Burma (Myanmar)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)

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

2 (1998 est.)

Televisions

88,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture--products

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas

Debt--external

$4.3 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$156.9 million (1995)

Economy--overview

Burma has a mixed economy with private activity dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the last 10 years, 1989-98, 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. The short-term outlook is for continued sluggish growth because of internal unrest, minimal foreign investment, and the large trade deficit.

Electricity--consumption

3.75 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--production

3.75 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source

fossil fuel: 61.33% hydro: 38.67% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates

kyats (K) per US$1--6.1163 (January 1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996), 5.6670 (1995), 5.9749 (1994); unofficial--310-350 (1998)

Exports

$940 million (1997)

Exports--commodities

pulses and beans, teak, rice, rubber, hardwood

Exports--partners

India 17%, Singapore 14%, China 11%, Thailand 9%, Japan 4% (1997)

Fiscal year

1 April--31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity--$56.1 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector

agriculture: 59% industry: 11% services: 30% (1997 est.)

GDP--per capita

purchasing power parity?$1,200 (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate

1.1% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$2.2 billion (1997)

Imports--commodities

machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products

Imports--partners

Singapore 30%, Japan 17%, China 10%, Thailand 10%, Malaysia 7% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

9.2% (FY95/96 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

50% (1998 est.)

Labor force

18.8 million (FY95/96 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

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, 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

10,680 sq km (1993 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: 15% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 49% other: 34% (1993 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 continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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

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; chapter headings and three of 15 sections have been approved

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

Data code

BM

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kent M. WIEDEMANN embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521) mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador TIN WINN chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

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

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

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 396, NUP 10, other 79

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Political parties and leaders

National Unity Party or NUP SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social eight minor legal parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

National Coalition 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 or KIA; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures--dollar figure

$3.904 billion (FY97/98)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

2.1% (FY97/98)

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 12,475,987 females age 15-49: 12,224,947 (1999 est.) note: both sexes liable for military service

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 6,660,309 females age 15-49: 6,510,730 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--military age

18 years of age

Military manpower--reaching military age annually

males: 496,912 females: 477,803 (1999 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 36% (male 8,883,099; female 8,542,087) 15-64 years: 60% (male 14,343,888; female 14,293,233) 65 years and over: 4% (male 906,517; female 1,112,478) (1999 est.)

Birth rate

28.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate

12.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

76.25 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.74 years male: 53.24 years female: 56.32 years (1999 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population

48,081,302 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.61% (1999 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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.63 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes--international

sporadic conflict with Thailand over alignment of border

Illicit drugs

world's largest producer of illicit opium (cultivation in 1998--130,300 hectares, a 16% decline from 1997; potential production--1,750 metric tons, down 26% due to drought and the first eradication effort since the current government took power in 1987) and a minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; 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 serious government commitment and resources continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; growing role in the production of methamphetamines for regional consumption

Airports

80 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways

total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways

total: 69 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)

Heliports

1 (1998 est.)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 464,478 GRT/695,923 DWT ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 20, container 2, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 2 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries: Japan owns 2 ships, US 3 (1998 est.)

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: 3,740 km narrow gauge: 3,740 km 1.000-m gauge (1997)

Waterways

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