmar, Shan states, Lan Na and upper Tenasserim. The Restored Toungoo kings created a legal and political framework whose basic features would continue well into the 19th century. The crown completely replaced the hereditary chieftainships with appointed governorships in the entire Irrawaddy valley, and greatly reduced the hereditary rights of Shan chiefs. Its trade and secular administrative reforms built a prosperous economy for more than 80 years. From the 1720s onward, the kingdom was beset with repeated Meithei raids into Upper Myanmar and a nagging rebellion in Lan Na. In 1740, the Mon of Lower Myanmar founded the Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom. Hanthawaddy forces sacked Ava in 1752, ending the 266-year-old Toungoo Dynasty.
A British 1825 lithograph of Shwedagon Pagoda shows British occupation during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
After the fall of Ava, the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War involved one resistance group under Alaungpaya defeating the Restored Hanthawaddy, and by 1759, he had reunited all of Myanmar and Manipur, and driven out the French and the British, who had provided arms to Hanthawaddy. By 1770, Alaungpaya's heirs had subdued much of Laos (1765) and fought and won the Burmese–Siamese War (1765–67) against Ayutthaya and the Sino-Burmese War (1765–69) against Qing China (1765–1769).[51]
With Burma preoccupied by the Chinese threat, Ayutthaya recovered its territories by 1770, and went on to capture Lan Na by 1776. Burma and Siam went to war until 1855, but all resulted in a stalemate, exchanging Tenasserim (to Burma) and Lan Na (to Ayutthaya). Faced with a powerful China and a resurgent Ayutthaya in the east, King Bodawpaya turned west, acquiring Arakan (1785), Manipur (1814) and Assam (1817). It was the second-largest empire in Burmese history but also one with a long ill-defined border with British India.[52]
The breadth of this empire was short lived. Burma lost Arakan, Manipur, Assam and Tenasserim to the British in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826). In 1852, the British easily seized Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War. King Mindon Min tried to modernise the kingdom, and in 1875 narrowly avoided annexation by ceding the Karenni States. The British, alarmed by the consolidation of French Indochina, annexed the remainder of the country in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885.
Konbaung kings extended Restored Toungoo's administrative reforms, and achieved unprecedented levels of internal control and external expansion. For the first time in history, the Burmese language and culture came to predominate the entire Irrawaddy valley. The evolution and growth of Burmese literature and theatre continued, aided by an extremely high adult male literacy rate for the era (half of all males and 5% of females).[53] Nonetheless, the extent and pace of reforms were uneven and ultimately proved insufficient to stem the advance of British colonialism.
British Burma (1824–1948)
Main articles: British rule in Burma and Burma Campaign
Burma in British India
The landing of British forces in Mandalay after the last of the Anglo-Burmese Wars, which resulted in the abdication of the last Burmese monarch, King Thibaw Min.
British troops firing a mortar on the Mawchi road, July 1944.
The eighteenth century saw Burmese rulers, whose country had not previously been of particular interest to European traders, seek to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises continued until, after three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824–1885), Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma.[54] British rule brought social, economic, cultural and administrative changes.
With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886. Throughout the colonial era, many Indians arrived as soldiers, civil servants, construction workers and traders and, along with the Anglo-Burmese community, dominated commercial and civil life in Burma. Rangoon became the capital of British Burma and an important port between Calcutta and Singapore.
Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Yangon (Rangoon) on occasion all the way until the 1930s.[55] Some of the discontent was caused by a disrespect for Burmese culture and traditions such as the British refusal to remove shoes when they entered pagodas. Buddhist monks became the vanguards of the independence movement. U Wisara, an activist monk, died in prison after a 166-day hunger strike to protest against a rule that forbade him to wear his Buddhist robes while imprisoned.[56]
Separation of British Burma from British India
On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Great Britain and Ba Maw the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule and he opposed the participation of Great Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the Second World War, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.
A major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II. By March 1942, within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate's British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines.[57] A similar American unit, Merrill's Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.[58] Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. The battles were intense with much of Burma laid waste by the fighting. Overall, the Japanese lost some 150,000 men in Burma. Only 1,700 prisoners were taken.[59]
Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army.[60] The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945. Under Japanese occupation, 170,000 to 250,000 civilians died.[61]
Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Dr. Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historical Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals[62] assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.[63]
Independence (1948–1962)
Main article: Post-independence Burma, 1948–62
British governor Hubert Elvin Rance and Sao Shwe Thaik at the flag raising ceremony on 4 January 1948 (Independence Day of Burma).
