Background: Various ethnic Burman and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century, and several minority ethnic groups continue to maintain independent armies and control territory within the country today, in opposition to the central government. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated all the groups within the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, following major battles on its territory during World War II, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Since independence, successive Burmese governments have fought on-and-off conflicts with armed ethnic groups seeking autonomy in the country’s mountainous border regions.

Geographic coordinates: 22 00 N, 98 00 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 676,578 km²
Land: 653,508 km²
Water: 23,070 km²
Rank: 41
Comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 6,522 km
Border countries: (5) Bangladesh 271 km; , China 2,129 km; , India 1468 km; , Laos 238 km; , Thailand 2,416 km

Coastline: 1930 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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
Mean elevation: 702 m
Lowest point: Andaman Sea/Bay of Bengal 0 m
Highest point: Gamlang Razi 5,870 m

Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 19.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 48.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 32.6% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 22,950 km² (2012)

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

Geography
Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes; the north-south flowing Irrawaddy River is the country's largest and most important commercial waterway

Population
Distribution: population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated: 55,622,506 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 24
Growth rate: 0.89% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 122
Below poverty line: 25.6% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Burmese

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions:

Age structure
0-14 years: 26.56% (male 7,556,848 /female 7,216,374)
15-24 years: 17.51% (male 4,900,092 /female 4,837,726)
25-54 years: 42.51% (male 11,577,883 /female 12,068,190)
55-64 years: 7.75% (male 2,011,057 /female 2,301,983)
65 years and over: 5.67% (male 1,373,892 /female 1,778,461) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.7 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 41.7 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 12.6 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.5 years (2018 est.)
Male: 27.7 years
Female: 29.4 years
Rank: 136

Population growth rate: 0.89% (2018 est.)
Rank: 122

Birth rate: 17.7 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 95

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 120

Net migration rate: -1.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 153

Population distribution: population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated

Urbanization
Urban population: 30.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.74% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 5.244 million RANGOON (Yangon) (capital), 1.406 million Mandalay (2019)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease; rapid depletion of the country's natural resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Infant mortality rate
Total: 34.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 37.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 31.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 50

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.6 years (2018 est.)
Male: 67 years
Female: 70.3 years
Rank: 166

Total fertility rate: 2.13 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 100

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 52.2% (2015/16)

Drinking water source
Urban: 7.3% of population
Rural: 25.6% of population
Total: 19.4% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.1% (2016)

Physicians density: 0.86 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 15.7% of population (2012 est.)
Rural: 26.1% of population (2012 est.)
Total: 22.6% of population (2012 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 53
People living with hivaids: 240,000 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 23
Deaths: 7,800 (2018 est.)
Deaths rank: 21

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2019)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2019)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis (2019)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2019)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.8% (2016)
Rank: 172

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.5% (2016)
Rank: 30

Education expenditures: 2.2% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 164

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 75.6%
Male: 80%
Female: 71.8% (2016)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 10 years (2017)

Country name
Conventional long form: Union of Burma
Conventional short form: Burma
Local long form: Pyidaungzu Thammada Myanma Naingngandaw (translated as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)
Local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
Former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, Union of Myanmar
Etymology: both Burma and Myanmar derive from the name of the majority Burman (Bamar) ethnic group: note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma and the current parliamentary government have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; the US Government has not officially adopted the name

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Rangoon (Yangon); note - Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital
Geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E
Time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: Rangoon (Yangon) is a compound of 'yan' signifying 'enemies' and 'koun' meaning 'to run out of' and so denoting 'End of Strife'; Nay Pyi Taw translates as: 'Great City of the Sun' or 'Abode of Kings'

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 4 January 1948 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution
History: previous 1947, 1974 (suspended until 2008); latest drafted 9 April 2008, approved by referendum 29 May 2008
Amendments: proposals require at least 20% approval by the Assembly of the Union membership; passage of amendments to sections of the constitution on basic principles, government structure, branches of government, state emergencies, and amendment procedures requires 75% approval by the Assembly and approval in a referendum by absolute majority of registered voters; passage of amendments to other sections requires only 75% Assembly approval; amended 2015 (2018)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Burma
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: none: note: an applicant for naturalization must be the child or spouse of a citizen

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President WIN MYINT (since 30 March 2018); Vice Presidents MYINT SWE (since 16 March 2016) and HENRY VAN THIO (since 30 March 2016); note - President HTIN KYAW (since 30 March 2016) resigned on 21 March 2018; the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President WIN MYINT (since 30 March 2018); Vice Presidents MYINT SWE (since 16 March 2016) and HENRY VAN THIO (since 30 March 2016
Cabinet: Cabinet appointments shared by the president and the commander-in-chief
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the full Assembly of the Union from among 3 vice-presidential candidates nominated by the Presidential Electoral College (consists of members of the lower and upper houses and military members); the other 2 candidates become vice-presidents (president elected for a 5-year term); election last held on 28 March 2018 (next to be held in 2020)
Election results: WIN MYINT elected president; Assembly of the Union vote - WIN MYINT (NLD) 403, MYINT SWE (USDP) 211, HENRY VAN THIO (NLD) 18, 4 votes canceled (636 votes cast)
State counsellor: State Counselor AUNG SAN SUU KYI (since 6 April 2016); she concurrently serves as minister of foreign affairs and minister for the office of the president: note: a parliamentary bill creating the position of 'state counsellor' was signed into law by former President HTIN KYAW on 6 April 2016; a state counsellor serves the equivalent term of the president and is similar to a prime minister in that the holder acts as a link between the parliament and the executive branch

