Map of Myanmar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total area total: 678,500 km²
Land: 657,740 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total 5,876 km, 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

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%
Meadows and pastures: 1%
Forest and woodland: 49%
Other: 34%

Irrigated land: 10,180 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes


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Population: 45,103,809 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.84% (1995 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%

Languages: Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 36% (female 7,963,544; male 8,285,459)
15-64 years: 60% (female 13,478,211; male 13,404,987)
65 years and over: 4% (female 1,080,922; male 890,686) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.84% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 28.02 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 9.63 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease
Current issues natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
Current issues 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 61.6 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 60.47 years
Male: 58.38 years
Female: 62.69 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 81%
Male: 89%
Female: 72%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

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*

Dependent areas

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: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government: Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
State Law and Order Restoration Council: military junta which assumed power 18 September 1988

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, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79; was dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988

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

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG
In the us chancery: 2,300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-9,044, 9,045
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marilyn A. MEYERS
From the us embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Box B, APO AP 96,546
From the us telephone: [95] (1) 82,055, 82,182 (operator assistance required)
From the us FAX: [95] (1) 80,409

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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 six years, 1989-94, has aimed at revitalizing the economy after four 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6.4% (1994)

Real gdp per capita: $930 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 65% of GDP and 65% of employment (including fishing, animal husbandry, and forestry; self-sufficient in food; principal crops - paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; world's largest stand of hardwood trees; rice and timber account for 55% of export revenues

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (FY92/93 est.), accounts for 10% of GDP

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

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $4.4 billion
Expenditures: $6.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY93/94 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $674 million (FY93/94 est.)
Commodoties: pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood
Partners: Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong

Imports: $1.2 billion (FY93/94 est.)
Commodoties: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products
Partners: Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5.4 billion (FY93/94 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 5.8640 (January 1995), 5.9749 (1994), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045 (1992), 6.2837 (1991), 6.3386 (1990; unofficial - 120


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,100,000 kW
Production: 2.6 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 55 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 53,000 telephones (1986); meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 80
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With paved runways under 914 m: 33
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17

Heliports

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

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine
Total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 638,297 GRT/884,492 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 19, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, container 2, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 4, vehicle carrier 2

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,030 metric tons in 1994 - dropped 21% due to regional drought in 1994) and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production continues to be almost double since the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs; growing role in amphetamine production for regional consumption