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities,[64] and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.
The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the Panglong Agreement, which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.[65]
In 1961, U Thant, then the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations, a position he held for ten years.[66] Among the Burmese to work at the UN when he was Secretary-General was a young Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of Aung San), who went on to become winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d’état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term ‘federalism’ as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.[67]
Military rule (1962–2011)
On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d'état, and the government has been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism,[68] which combined Soviet-style nationalisation and central planning.
A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the General and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP).[69] During this period, Myanmar became one of the world's most impoverished countries.[70]
Protesters gathering in central Rangoon, 1988.
There were sporadic protests against military rule during the Ne Win years and these were almost always violently suppressed. On 7 July 1962, the government broke up demonstrations at Rangoon University, killing 15 students.[68] In 1974, the military violently suppressed anti-government protests at the funeral of U Thant. Student protests in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were quickly suppressed by overwhelming force.[69]
In 1988, unrest over economic mismanagement and political oppression by the government led to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the country known as the 8888 Uprising. Security forces killed thousands of demonstrators, and General Saw Maung staged a coup d'état and formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). In 1989, SLORC declared martial law after widespread protests. The military government finalised plans for People's Assembly elections on 31 May 1989.[71] SLORC changed the country's official English name from the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" to the "Union of Myanmar" in 1989.
In May 1990, the government held free elections for the first time in almost 30 years and the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total 492 seats (i.e., 80% of the seats). However, the military junta refused to cede power[72] and continued to rule the nation as SLORC until 1997, and then as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) until its dissolution in March 2011.
Protesters in Yangon during the 2007 Saffron Revolution with a banner that reads non-violence: national movement in Burmese. In the background is Shwedagon Pagoda.
On 23 June 1997, Myanmar was admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On 27 March 2006, the military junta, which had moved the national capital from Yangon to a site near Pyinmana in November 2005, officially named the new capital Naypyidaw, meaning "city of the kings".[73]
Cyclone Nargis in southern Myanmar, May 2008.
In August 2007, an increase in the price of diesel and petrol led to the Saffron Revolution led by Buddhist monks that were dealt with harshly by the government.[74] The government cracked down on them on 26 September 2007. The crackdown was harsh, with reports of barricades at the Shwedagon Pagoda and monks killed. There were also rumours of disagreement within the Burmese armed forces, but none was confirmed. The military crackdown against unarmed protesters was widely condemned as part of the international reactions to the Saffron Revolution and led to an increase in economic sanctions against the Burmese Government.
In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused extensive damage in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division.[75] It was the worst natural disaster in Burmese history with reports of an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing, damage totalled to 10 billion US dollars, and as many as 1 million left homeless.[76] In the critical days following this disaster, Myanmar's isolationist government was accused of hindering United Nations recovery efforts.[77] Humanitarian aid was requested but concerns about foreign military or intelligence presence in the country delayed the entry of United States military planes delivering medicine, food, and other supplies.[78]
In early August 2009, a conflict known as the Kokang incident broke out in Shan State in northern Myanmar. For several weeks, junta troops fought against ethnic minorities including the Han Chinese,[79] Wa, and Kachin.[80][81] During 8–12 August, the first days of the conflict, as many as 10,000 Burmese civilians fled to Yunnan province in neighbouring China.[80][81][82]
Civil wars
Main articles: Internal conflict in Myanmar, Kachin Conflict, Karen conflict, and 2015 Kokang offensive
Civil wars have been a constant feature of Myanmar's socio-political landscape since the attainment of independence in 1948. These wars are predominantly struggles for ethnic and sub-national autonomy, with the areas surrounding the ethnically Bamar central districts of the country serving as the primary geographical setting of conflict. Foreign journalists and visitors require a special travel permit to visit the areas in which Myanmar's civil wars continue.[83]
In October 2012, the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar included the Kachin conflict,[84] between the Pro-Christian Kachin Independence Army and the government;[85] a civil war between the Rohingya Muslims, and the government and non-government groups in Rakhine State;[86] and a conflict between the Shan,[87] Lahu, and Karen[88][89] minority groups, and the government in the eastern half of the country. In addition, al-Qaeda signalled an intention to become involved in Myanmar. In a video released on 3 September 2014, mainly addressed to India, the militant group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said al-Qaeda had not forgotten the Muslims of Myanmar and that the group was doing "what they can to rescue you".[90] In response, the military raised its level of alertness, while the Burmese Muslim Association issued a statement saying Muslims would not tolerate any threat to their motherland.[91]
Armed conflict between ethnic Chinese rebels and the Myanmar Armed Forces have resulted in the Kokang offensive in February 2015. The conflict had forced 40,000 to 50,000 civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter on the Chinese side of the border.[92] During the incident, the government of China was accused of giving military assistance to the ethnic Chinese rebels. Burmese officials have been historically "manipulated" and pressured by the Chinese government throughout Burmese modern history to create closer and binding ties with China, creating a Chinese satellite state in Southeast Asia.[93] However, uncertainties exist as clashes between Burmese troops and local insurgent groups continue.
