Kachin State

The northernmost state, with a mixed population of people who have over time filtered into the area and whose populations straddle the international borders with neighboring countries. The majority population is Kachin. Others include various peoples from the Indian subcontinent such as Gurkhas and Punjabis, as well as Chinese from Yunnan and elsewhere, Shan, Chin, and Bamar. The capital of Kachin State is Myitkyina; Bhamo is another important town. Both of them lie on the Irrawaddy River, which flows south through the center of the state.