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice and judges nominated by the president, with approval of the Lower House, and appointed by the president; judges normally serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
Subordinate courts: High Courts of the Region; High Courts of the State; Court of the Self-Administered Division; Court of the Self-Administered Zone; district and township courts; special courts (for juvenile, municipal, and traffic offenses); courts martial

Political parties and leaders: All Mon Region Democracy Party or AMRDPArakan National Party or ANP (formed from the 2013 merger of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party and the Arakan League for Democracy)National Democratic Force or NDF [KHIN MAUNG SWE]National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SAN SUU KYI]National Unity Party or NUP [THAN TIN]Pa-O National Organization or PNO [AUNG KHAM HTI]People's Party [KO KO GYI]Shan Nationalities Democratic Party or SNDP [SAI AIK PAUNG]Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO]Ta'ang National Party or TNP [AIK MONE]Union Solidarity and Development Party or USDP [THAN HTAY]Zomi Congress for Democracy or ZCD [PU CIN SIAN THANG]numerous smaller parties

International organization participation: ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-3,344
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-4,351
In the us consulate: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Scot MARCIEL (since 27 April 2016)
From the us telephone: [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038
From the us embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
From the us mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96,546
From the us FAX: [95] (1) 511-069

Flag description: design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation

National symbols: chinthe (mythical lion); national colors: yellow, green, red, white

National anthem
Name: Kaba Ma Kyei (Till the End of the World, Myanmar)
Lyricsmusic: SAYA TIN: note: adopted 1948; Burma is among a handful of non-European nations that have anthems rooted in indigenous traditions; the beginning portion of the anthem is a traditional Burmese anthem before transitioning into a Western-style orchestrated work

Economy overview: Since Burma began the transition to a civilian-led government in 2011, the country initiated economic reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment and reintegrating into the global economy. Burma established a managed float of the Burmese kyat in 2012, granted the Central Bank operational independence in July 2013, enacted a new anti-corruption law in September 2013, and granted licenses to 13 foreign banks in 2014-16. State Counsellor AUNG SAN SUU KYI and the ruling National League for Democracy, who took power in March 2016, have sought to improve Burma’s investment climate following the US sanctions lift in October 2016 and reinstatement of Generalized System of Preferences trade benefits in November 2016. In October 2016, Burma passed a foreign investment law that consolidates investment regulations and eases rules on foreign ownership of businesses.Burma’s economic growth rate recovered from a low growth under 6% in 2011 but has been volatile between 6% and 7.2% during the past few years. Burma’s abundant natural resources and young labor force have the potential to attract foreign investment in the energy, garment, information technology, and food and beverage sectors. The government is focusing on accelerating agricultural productivity and land reforms, modernizing and opening the financial sector, and developing transportation and electricity infrastructure. The government has also taken steps to improve transparency in the mining and oil sectors through publication of reports under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2016 and 2018.Despite these improvements, living standards have not improved for the majority of the people residing in rural areas. Burma remains one of the poorest countries in Asia - approximately 26% of the country’s 51 million people live in poverty. The isolationist policies and economic mismanagement of previous governments have left Burma with poor infrastructure, endemic corruption, underdeveloped human resources, and inadequate access to capital, which will require a major commitment to reverse. The Burmese Government has been slow to address impediments to economic development such as unclear land rights, a restrictive trade licensing system, an opaque revenue collection system, and an antiquated banking system.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 53

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 24

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 163

Gross national saving:
Rank: 113

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 59.2% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 13.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 33.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.5% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 24.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 35.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 40.3% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; oil and natural gas; garments; jade and gems

Industrial production growth rate: 8.9% (2017 est.)
Rank: 20

Labor force: 22.3 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 28
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 7%
By occupation services: 23% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 50

Population below poverty line: 25.6% (2016 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 32.4% (1998)

Budget
Revenues: 9.108 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 11.23 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 138

Taxes and other revenues: 13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 205

Public debt:
Rank: 156

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 154

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 25

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 60

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 70

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 71

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 83

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 175

Exports:
Rank: 94
Partners: China 36.5%, Thailand 21.8%, Japan 6.6%, Singapore 6.4%, India 5.9% (2017)
Commodities: natural gas; wood products; pulses and beans; fish; rice; clothing; minerals, including jade and gems