Democratic reforms
Main article: 2011–12 Burmese political reforms
The goal of the Burmese constitutional referendum of 2008, held on 10 May 2008, is the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". As part of the referendum process, the name of the country was changed from the "Union of Myanmar" to the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar", and general elections were held under the new constitution in 2010. Observer accounts of the 2010 election describe the event as mostly peaceful; however, allegations of polling station irregularities were raised, and the United Nations (UN) and a number of Western countries condemned the elections as fraudulent.[94]
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Aung San Suu Kyi and her staff at her home in Yangon, 2012
The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party declared victory in the 2010 elections, stating that it had been favoured by 80 percent of the votes; however, the claim was disputed by numerous pro-democracy opposition groups who asserted that the military regime had engaged in rampant fraud.[95][96] One report documented 77 percent as the official turnout rate of the election.[95] The military junta was dissolved on 30 March 2011.
Opinions differ whether the transition to liberal democracy is underway. According to some reports, the military's presence continues as the label "disciplined democracy" suggests. This label asserts that the Burmese military is allowing certain civil liberties while clandestinely institutionalising itself further into Burmese politics. Such an assertion assumes that reforms only occurred when the military was able to safeguard its own interests through the transition—here, "transition" does not refer to a transition to a liberal democracy, but transition to a quasi-military rule.[97]
Since the 2010 election, the government has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards liberal democracy, a mixed economy, and reconciliation, although doubts persist about the motives that underpin such reforms. The series of reforms includes the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, the granting of general amnesties for more than 200 political prisoners, new labour laws that permit labour unions and strikes, a relaxation of press censorship, and the regulation of currency practices.[98]
The impact of the post-election reforms has been observed in numerous areas, including ASEAN's approval of Myanmar's bid for the position of ASEAN chair in 2014;[99] the visit by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in December 2011 for the encouragement of further progress, which was the first visit by a Secretary of State in more than fifty years,[100] during which Clinton met with the Burmese president and former military commander Thein Sein, as well as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi;[101] and the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the 2012 by-elections, facilitated by the government's abolition of the laws that previously barred the NLD.[102] As of July 2013, about 100[103][104] political prisoners remain imprisoned, while conflict between the Burmese Army and local insurgent groups continues.
Map of Myanmar and its divisions, including Shan State, Kachin State, Rakhine State and Karen State.
In 1 April 2012 by-elections, the NLD won 43 of the 45 available seats; previously an illegal organisation, the NLD had not won a single seat under new constitution. The 2012 by-elections were also the first time that international representatives were allowed to monitor the voting process in Myanmar.[105]
2015 general elections
Main article: Myanmar general election, 2015
General elections were held on 8 November 2015. These were the first openly contested elections held in Myanmar since 1990. The results gave the National League for Democracy an absolute majority of seats in both chambers of the national parliament, enough to ensure that its candidate would become president, while NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from the presidency.[106]
The new parliament convened on 1 February 2016[107] and, on 15 March 2016, Htin Kyaw was elected as the first non-military president since the military coup of 1962.[108] On 6 April 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi assumed the newly created role of State Counsellor, a role akin to a Prime Minister.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Myanmar
A map of Myanmar
Myanmar map of Köppen climate classification.
