Question

What are the two main branches of Buddhism and how are they different

Answer 1

Buddhism, known as the fourth largest Indian religion of the world and the two main forms of Buddhism are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana.  

Theravada Buddhism: It is the one of the branch of Buddhism and believed as oldest form. Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam are some of the countries in which this form of Buddhism is performed. It is an orthodox tradition and thus it emphasizes walking on the same path as ancient Buddhism did.

Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism is one of the two major branches of Buddhism in the present time. It is initiated from India and spread northwards to many other Asian countries, such as China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia and Singapore. There are further subdivisions of the Mahayana sect, such as Zen / Chan, the Holy Land, Tiantai, Nichiren, Shingon, Tendai and Tibetan Buddhism.  

Answer 2

All the branches are Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Vajrayana Buddhism.

The main two are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism I believe.

Hope this helps! - Kana