Kayah

Location
Kayah State is situated in eastern Myanmar and bounded on the north by Shan State, on the east by Thailand, and on the south and west by Kayin State. The area of the state is 4,530 square miles.

Population
The population is over 259,000 and the population density is about 53 persons per square mile. However, in Loikaw and Dimawhso townships, where there are vast plains, the population density is more than 100 persons per sq. mile. The mountainous areas are sparsely populated.

Inhabitants
The resident national races are Kayah, Kayan (Padaung), Paye, Yinbaw, Yinkale, Paki Kayin and small racial groups such as Manumanao, Gaykho, and Gaybar. There are also small numbers of Shan, Intha, and Bamar living along Balu stream in the north. Pa-O nationals can be found on surrounding hills.

Religion
About half of the population in Kayah State follows Buddhism while 43 % believe in Christianity. The remaining 6 % are animist.

Dialects
The people generally speak Kayah, Kayan, Shan, Pa-O and Bamar.

How to get there?
Loikaw is the capital of Kayah State and it is 881 km or about 19 hours drive from Yangon. There are daily express buses from Yangon.