Yangon

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Yangon

Yangon

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is Yangon Region's capital and Myanmar's largest city. Until 2006, Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar, when administrative functions were transferred by the military government to the purpose-built capital, Naypyidaw in north-central Myanmar. With a population of 7 million, Yangon is Myanmar's most populous city and the country's most important commercial center. Yangon has the most colonial-era buildings in Southeast Asia and a unique colonial-era urban core which is remarkably preserved. The colonial era commercial core is centered around the Sule Pagoda, which is said to be more than 2000 years old. The city is also the home of the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, which is Myanmar's most sacred and best-known Buddhist pagoda, and it is the site of many other significant religious buildings, including the World Peace Pagoda and the Botataung Pagoda. Located in Lower Burma at the confluence of the Yangon and Bago rivers, Yangon is about 30 km from the Gulf of Martaban. Because of its location in the Irrawaddy Delta, intertidal lowland ecosystems occur near the city. The city is situated on a low ridge surrounded by a deltaic alluvium. The original settlements were situated on the ridge, but the modern city was built on the alluvium. Later expansion took place both on the ridge and in the delta areas. To the north of the city center is the Royal Lake, surrounded by a wooded park, and nearby are the city's zoological and botanical gardens. Yangon's many museums include the Bogyoke Aung San Museum and the National Museum of Art and Archaeology.