Imports:
Rank: 88
Commodities: fabric; petroleum products; fertilizer; plastics; machinery; transport equipment; cement, construction materials; food products‘ edible oil
Partners: China 31.4%, Singapore 15%, Thailand 11.1%, Saudi Arabia 7.5%, Malaysia 6.2%, Japan 6%, India 5.5%, Indonesia 4.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 95

Debt external:
Rank: 125

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 57% (2016)
Access electrification urban areas: 89.5% (2016)
Access electrification rural areas: 39.8% (2016)
Production: 17.32 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 83
Consumption: 14.93 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 81
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 113
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 130
Installed generating capacity: 5.205 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 79
Generation sources fossil fuels: 39% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 171
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 58
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 61% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 28
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 149

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 77
Crude oil exports: 1824 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 71
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 103
Crude oil proven reserves: 139 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 63

Refined petroleum
Products production: 13,330 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 97
Products consumption: 123,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 73
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 137
Products imports: 102,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 53

Natural gas
Production: 18.41 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 33
Consumption: 4.502 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 63
Exports: 14.07 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 16
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 99
Proven reserves: 637.1 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 29

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 27.01 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 77

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 556,112
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 91
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 47,951,228
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 87 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 31

Telephone system
General assessment: remains one of the last underdeveloped telecoms markets in Asia; the mobile market has experienced rapid growth from 2013 to 2017, in 2014 foreign competition was allowed to compete in the market (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line is less than 1 per 100, while mobile-cellular is 87 per 100 and shows great potential for the future (2018)
International: country code - 95; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, SeaMeWe-5, AAE-1 and Singapore-Myanmar optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2019)

Broadcast media: government controls all domestic broadcast media; 2 state-controlled TV stations with 1 of the stations controlled by the armed forces; 2 pay-TV stations are joint state-private ventures; access to satellite TV is limited; 1 state-controlled domestic radio station and 9 FM stations that are joint state-private ventures; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in parts of Burma; the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), BBC Burmese service, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), and Radio Australia use shortwave to broadcast in Burma; VOA, RFA, and DVB produce daily TV news programs that are transmitted by satellite to audiences in Burma; in March 2017, the government granted licenses to 5 private broadcasters, allowing them digital free-to-air TV channels to be operated in partnership with government-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) and will rely upon MRTV’s transmission infrastructure (2019)

Internet
Country code: .mm
Users total: 14,264,308
Users percent of population: 25.1% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 41

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 404,932 (2017 est.)
Rank: 86

Military expenditures:
Rank: 25

Military and security forces: Burmese Defense Service (Tatmadaw): Army (Tatmadaw Kyi), Navy (Tatmadaw Yay), Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary military service; no conscription (a 2010 law reintroducing conscription has not yet entered into force); 2-year service obligation; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be stretched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency; Burma signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 15 August 1991; on 27 June 2012, the regime signed a Joint Action Plan on prevention of child recruitment; in February 2013, the military formed a new task force to address forced child conscription; since that time, approximately 880 children have been released from military service (2015)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 11 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 45 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,029,139 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 3,365,967
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: XY (2016)

Airports: 64 (2013)
Rank: 76
With paved runways total: 36 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 12 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 11 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 28 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2013)

Heliports: 11 (2013)

Pipelines: 3,739 km gas, 1321 km oil (2017)

Railways
Total: 5,031 km (2008)
Narrow gauge: 5,031 km
Note: 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Rank: 40

Roadways
Total: 157,000 km (2013)
Paved: 34,700 km (2013)
Unpaved: 122,300 km (2013)
Rank: 33

Waterways: 12,800 km (2011)
Rank: 10

Merchant marine
Total: 95
By type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 41, oil tanker 5, other 48 (2018)
Rank: 89

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Mawlamyine (Moulmein), Sittwe
River port: Rangoon (Yangon) (Rangoon River)

Disputes international: over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Bangladesh struggles to accommodate 912,000 Rohingya, Burmese Muslim minority from Rakhine State, living as refugees in Cox's Bazar; Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border with Bangladesh in 2010; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; fencing along the India-Burma international border at Manipur's Moreh town is in progress to check illegal drug trafficking and movement of militants; over 100,000 mostly Karen refugees and asylum seekers fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma were living in remote camps in Thailand near the border as of May 2017

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 401,000 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2018)
Stateless persons: 495,939 (2018); note - Rohingya Muslims, living predominantly in Rakhine State, are Burmas main group of stateless people; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a national race and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law, categorizing them as non-nationals or foreign residents; under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burma for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand; the number of stateless persons has decreased dramatically since late 2017 because hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to escape violence: note: estimate does not include stateless IDPs or stateless persons in IDP-like situations because they are included in estimates of IDPs (2017)

Illicit drugs: world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated poppy cultivation totaling 41,000 hectares in 2017, a decrease of 25% from the last survey in 2015; Shan state is the source of 91% of Burma's poppy cultivation; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; Burma is one of the world’s largest producers of amphetamine-type stimulants, which are trafficked throughout the region, as far afield as Australia and New Zealand