Kayah State (, formerly,
Karenni State) is a
state of
Myanmar. Situated in eastern Myanmar, it is bounded on the north by
Shan State, on the east by
Thailand's
Mae Hong Son Province, and on the south and west by
Kayin State. It lies approximately between 18° 30' and 19° 55' north latitude and between 94°40' and 97° 93' east longitude. The area is . Its capital is
Loikaw (also spelt Loi-kaw). The estimated population in 1998 was approximately 207,357, according to
UNICEF. It is inhabited primarily by the
Karenni ethnic group, also known as Red Karen or Kayah, a
Sino-Tibetan people.