|
Background: |
Britain conquered Burma over a
period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire.
Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a
separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988,
first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as
political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that
resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy
(NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over
power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who
was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned
in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After Burma's
ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of
thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and
Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed
the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for
participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued
to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of
participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor
Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who
remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and
supporters. |
|
Location: |
Southeastern Asia, bordering
the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
|
|
Geographic coordinates: |
22 00 N, 98 00 E |
|
Map references: |
Southeast Asia |
|
Area: |
total: 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km
water: 20,760 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Texas
|
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 5,876 km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India
1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km |
|
Coastline: |
1,930 km |
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental
margin |
|
Climate: |
tropical monsoon; cloudy,
rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less
cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter
(northeast monsoon, December to April) |
|
Terrain: |
central lowlands ringed by
steep, rugged highlands |
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Andaman
Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m |
|
Natural resources: |
petroleum, timber, tin,
antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone,
precious stones, natural gas, hydropower |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 14.92%
permanent crops: 1.31%
other: 83.77% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
18,700 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
1,045.6 cu km (1999) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
Total: 33.23 cu km/yr
(1%/1%/98%)
Per capita: 658 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
Natural hazards: |
destructive earthquakes and
cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to
September); periodic droughts |
|
Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; industrial
pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water
treatment contribute to disease |
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note: |
strategic location near major
Indian Ocean shipping lanes |
|
Population: |
47,373,958
note:
estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 26.1% (male
6,277,073/female 6,084,001)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male
16,089,764/female 16,425,299)
65 years and over: 5.3% (male
1,075,868/female 1,421,953) (2007 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 27.4 years
male: 26.8 years
female: 28 years (2007 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
0.815% (2007 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
17.48 births/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
9.33 deaths/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.06
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.757 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female
(2007 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 50.68
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 57.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 62.49
years
male: 60.29 years
female: 64.83 years (2007
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.95 children born/woman (2007
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
1.2% (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
330,000 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
20,000 (2003 est.) |
|
Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: very
high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations
note:
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in
this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with
extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact
with birds (2007) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Burmese (singular
and plural)
adjective: Burmese |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%,
Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% |
|
Religions: |
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4%
(Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% |
|
Languages: |
Burmese, minority ethnic groups
have their own languages |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 89.9%
male: 93.9%
female: 86.4% (2000 est.)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long
form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government
as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)
local
short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic
of the Union of Burma
note: since 1989 the military authorities
in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their
state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma,
and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw |
|
Government type: |
military junta |
|
Capital: |
name: Rangoon (Yangon)
geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E
time
difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital
|
|
Administrative divisions: |
7 divisions (taing-myar,
singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing,
Tanintharyi, Yangon
states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah
State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State |
|
Independence: |
4 January 1948 (from UK) |
|
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 4 January
(1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947) |
|
Constitution: |
3 January 1974; suspended since
18 September 1988; national convention convened in 1993 to establish
principles to guide in the drafting of a new constitution concluded in
2007; it did not include participation of major democratic and ethnic
majority representatives; a constitutional drafting committee appointed by
the junta began meeting in December 2007 |
|
Legal system: |
based on English common law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: Chairman
of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE
(since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Lt.
Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet is
overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under
name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
elections:
none |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral People's Assembly or
Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly
never allowed by junta to convene
election results: percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23
(opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60 |
|
Judicial branch: |
remnants of the British-era
legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public
trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
National League for Democracy
or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP
(pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD
[HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Ethnic Nationalities Council or
ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile
trade union and labor advocates); National Coalition Government of the
Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime
Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected
to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and
joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile);
Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU;
Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma
or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); several Shan factions;
United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association
or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization)
[HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy
movement) [MIN KO NAING] |
|
International organization participation: |
ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC,
CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
|
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN
chancery:
2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202)
332-3344
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
consulate(s)
general: New York |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari VILLAROSA
embassy:
110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
mailing
address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 556-509,
535-756
FAX: [95] (1) 650-306 |
|
Flag description: |
red with a blue rectangle in
the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars
encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent
the seven administrative divisions and seven states |
|
Economy - overview: |
Burma, a resource-rich country,
suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies,
and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize
the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism,"
but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were
rescinded. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic
conditions have deteriorated due to the regime's mismanagement of the
economy. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from
serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal
deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese
kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an
inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP
figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began
to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to
honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the
government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her
convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 including a
ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial
services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers
attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The
most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries,
especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially
causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and
services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable
import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and
endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's
20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2007, the largest
private banks operated under tight restrictions limiting the private
sector's access to formal credit. Moreover, the September 2007 crackdown
on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, further
strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about
500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In
November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning
investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber and precious stones, while
the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese
government and military officials and their family members, as well as
prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated
companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on
foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black
market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the
official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic
relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and
an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign
investment, exports, and tourism. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$91.13 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$8.347 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
3.5% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$1,900 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 53.9%
industry: 10.6%
services: 35.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
29.26 million (2007 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 70%
industry: 7%
services: 23% (2001) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
5.2% (2007 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
25% (2000 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
40.2% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
12.2% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA (2006 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
rice, pulses, beans, sesame,
groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products |
|
Industries: |
agricultural processing; wood
and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction
materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and
gems |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
3.9% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
5.806 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 44.5%
hydro: 43.4%
nuclear: 0%
other: 12.1%
(2002) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
3.707 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
9,500 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption: |
20,460 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
19,180 bbl/day (2004 est.)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
less than 50 million bbl (1
January 2006 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
12.47 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
3.971 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
8.497 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
271.6 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
$1.676 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$6.6 billion f.o.b.