Myanmar has a total area of 678,500 square kilometres (262,000 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 9° and 29°N, and longitudes 92° and 102°E. As of February 2011, Myanmar consisted of 14 states and regions, 67 districts, 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts and 68,290 villages.
Myanmar is bordered in the northwest by the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and the Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states of India. Its north and northeast border is with the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan province for a Sino-Myanmar border total of 2,185 km (1,358 mi). It is bounded by Laos and Thailand to the southeast. Myanmar has 1,930 km (1,200 mi) of contiguous coastline along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to the southwest and the south, which forms one quarter of its total perimeter.[20]
In the north, the Hengduan Mountains form the border with China. Hkakabo Razi, located in Kachin State, at an elevation of 5,881 metres (19,295 ft), is the highest point in Myanmar.[109] Many mountain ranges, such as the Rakhine Yoma, the Bago Yoma, the Shan Hills and the Tenasserim Hills exist within Myanmar, all of which run north-to-south from the Himalayas.[110]
The mountain chains divide Myanmar's three river systems, which are the Irrawaddy, Salween (Thanlwin), and the Sittaung rivers.[111] The Irrawaddy River, Myanmar's longest river, nearly 2,170 kilometres (1,348 mi) long, flows into the Gulf of Martaban. Fertile plains exist in the valleys between the mountain chains.[110] The majority of Myanmar's population lives in the Irrawaddy valley, which is situated between the Rakhine Yoma and the Shan Plateau.
Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of Myanmar
A clickable map of Burma/Myanmar exhibiting its first-level administrative divisions.
About this image
Myanmar is divided into seven states (ပြည်နယ်) and seven regions (တိုင်းဒေသကြီး), formerly called divisions.[112] Regions are predominantly Bamar (that is, mainly inhabited by the dominant ethnic group). States, in essence, are regions that are home to particular ethnic minorities. The administrative divisions are further subdivided into districts, which are further subdivided into townships, wards, and villages.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Myanmar
The limestone landscape of Mon State.
Much of the country lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It lies in the monsoon region of Asia, with its coastal regions receiving over 5,000 mm (196.9 in) of rain annually. Annual rainfall in the delta region is approximately 2,500 mm (98.4 in), while average annual rainfall in the Dry Zone in central Myanmar is less than 1,000 mm (39.4 in). The Northern regions of Myanmar are the coolest, with average temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F). Coastal and delta regions have an average maximum temperature of 32 °C (89.6 °F).[111]
Environment
Further information: Deforestation in Myanmar
Myanmar continues to perform badly in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with an overall ranking of 153 out of 180 countries in 2016; among the worst in the South Asian region, only ahead of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The EPI was established in 2001 by the World Economic Forum as a global gauge to measure how well individual countries perform in implementing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The environmental areas where Myanmar performs worst (ie. highest ranking) are air quality (174), health impacts of environmental issues (143) and biodiversity and habitat (142). Myanmar performs best (ie. lowest ranking) in environmental impacts of fisheries (21), but with declining fish stocks. Despite several issues, Myanmar also ranks 64 and scores very good (ie. a high percentage of 93.73%) in environmental effects of the agricultural industry because of an excellent management of the nitrogen cycle.[114][115]
Wildlife
Myanmar's slow economic growth has contributed to the preservation of much of its environment and ecosystems. Forests, including dense tropical growth and valuable teak in lower Myanmar, cover over 49% of the country, including areas of acacia, bamboo, ironwood and Magnolia champaca. Coconut and betel palm and rubber have been introduced. In the highlands of the north, oak, pine and various rhododendrons cover much of the land.[116]
Heavy logging since the new 1995 forestry law went into effect has seriously reduced forest acreage and wildlife habitat.[117] The lands along the coast support all varieties of tropical fruits and once had large areas of mangroves although much of the protective mangroves have disappeared. In much of central Myanmar (the Dry Zone), vegetation is sparse and stunted.
Typical jungle animals, particularly tigers, occur sparsely in Myanmar. In upper Myanmar, there are rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, clouded leopard, wild boars, deer, antelope, and elephants, which are also tamed or bred in captivity for use as work animals, particularly in the lumber industry. Smaller mammals are also numerous, ranging from gibbons and monkeys to flying foxes. The abundance of birds is notable with over 800 species, including parrots, myna, peafowl, red junglefowl, weaverbirds, crows, herons, and barn owl. Among reptile species there are crocodiles, geckos, cobras, Burmese pythons, and turtles. Hundreds of species of freshwater fish are wide-ranging, plentiful and are very important food sources.[118] For a list of protected areas, see List of protected areas of Myanmar.
