Burma (Myanmar)

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 country code

.mm

Internet users

10,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

4.2 million (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)

Telephones - main lines in use

250,000 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8,492 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1998)

Televisions

320,000 (2000)

Agriculture - products

rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products

Budget

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

Currency

kyat (MMK)

Currency code

MMK

Debt - external

$6 billion

Economic aid - recipient

$99 million (FY98/99)

Economy - overview

Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from abject rural poverty. The military regime took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since stalled. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including an official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than 100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 election. Burma is data poor, and official statistics are often dated and inaccurate. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and border trade - often estimated to be one to two times the official economy.

Electricity - consumption

4.432 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

4.766 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 83% hydro: 17% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

kyats per US dollar - official rate - 6.8581 (January 2002), 6.7489 (2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997); kyats per US dollar - black market exchange rate - 435 (yearend 2000)

Exports

$1.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities

apparel 55%, foodstuffs 18%, wood products 13%, precious stones 2% (2000)

Exports - partners

US 27%, India 16%, China 7%, Japan 6%, Singapore 6% (2000 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

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $63 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 42% industry: 17% services: 41% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 32% (1998)

Imports

$2.2 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products, textile fabrics, petroleum products

Imports - partners

China 26%, Singapore 23%, South Korea 15%, Japan 10%, Taiwan 10% (2000 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

20% (2001 est.)

Labor force

23.7 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

25% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.1% (2001 est.)

Area

total: 678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km

Area - comparative

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m

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

Geographic coordinates

22 00 N, 98 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Irrigated land

15,920 sq km (1998 est.)

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: 14.53% permanent crops: 0.9% other: 84.57% (1998 est.)

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

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts

Natural resources

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

Terrain

central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

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; progress has since been stalled

Country name

conventional long form: Union of Burma conventional short form: Burma local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Permanent Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521) mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 256-019, 256-016 FAX: [95] (1) 256-018

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

chief of state: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. 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 Sr. 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

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

Government type

military regime

Independence

4 January 1948 (from UK)

International organization participation

ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Legal system

has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-86) 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 outside of the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as president, and later as political kingmaker. Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory, the ruling military junta 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 from September 2000 to May 2002; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed.

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$39 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.1% (FY97/98)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 12,211,144 note: both sexes liable for military service (2002 est.) females age 15-49: 12,223,069

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 6,502,013 females age 15-49: 6,491,732 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 486,432 females: 470,667 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.6% (male 6,158,039; female 5,905,314) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 13,976,047; female 14,162,467) 65 years and over: 4.8% (male 905,476; female 1,130,881) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

19.65 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.99% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

48,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

530,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

72.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 55.41 years female: 57.07 years (2002 est.) male: 53.85 years

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.)

Nationality

noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese

Net migration rate

-1.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

42,238,224 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 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.56% (2002 est.)

Religions

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

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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.23 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

despite renewed border committee talks, significant differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic guerrilla rebels, refugees, smuggling, and drug trafficking in cross-border region; Burmese attempts to construct a dam on border stream with Bangladesh in 2001 prompted an armed response halting construction; Burmese Muslim migration into Bangladesh strains Bangladesh's meager resources

Illicit drugs

world's second largest producer of illicit opium (potential production in 2002 - 630 metric tons, down 27% due to drought and, to a lesser extent, eradication; cultivation in 2002 - 77,000 hectares, a 27% decline from 2001); 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; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption

Airports

80 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 72 under 914 m: 34 (2002) over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 20

Heliports

1 (2002)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 382,386 GRT/582,084 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 5, Japan 4 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 21, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1

Pipelines

crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km

Ports and harbors

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

Railways

total: 3,991 km narrow gauge: 3,991 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)

Waterways

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