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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Despite multiparty elections
in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive
victory, the military junta ruling the country refused to hand over
power. Key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG San
Suu Kyi, under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under
house detention in September 2000; her supporters are routinely harassed
or jailed. |
| 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 |
| 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, hydropower |
| 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, Endangered Species, 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 |
| Population: |
41,994,678
note: estimates for this country explicitly 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 and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
29.14% (male 6,245,798; female 5,992,074)
15-64 years: 66.08% (male 13,779,571; female 13,970,707)
65 years and over: 4.78% (male 895,554; female 1,110,974)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.6% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
20.13 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
12.3 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.84 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
73.71 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
55.16 years
male: 53.73 years
female: 56.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.3 children born/woman (2001
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
1.99% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
530,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
48,000 (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 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.)
note: these are official statistics; estimates of
functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 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 |
| 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; progress has since been stalled |
| Legal
system: |
has not accepted 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 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, 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, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary];
National Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities
League for Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and
Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political
organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
All Burma Student Democratic
Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or
KNU; 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; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA |
| International
organization participation: |
ARF, 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, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate U LINN MYAING
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:
Permanent Charge d'Affaires Priscilla A. CLAPP
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182
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 |
| 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
1990s has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three decades of tight
central planning. Private activity markedly increased in the early to
mid-1990s, but began to decline in the past several years due to
frustrations with the unfriendly business environment and political
pressure from western nations. Published estimates of Burma's foreign
trade are greatly understated because of the volume of black-market,
illicit, and border trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to
achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Burma remains a poor Asian
country and living standards for the majority have not improved over the
past decade. Short-term growth will continue to be restrained because of
poor government planning and minimal foreign investment. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$63.7 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.9% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$1,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 42%
industry: 17%
services: 41% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
23% (1997 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
18% (1999) |
| Labor
force: |
19.7 million (FY98/99 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 65%, industry
10%, services 25% (1999 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
7.1% (official FY97/98 est.) |
| 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: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
4.813 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
68.56%
hydro: 31.44%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
4.476 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
paddy rice, corn, oilseed,
sugarcane, pulses; hardwood |
| Exports: |
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
apparel 36%, foodstuffs 22%,
wood products 21%, precious stones 5% (1999) |
| Exports
- partners: |
India 13%, Singapore 11%,
China 11%, US 8% (1999 est.)
note: official trade statistics do not include trade in
illicit goods - such as narcotics, teak, and gems - or the largely
unrecorded border trade with China and Thailand |
| Imports: |
$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery, transport
equipment, construction materials, food products |
| Imports
- partners: |
Singapore 28%, Thailand 12%,
China 10%, Japan 10%, South Korea 9% (1999 est.) |
| Debt
- external: |
$6 billion (FY99/00 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$99 million (FY98/99) |
| Exchange
rates: |
kyats per US dollar -
official rate - 6.5972 (January 2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999),
6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996); kyats per US dollar - black
market exchange rate - 435 (yearend 2000) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31 March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
250,000 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
8,492 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
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: |
4.2 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
2 (1998) |
| Televisions: |
320,000 (2000) |
| Internet
country code: |
.mm |
| 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: |
500 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total: 3,991 km
narrow gauge: 3,991 km 1.000-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total: 28,200 km
paved: 3,440 km
unpaved: 24,760 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
12,800 km
note: 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: 37 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 411,181 GRT/632,769 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 20, container 1,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Japan 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 71
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
12,050,964
females age 15-49: 12,070,017
note: both sexes liable for military service (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
6,425,514
females age 15-49: 6,419,677 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 470,667
females: 479,691 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$39 million (FY97/98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.1% (FY97/98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
sporadic border hostilities
with Thailand over border alignment and ethnic Shan rebels operating in
cross-border region |
| Illicit
drugs: |
world's second largest
producer of illicit opium, after Afghanistan (potential production in
1999 - 1,090 metric tons, down 38% due to drought; cultivation in 1999 -
89,500 hectares, a 31% decline from 1998); 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 government will and ability to
take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment
against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug
effort; becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional
consumption |
|