Government and politics
Main article: Politics of Myanmar
Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
The constitution of Myanmar, its third since independence, was drafted by its military rulers and published in September 2008. The country is governed as a parliamentary system with a bicameral legislature (with an executive President accountable to the legislature), with 25% of the legislators appointed by the military and the rest elected in general elections.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 16-Feb-17 + DeNoise AI 26-Sep-22.
Purple 'Super Resort Express' livery, left side.
An early B747-200 series (line No:137) with only 2 upper deck windows left side, this aircraft was delivered to JAL Japan Air Lines as JA8106 in May-71.
Sold to a leasing company and leased back to JAL in Oct-94, it served with them for 28 years before being returned to the lessor and sold to 'Jumbo Jet Leasing Inc' in Mar-99. It was stored at Marana, AZ, USA in Apr-99.
The aircraft was leased to Air Atlanta Icelandic as TF-ATF in Dec-09. It was sub-leased to AirAsia for a Haj Pilgrimage operation in Mar/Apr-01 and sub-leased to Air Algerie between Sep/Nov-01.
In Jan-03 it was sub-leased to Albarka Air (Nigeria) for a Haj Pilgrimage operation and returned to Air Atlanta in Mar-03. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Sep-03 and permanently retired at Marana, AZ, USA.
It was last noted still stored at Marana in Apr-06 and was broken up there later that year..
I also have two photos of this aircraft with Air Atlanta Icelandic...
www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding/6513270377 - all white, no titles.
www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding/6868328920 - with Air Atlanta titles & tail logo.
Replacing an earlier scanned print with a slightly better version 03-Feb-19.
Fleet No: "714".
This aircraft was delivered to CP Air as C-GCPS in Apr-81, CP Air was renamed Canadian Pacific Airlines in Jan-86. Canadian Pacific Airlines was merged into Pacific Western Airlines to form Canadi>n Airlines International in Apr-87. It was sold to a lessor in Sep-96 and leased back to Canadi>n Airlines. In Apr-01, Canadi>n Airlines International was officially merged into Air Canada (although Air Canada had been providing finance guarantees for around a year beforehand. Quite a few aircraft, including this one, had already been repainted in Air Canada livery with Canadi>n titles). The aircraft was transferred to Air Canada Tango in Mar-02 and then to Air Canada's 'low-cost' airline Zip Air Inc in Feb-03. It was returned to Air Canada and then to the lessor as N2257 in Jan-04 and stored at Mojave, Ca, USA. It was sold to Petrozaz LLC in Dec-04 and leased to Nova Air (Mexico) as XA-OCI. The aircraft was returned to the lessor and permanently retired at Mexico City in Sep-09.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 19-Nov-17, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 22-Jul-23.
Fleet No: '5318', later '5418'.
This aircraft was delivered to United Airlines as N518UA in Sep-90. It was fitted with blended winglets in Jul-08. In Dec-08 the aircraft was sold to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest and sold back to United Airlines in Apr-17.
In Oct-19, after 29 years in service, the aircraft was ferried to Tupelo, MS, USA and permanently retired. It was sold to Universal Asset Management the following day and broken up at Tupelo in 2020.
Built in 1929 replacing an earlier lighthouse (station established 1879). Active; displaying two white flashes every 30s. The round concrete tower with lantern and gallery is 102 feet tall. The tower is painted white, lantern red. A modern 2-story keeper's house is occupied by a resident attendant. This light station, Iceland's oldest, is the landfall light for Keflavík and Reykjavík. The original lighthouse stood only eight years before being destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. Traditional in appearance, the current tower is probably Iceland's best known and most visited lighthouse. The area around the lighthouse is thermally active, and plumes of steam can often be seen in photos of the lighthouse. Located atop a hill (an inactive volcanic cone) near the southwestern point of the Reykjanes peninsula, about 10 miles west of Grindavík and 13 miles southwest of Keflavík.
There was a major volcanic eruption with flowing lava in this area in July 2023.
