Burma

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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:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 49%
other: 34% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,680 sq km (1993 est.)

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, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

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Population: 48,081,302 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 8,883,099; female 8,542,087)
15-64 years: 60% (male 14,343,888; female 14,293,233)
65 years and over: 4% (male 906,517; female 1,112,478) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.61% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 28.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.25 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.74 years
male: 53.24 years
female: 56.32 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.63 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese

Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%

Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2%

Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7% (1995 est.)

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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

Data code: BM

Government type: military regime

Capital: Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)

Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular—yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular—pyine); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon*

Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; chapter headings and three of 15 sections have been approved

Legal system: does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note—the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note—the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council; the SPDC oversees the cabinet
elections: none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation of the former prime minister

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 convened
election results: percent of vote by party—NA%; seats by party—NLD 396, NUP 10, other 79

Judicial branch: limited; remnants of the British-era legal system 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 Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and eight minor legal parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime; the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF

International organization participation: AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador TIN WINN
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kent M. WIEDEMANN
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182 (operator assistance required)
FAX: [95] (1) 280409

Flag description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions

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Economy—overview: Burma has a mixed economy with private activity dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the last 10 years, 1989-98, has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three decades of tight central planning. Thus, private activity has markedly increased; foreign investment has been encouraged, so far with moderate success; and efforts continue to increase the efficiency of state enterprises. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the volume of black-market trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Although Burma remains a poor Asian country, its rich resources furnish the potential for substantial long-term increases in income, exports, and living standards. The short-term outlook is for continued sluggish growth because of internal unrest, minimal foreign investment, and the large trade deficit.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$56.1 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 1.1% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$1,200 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 59%
industry: 11%
services: 30% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 18.8 million (FY95/96 est.)

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $7.9 billion
expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97)

Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer

Industrial production growth rate: 9.2% (FY95/96 est.)

Electricity—production: 3.75 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.33%
hydro: 38.67%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 3.75 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood

Exports: $940 million (1997)

Exports—commodities: pulses and beans, teak, rice, rubber, hardwood

Exports—partners: India 17%, Singapore 14%, China 11%, Thailand 9%, Japan 4% (1997)

Imports: $2.2 billion (1997)

Imports—commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products

Imports—partners: Singapore 30%, Japan 17%, China 10%, Thailand 10%, Malaysia 7% (1997)

Debt—external: $4.3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $156.9 million (1995)

Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas

Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1—6.1163 (January 1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996), 5.6670 (1995), 5.9749 (1994); unofficial—310-350 (1998)

Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March

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Telephones: 122,195 (1993 est.)

Telephone system: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 2 (1998 est.)

Televisions: 88,000 (1992 est.)

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Railways:
total: 3,740 km
narrow gauge: 3,740 km 1.000-m gauge (1997)

Highways:
total: 28,200 km
paved: 3,440 km
unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels

Pipelines: crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km

Ports and harbors: Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy

Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 464,478 GRT/695,923 DWT
ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 20, container 2, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 2
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries: Japan owns 2 ships, US 3 (1998 est.)

Airports: 80 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

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Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 12,475,987
females age 15-49: 12,224,947 (1999 est.)
note: both sexes liable for military service

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 6,660,309
females age 15-49: 6,510,730 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 496,912
females: 477,803 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $3.904 billion (FY97/98)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.1% (FY97/98)

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Disputes—international: sporadic conflict with Thailand over alignment of border

Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of illicit opium (cultivation in 1998—130,300 hectares, a 16% decline from 1997; potential production—1,750 metric tons, down 26% due to drought and the first eradication effort since the current government took power in 1987) and a minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of serious government commitment and resources continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; growing role in the production of methamphetamines for regional consumption