from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Burma
Introduction
Background: Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years
(1824-1886) 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 from the Commonwealth was attained in
1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed
president, and later as political kingpin. Despite
multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted
in the main opposition party - the National League for
Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the
ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and
Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was
under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002,
was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred
to house arrest, where she remains virtually
incommunicado. In November 2005, the junta extended her
detention for at least another six months. Her
supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy
and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or
jailed.
Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the
Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Geographic 22 00 N, 98 00 E
coordinates:
Map Southeast Asia
references:
Area: total: 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km
water: 20,760 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Texas
comparative:
Land total: 5,876 km
boundaries: border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km,
India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Coastline: 1,930 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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 lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
Natural petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper,
resources: tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious
stones, natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 14.92%
permanent crops: 1.31%
other: 83.77% (2005)
Irrigated 18,700 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and
hazards: landslides common during rainy season (June to
September); periodic droughts
Environment - deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and
current water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment
issues: contribute to disease
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping
note: lanes
People
Population: 47,382,633
note: estimates for this country 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 growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by
age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26.4% (male 6,335,236/female 6,181,216)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 16,011,723/female 16,449,626)
65 years and over: 5.1% (male 1,035,853/female
1,368,979) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 27 years
male: 26.4 years
female: 27.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.81% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 17.91 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 61.85 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 72.68 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 50.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 60.97 years
expectancy at male: 58.07 years
birth: female: 64.03 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.98 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 1.2% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 330,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 20,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high
risks in some locations (2005)
Nationality: noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%,
Indian 2%, Mon 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: 85.3%
male: 89.2%
female: 81.4% (2002)
Government
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
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
Government military junta
type:
Capital: name: Rangoon (Yangon)
geographic coordinates: 16 47 N, 96 10 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of
Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Naypyidaw is being established as a government
center
Administrative 7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states
divisions: (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing,
Tanintharyi, Yangon
states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin
State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State
Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)
National Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12
holiday: February (1947)
Constitution: 3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988;
national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new
constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004
but does not include participation of democratic
opposition
Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and
branch: Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23
April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since
19 October 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by the SPDC; military
junta, so named 15 November 1997, assumed power 18
September 1988 under the name State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC)
elections: none
Legislative unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485
branch: seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never
allowed by junta to convene
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition),
NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60
Judicial remnants of the British-era legal system are in place,
branch: but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the
judiciary is not independent of the executive
Political National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE,
parties and chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary];
leaders: National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [THA KYAW] (at
last report); Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties
Political National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or
pressure NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime
groups and Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some
leaders: legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990
(the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents
in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile);
Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National
Union or KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State
Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development
Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political
mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]
International APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77,
organization IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
participation: ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires MYINT LWIN
in the US: chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires Shari VILLAROSA
from the US: embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 379-880, 379-881
FAX: [95] (1) 256-018
Flag red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side
description: corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling
a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars
represent the seven administrative divisions and seven
states
Economy
Economy - Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive
overview: government controls, inefficient economic policies, and
rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s
to liberalize the economy after decades of failure
under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts
stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were
rescinded. Burma does not have monetary or fiscal
stability, so the economy suffers from serious
macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation,
multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the
Burmese kyat, and a distorted interest rate regime.
Most overseas development assistance ceased after the
junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988
and subsequently refused to honor the results of the
1990 legislative elections. In response to the
government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN
SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic
sanctions against Burma - including a ban on imports of
Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial
services by US persons. A poor investment climate
further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange. The most
productive sectors will continue to be in extractive
industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber.
Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are
struggling with inadequate infrastructure,
unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating
health and education systems, and corruption. A major
banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20
private banks and disrupted the economy. As of December
2005, the largest private banks operate under tight
restrictions limiting the private sector's access to
formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate.
Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly
understated because of the size of the black market and
unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as
large as the official economy. Burma's trade with
Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the
Burmese government has good economic relations with its
neighbors, better investment and business climates and
an improved political situation are needed to promote
foreign investment, exports, and tourism.
GDP $80.11 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $7.464 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 5.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 56.4%
composition by industry: 8.2%
sector: services: 35.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 27.75 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 70%
by occupation: industry: 7%
services: 23% (2001)
Unemployment 5% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 25% (2000 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.8%
income or highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 20.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 11.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $473.3 million
expenditures: $716.6 million; including capital
expenditures of NA (FY04/05 est.)
