Burma (Myanmar)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $135 million, NA% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 11,759,636 females age 15-49: 11,588,181 males fit for military service: 6,291,986 females fit for military service: 6,184,667 males reach military age (18) annually: 473,255 females reach military age (18) annually: 454,786 (1996 est.) note: both sexes liable for military service

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1985 est.) note: radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas

Radios

NA

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)

Telephones

122,195 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1988 est.)

Televisions

88,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Agriculture

paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood

Budget

revenues: $5.3 billion expenditures: $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Currency

1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $61 million (1993)

Economic overview

Burma has a mixed economy with about 75% private activity, mainly in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with about 25% state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and foreign trade. Government policy in the last seven years, 1989-95, 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.

Electricity

capacity: 845,000 kW production: 3.5 billion kWh consumption per capita: 46 kWh (1995 est.)

Exchange rates

kyats (K) per US$1 - 5.8475 (January 1996), 5.9170 (1995), 5.9749 (1994), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045 (1992), 6.2837 (1991); unofficial - 120

Exports

$879 million (FY94/95 est.) commodities: pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood partners: Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong

External debt

$5.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $47 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 60% industry: 10% services: 30% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6.8% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,340 metric tons in 1995) and source for over 60% of US heroin imports; minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; Rangoon's antinarcotic programs hindered by lack of resources, government commitment; growing role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption

Imports

$1.5 billion (FY94/95 est.) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products, consumer goods partners: Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia

Industrial production growth rate

4.9% (FY92/93 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

38% (1994 est.)

Labor force

16.007 million (1992) by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total area: 678,500 sq km land area: 657,740 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

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)

Coastline

1,930 km

Environment

current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic coordinates

22 00 N, 98 00 E

Geographic note

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

10,180 sq km (1989)

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

Land use

arable land: 15% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 49% other: 34%

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Map references

Southeast Asia

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

Natural resources

petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas

Terrain

central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

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*

Capital

Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon)

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

Data code

BM

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044, 9045 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)

FAX

[95] (1) 80409

Flag

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

Independence

4 January 1948 (from UK)

International organization participation

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

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

Legal system

does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw): election last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats - (485 total) NLD 396, NUP 10, other 79

Name of country

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Other political or pressure groups

National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by the elected prime minister 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 (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National Union (KNU); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai Army (MTA); All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)

Political parties and leaders

Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA; pro-regime), THAN AUNG, secretary; National Unity Party (NUP), pro-regime, THA KYAW; National League for Democracy (NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary; and eight minor legal parties

State Law and Order Restoration Council

military junta which assumed power 18 September 1988

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

military regime

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marilyn A. MEYERS embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521) mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 82055, 82182 (operator assistance required)

Age structure

0-14 years: 37% (male 8,637,102; female 8,308,282) 15-64 years: 59% (male 13,577,232; female 13,571,312) 65 years and over: 4% (male 853,403; female 1,028,294) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

30.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

80.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.14 years male: 54.46 years female: 57.92 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

45,975,625 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.84% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

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: 0.83 male(s)/female all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 74 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10 with paved runways under 914 m: 28 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 17 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 26,861 km paved: 3,181 km unpaved: 23,680 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 444,957 GRT/610,420 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 15, chemical tanker 5, container 1, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)

Pipelines

crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km

Ports

Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy

Railways

total: 3,569 km narrow gauge: 3,569 km 1.000-m gauge (1995)

Waterways

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