In 1969 the restyled Ami 8 replaced the Ami 6.
The Ami 6-Series was designed by Flaminio Bertoni (1903-1964) and was originally introduced in 1961.
Private import.
602 cc 2 cylinder air-cooled boxer engine.
695 kg.
Production Ami 8: 1969-1978.
Original first reg. number: July 6, 1977.
New Dutch pseudo-historical reg. number: Aug. 28, 2002 (still valid, July 2022).
Same owner since July 25, 2012.
Amsterdam-Noord, Tuindorp Oostzaan, Boorderstraat, March 16, 2017.
© 2017 Sander Toonen Amsterdam/Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
Hillingdon Council replaced its BLs on route 128 with three Nationals (LS222, 236, 240) in July 1988, repainted into the special livery of red and yellow with prominent lettering for the service. They would be joined by a pair of Leyland Lynxes, the Nationals successor, in December 1988.
LS222, numerically the first of the trio is seen here.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 22-Sep-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 01-Sep-25.
Delivered to National Airlines in Dec-67 as N4731, National were merged into Pan American World Airways in Jan-80 and the aircraft continued with Pan-Am until it was retired at Oklahoma City, OK, USA in Dec-91 after 24 years in service.
It was sold to General Electric Capital Corporation (later GECAS) in Sep-92 and broken up at Oklahoma City in 1993.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 09-Oct-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 28-Feb-25.
The Cambrian Airways livery after it became part of 'British Air Services'.
Delivered new to BEA British European Airways in Oct-53, this aircraft was sold to Channel Airways 10 years later in Dec-63. It was leased to British Eagle International Airlines and sub-leased to British Eagle (Liverpool) Ltd (ex Starways of Liverpool) in Feb-64.
It returned to British Eagle International in Apr-64 after the Starways route licences had been transferred. It was returned to Channel Airways in Apr-65 and then sold to Cambrian Airways in Oct-65. The aircraft was retired and stored at Cardiff, Wales, Nov-71 and broken up there in Sep-72.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 18-Feb-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 09-Apr-23.
I love this shot. Taken at Malaga, southern Spain on a beautiful sunny day. I was there on Viscount 701 G-AMOO with British Eagle. The early V700's didn't have the range to fly nonstop from Liverpool so we had to tech stop at Bordeaux both ways! To the right, just across the runway was a whole field of CASA built Heinkel 111's. I couldn't photograph them though, General Franco's Guardia Civil would have put me away!
This was an early build DC-7, delivered new to American Airlines in Feb-54 as N319AA. They only kept it 5 years and then sold it to a leasing company in Feb-59.
It was leased to ONA Overseas National Airways in Apr-59 as N319A. It was returned to the lessor in Sep-63 and was sold to Osterman Air Charter, Sweden, the following month as SE-XBR.
It was sold again the month after that, Nov-63, to Sveaflyg as OY-DMR and sub-leased to Flying Enterprise in Dec-63. In Feb-65 it was transferred to Osterman Air Charter as SE-CNH.
Ostermanair was merged into Internord in Nov-65. The aircraft was operated for a further 3 years until it was retired and broken up at Stockholm-Bromma Airport in mid 1968.
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 09-Mar-17 + DeNoise AI 28-Oct-22.
Fleet No: "6642".
This aircraft was delivered to Singapore Airlines as 9V-SQQ in Sep-80. It was wet leased to Garuda Indonesia Airlines in Apr-94 and returned to Singapore Airlines at the end of May-96 when it was stored at Singapore.
In Jul-96 the aircraft was sold to Northwest Airlines as N642NW. It was retired and stored at Marana, AZ, USA in Aug-04. Three years later, in Aug-07, it was sold to Evergreen Aircraft Sales & Leasing and was broken up at Marana in Dec-07.
The complete nose section (Section 41), including the nosewheel was delivered to the Tokyo Museum of Aeronautical Sciences at Tokyo-Narita in 2008 and is displayed in the colours of the Boeing 747 prototype complete with stickers of all the airlines who originally bought the type.
Replacing an earlier scanned print with a better version 08-Apr-16, plus DeNoise AI 29-Nov-22.
Air Alfa, leased from Pegasus Airlines in this hybrid livery.