Agriculture - rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane;
products: hardwood; fish and fish products
Industries: agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood
and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron;
construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer;
cement; natural gas
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 7.393 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 44.5%
production by hydro: 43.4%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 12.1% (2002)
Electricity - 6.875 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 18,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 32,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 3,356 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: 49,230 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved less than 1 billion bbl (2005)
reserves:
Natural gas - 9.98 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 1.569 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 8.424 billion cu m (2003 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 283.2 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $700 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $3.111 billion f.o.b.
note: official export figures are grossly
underestimated due to the value of timber, gems,
narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to
Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2004)
Exports - clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice
commodities:
Exports - Thailand 44.3%, India 12.3%, China 6.8%, Japan 5%
partners: (2005)
Imports: $3.454 billion f.o.b.
note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to
the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other
products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia,
and India (2004)
Imports - fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery,
commodities: transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil;
food products
Imports - China 28.8%, Thailand 21.8%, Singapore 18.3%, Malaysia
partners: 7.6% (2005)
Reserves of $763 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $6.99 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $127 million (2001 est.)
recipient:
Currency kyat (MMK)
(code):
Currency code: MMK
Exchange kyats per US dollar - 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004),
rates: 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002), 6.6841 (2001)
note: these are official exchange rates; unofficial
exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar
to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by year-end 2005, the
unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications
Telephones - 476,200 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 183,400 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements
system: for local and intercity service for business and
government; international service is fair
domestic: NA
international: country code - 95; satellite earth
station - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat
Radio AM 1, FM 1 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 4.2 million (1997)
Television 2 (2004)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 320,000 (2000)
Internet .mm
country code:
Internet 42 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1
Service note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were
Providers legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a
(ISPs): few large businesses (2000)
Internet 78,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 85 (2006)
Airports - total: 21
with paved over 3,047 m: 8
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 64
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 18
under 914 m: 32 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 2,224 km; oil 558 km (2006)
Railways: total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 27,000 km
paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2005)
Waterways: 12,800 km (2005)
Merchant total: 34 ships (1000 GRT or over) 402,699 GRT/620,642
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 20, passenger 2,
passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 5, Japan 4) (2006)
Ports and Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
terminals:
Military
Military Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force
branches: (2005)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service for both
service age sexes (2004)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 12,268,850
available for females age 18-49: 12,469,771 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 7,946,701
for military females age 18-49: 8,543,705 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 469,841
reaching females: 455,689 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $39 million (FY97)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.1% (FY97)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - over half of Burma's population consists of diverse
international: ethnic groups with substantial numbers of kin beyond
its borders; despite continuing border committee talks,
significant differences remain with Thailand over
boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels,
refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic
Karens flee into Thailand to escape fighting between
Karen rebels and Burmese troops; in 2005 Thailand
sheltered about 121,000 Burmese refugees; Karens also
protest Thai support for a Burmese hydroelectric dam on
the Salween River near the border; environmentalists in
Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern over
China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on
the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India
seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland
separatists from hiding in remote Burmese uplands
Refugees and IDPs: 550,000-1,000,000 (government offensives against
internally ethnic insurgent groups near borders; most IDPs are
displaced ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2005)
persons:
Trafficking in current situation: Burma is a source country for men,
persons: women, and children trafficked to East and Southeast
Asia for sexual exploitation, domestic service, and
forced commercial labor; a significant number of
victims are economic migrants who wind up in forced or
bonded labor and forced prostitution; to a lesser
extent, Burma is a country of transit and destination
for women trafficked from China for sexual
exploitation; internal trafficking of persons occurs
primarily for labor in industrial zones and
agricultural estates; internal trafficking of women and
girls for sexual exploitation occurs from villages to
urban centers and other areas; the military junta's
economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and policy
of using forced labor are driving factors behind
Burma's large trafficking problem
tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with
the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do
so
Illicit drugs: remains world's second largest producer of illicit
opium (estimated production in 2004 - 292 metric tons,
down 40% from 2003 due to eradication efforts and
drought; cultivation in 2004 - 30,900 hectares, a 34%
decline from 2003); 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; major source of
methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption;
currently under Financial Action Task Force
countermeasures due to continued failure to address its
inadequate money-laundering controls (2005)