note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to
the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to
Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2007 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
gas, wood products, pulses,
beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems |
|
Exports - partners: |
Thailand 48.8%, India 12.7%,
China 5.2%, Japan 5.2% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$2.642 billion f.o.b.
note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the
value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from
Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2007 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
fabric, petroleum products,
fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction
materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil |
|
Imports - partners: |
China 35.1%, Thailand 22.1%,
Singapore 16.4%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$144.7 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$1.762 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$6.914 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$NA |
|
Currency (code): |
kyat (MMK) |
|
Currency code: |
MMK |
|
Exchange rates: |
kyats per US dollar - 1,296
(2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003)
note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US
dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial
exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2003-05 are
official exchange rates |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
503,900 (2005) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
214,200 (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
barely meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for
business and government; international service is fair
domestic: NA
international: country code - 95;
landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine
cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite
earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat (2007) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave NA (2004)
|
|
Radios: |
4.2 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
2 (2004) |
|
Televisions: |
320,000 (2000) |
|
Internet country code: |
.mm |
|
Internet hosts: |
101 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1
note: as of
September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government,
tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
31,500 (2005) |
|
Airports: |
86 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 25
over
3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437
m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 61
over
3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m:
14
under 914 m: 32 (2007) |
|
Heliports: |
4 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 2,790 km; oil 558 km (2007)
|
|
Railways: |
total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 27,000 km
paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2005) |
|
Waterways: |
12,800 km (2007) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 33 ships (1000
GRT or over) 364,447 GRT/549,310 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7,
cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 5, Japan 3) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
|
|
Military branches: |
Myanmar Armed Forces
(Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2008) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
18 years of age for voluntary
military service for both sexes; forced conscription of children, although
officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2007) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 18-49:
12,268,850
females age 18-49: 12,469,771 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
7,946,701
females age 18-49: 8,543,705 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 469,841
females: 455,689 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.1% (2005 est.)
|
|
Disputes - international: |
over half of Burma's population
consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in
neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic
rebels, illegal cross-border activities, Karen and other refugees, and
asylum seekers from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly
constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with
Burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to
halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River which flows through
China, Burma, and Thailand; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep
Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam,
from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees
reside in two camps in Bangladesh |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
IDPs: 540,000
(government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern
borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon)
(2006) |
|
Trafficking in persons: |
current situation: Burma
is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked to East and
Southeast Asia for sexual exploitation, domestic service, and forced
commercial labor; a significant number of victims are economic migrants
who wind up in forced or bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser
extent, Burma is a country of transit and destination for women trafficked
from China for sexual exploitation; internal trafficking of persons occurs
primarily for labor in industrial zones and agricultural estates; internal
trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation occurs from
villages to urban centers and other areas; the military junta's economic
mismanagement, human rights abuses, and policy of using forced labor are
driving factors behind Burma's large trafficking problem
tier
rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant
efforts to do so |
|
Illicit drugs: |
remains world's second largest
producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2005 of 380
metric tons, up 13% from 2004 and cultivation in 2005 was 40,000 hectares,
a 10% increase from 2004; the decline in opium production in the United Wa
State Army's areas of greatest control was more than offset by increases
in south and east Shan state; lack of government will to take on major
narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money
laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source
of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under
Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to
address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2005) |
This page was last updated on 12 February, 2008
|