Kachin State

Kachin State (Jingphaw Mungdan), is the northernmost state of Myanmar. It is bordered by China to the north and east, Shan State to the south, Sagaing Division and India to the west. The area of Kachin State is 34,379 sq. miles. The capital of the state is Myitkyina. Another important town is Bhamo.

Kachin state is the home of Mt. Hkakaborazi, with the height of 5881 metres above sea level it is the highest peak in South East Asia and is not only beautiful but also pride of Kachin State. This virgin peak is located in Nangmon Township in Puta-O District of the Kachin State. It is situated in the extreme North of Myanmar and is perennially snow-caped, being part of the Eastern Himalayan region.

The Hkakaborazi protected area formed with mountain ranges, waterfalls, rapid streams and ravines of eastern Himalayas covers 3812 square kilometres and it is the largest natural park in Myanmar. The headwaters of the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River, Myanmar's main artery for commerce and navigation are to be found here.

The majority of the state's 1.4 million inhabitants are ethnic Kachin, also known as Jinghpaw, and the state is officially home to another 13 ethnic groups, including Bamar, Rawang, Lisu, Zaiwa, Maru, Yaywin, Lawngwaw, Lachyit and Shan. No census has been taken in almost a century. Official government statistics state that the distribution by religion is 57% Buddhist and 36% Christian. The Kachin language has a written version based on the Roman alphabet.

The economy of Kachin State is predominantly agricultural. The main products include rice, sugar cane. Mineral products include gold and jade.

Kachin State was formed in 1948 out of the British Burma civil districts of Bhamo and Myitkyina, together with the larger northern district of Puta-o. The vast mountainous hinterlands are predominantly Kachin, whereas the more densely populated railway corridor and southern valleys are mostly Shan and Bamar. The northern frontier was not demarcated until the 1960's. Chinese governments had claimed all of Kachin State as Chinese territory since the 18th century. During the Konbaung era, roughly 75% of all Kachin jadeite ended up in China, where it was prized much more highly than the local Chinese nephrite.

Traditional Kachin society was based on shifting hill agriculture. Political authority was based on chieftains who depended on support from immediate kinsmen. Considerable attention has been given by anthropologists of the Kachin custom of maternal cousin marriage, wherein it is permissible for a man to marry his mother's brother's daughter, but not with the father's sister's daughter. Traditional religion was animist, but missionary activity since the British period had converted the vast majority of the population to Christianity (notably Baptist and Roman Catholics).