Delivered to GPA Group Ltd and leased to Nortjet with the temporary Spanish registration EC-251 in Feb-89, it was re-registered EC-EMY in Apr-89.
The aircraft was repossessed by the lessor in Feb-92 when Nortjet ceased operations. It was placed in storage and was re-registered EI-CEW in Apr-92. In Jul-92 it was leased to Transmed Airlines (Egypt) as SU-BLL and returned to the lessor in Nov-93.
The aircraft was stored again until it was leased to Trans Alsace Airlines as F-GNFS in Feb-94. This airline only lasted a couple of months and ceased operations Apr-94. The aircraft was repossessed again! It was re-registered EI-CEW again and leased to Markair (USA) later the same month.
It returned to the lessor a year later, in Apr-95 and was immediately leased to Pegasus Airlines as TC-AFZ. Pegasus sub-leased it to Air Alfa between Nov-98/Mar-99. It was also sub-leased to Air Algerie between Sep-99/Feb-00.
It was returned to the lessor in Apr-01 and was leased to SATA International the following month as CS-TGW. It was returned to the lessor in May-04 and was leased to Turkish Airlines as TC-JKB in Jul-04.
The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Feb-07 and leased to Adam Sky Connection Airlines (Adam Air), Indonesia as PK-KMA in Mar-07. The Indonesian CAA withdrew Adam Air's operating certificate and the airline closed down in Mar-08. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in Apr-08.
It was initially stored at Singapore-Seletar and then ferried to Victorville, CA, USA in Sep-08, it was permanently retired at Victorville and was last noted still there in May-09. Updated 29-Nov-22
Replaced an earlier scanned slide with a better version 23-Jan-15 + DeNoise Ai 24-Sep-22.
This slide was a real mess when I took it out of the box, spots and fungal growth all over the place. I've cleaned it up as much as I can.
The first Britannia to land at Liverpool, coming 'over the fence' for a landing on runway '26' on 01-Jan-64, the day that British Eagle officially took over Starways.
Named: "Enterprise".
G-AOVT was delivered new to BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation in Jan-59. It was briefly leased to BEA for a month in early 1961. In Sep-63, after less than 5 years with BOAC, it was leased to British Eagle International Airlines who later bought it.
They sold it to Monarch Airlines in Aug-68. In Dec-74 it was leased to Invicta International for 3 months, returning to Monarch in Mar-75. Three months later, in Jun-75, the aircraft was retired and presented to the Duxford Aviation Museum, UK. 50 years on, it's still on display. Updated 11-Mar-25.
Sonnenberg Gardens, also known as Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park, Canandaigua, New York, USA, at the North end of Canandaigua Lake, in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. The house and gardens are open to the public every day, May through October.
The property was once the summer home of Frederick Ferris Thompson, a prominent banker in New York City, and his wife Mary Clark Thompson, whose father, Myron Holley Clark, was Governor of New York State in 1855. The Clark family was from Canandaigua, NY. Mr. & Mrs. Thompson's main home was in NYC in a large townhouse on Madison Avenue. The Thompsons purchased the Sonnenberg property in 1863, keeping the name, Sonnenberg (which means "sunny hill" in German). In 1887, they replaced the original farmhouse with a forty-room Queen Anne style mansion. The property also had a 100-acre farm to the east. Sonnenberg's gardens were designed and built between 1902–1919, and originally consisted of nine gardens in a variety of styles.
NRHP Reference#:73001240
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 06-Jul-17 (DeNoise AI 18-Sep-22).
This aircraft was delivered to Western Airlines as N912WA in Jul-79. Western was merged into Delta Air Lines in Apr-87. Delta was primarily a Lockheed Tristar operator and so the Aircraft was sold to UAS United Aviation Services and leased to SAS Scandinavian Airlines charter subsidiary Scanair in May-88, retaining it's US registration.
Scanair sub-leased it to American Airlines the following month. The aircraft returned to Scanair in Mar-89 and was sub-leased to World Airways in Jun-89. In Dec-89 it was re-registered SE-DHX. The lease to World Airways continued although it was now flown by Scanair crews.
World Airways sub-leased the aircraft to Malaysia Airlines in Jun-90 for a Haj Pilgrimage operation. It returned to World in Aug-90 and was returned to Scanair. In Jul-91 the aircraft was sub-leased to Sun Country Airlines, it was re-registered N571SC in Mar-94.
[Confusing bit, part 1. In Jan-94, Scanair had merged with Conair Scandinavia to form Premiair (Denmark). In 1996 Premiair was taken over by Airtours International Airways UK. The aircraft was returned to Airtours in Jun-98 and was repainted in basic Airtours livery. In Sep-98 it was leased to Ryan International and operated with Skyservice USA titles.
[Confusing bit, part 2. Ryan International were operating services for California based holiday operator 'Sun Trips' between the US west coast and Hawaii. Sun Trips was owned by... yes, you guessed it, Airtours International].
In Jul-00 the aircraft was re-registered N571RY and continued to be operated by Ryan International. The titles were changed to 'Sun Trips' in Jan-01 and it continued in service until Apr-03 when it was returned to Airtours (who had now been renamed MyTravel Airways) and the lessor. The aircraft was permanently retired at Kemble, UK and was broken up there in Jul-03.
Volvo B10B/Sunsundegui Sideral VG1-20 are to de replaced by the 2015 equivalent VE1-20 in the very near future, VG6 is seen woken a shorten version of a Galway service to Athlone only.
Replacing an earlier scanned slide with a better version 18-Jan-15, plus Topaz DeNoise AI 04-Sep-23.
First flown in Jan-62, this aircraft was delivered to the UK Royal Air Force (114 Squadron) as XN856 in Mar-62. It was transferred to the A&AAE (Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment) at Boscombe Down, UK in Nov-62 and returned to the RAF (114 Squadron) in Feb-63.
It was withdrawn from use and permanently retired at RAF Kemble, UK in Oct-71. The aircraft was sold to Field Aircraft Services in Aug-75 and had been broken up at Kemble by the end of the year. A 9 year working life isn't much of a life at all! Updated 05-Sep-23.
The Moskvich 402 appeared in 1956. It replaced the 400-Series and had a complete new body, influenced by the mid 1950s British style.
The technics were still based on the pre-war Opel Kadett.
The 402 was replaced by the 407 with the same body but with a restyled grille and a more powerful engine.
The Moskvich 403 was debuting in 1961.
Export versions had a lot of luxury trim and were often painted in an attractive two-tone colour pattern.
1358 cc.
980 kg.
Production 402407/403 all versions: 1956-1965.
Production 407 this version: 1958-1964.
This car was for sale since April 8, 2018 by Jan Stolpa in Znojmo, Cz, for 45 000 Kč.
Found on rajveteranu.cz (June 8, 2018).
Original photographer, place and date unknown.
Amsterdam, June 8, 2018.
© 2018 Rajveteranu/Sander Toonen, Amsterdam/Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
The empty cement train from Devonport arrives at Railton with remote unit 2002 trailing the consist with 2010 up the front on 14-10-13.
Loco 2002 entered service on 1-11-1968 as 1522 of the 1502 class. It was later sold to Tranz Rail in New Zealand before arriving back in Tasmania under ATN ownership
Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 13-Aug-18.
Named: "Tormod Viking".
This aircraft was delivered to SAS Scandinavian Airlines as OY-KIN in Aug-97. It was sub-leased to SAS associate Blue1 Airlines as OH-BLD in Sep-06. The aircraft was returned to SAS in Nov-10 and stored at Stockholm-Arlanda. It was sold to Delta Air Lines (via Wells Fargo Bank Northwest as owner trustee) as N931DN in Apr-11 and initially stored at Marana, AZ, USA. The aircraft entered service in Jan-12. It was withdrawn from service in Mar-20 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (although it was due for retirement anyway) and permanently retired at Blytheville, AR, USA. Updated (Oct-20).
Replacing an earlier scanned print with a slightly better version 24-Jan-19. Sorry it's a little blurred.
Taken from the Templeton Bridge.
Named: "Derwent Water".
This aircraft was delivered to BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation as G-AWNE in Mar-71. BOAC was merged with BEA British European Airways to form British Airways in Apr-74. The aircraft was sold to AAR Aircraft Leasing in Feb-98 and leased back to British Airways. After 28.5 years in service it was returned to the lessor and stored at Roswell, NM, USA in Nov-99. It was sold to Kabo Air (Nigerial) in Jan-01 as 5N-RRR. It never left Roswell and was eventually broken up there for spares.