Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 42 DB Rec# - 55,789 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 041 Title :BURMA Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | BURMA Text : BURMA GEOGRAPHY Location: Southeast Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Area: total area: 678,500 km2 land area: 657,740 km2 comparative area: 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 contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none 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 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) Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes PEOPLE Population: 43,455,953 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 1.88% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 28.88 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 65.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.5 years male: 57.5 years female: 61.63 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese Ethnic divisions: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5% Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2% Languages: Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 81% male: 89% female: 72% Labor force: 16.007 million (1992) by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY89 est.) GOVERNMENT Names: 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 Digraph: BM Type: military regime Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular - pyine); Chin State, Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State, Kayah State, Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Pegu*, Rakhine State, Rangoon*, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tenasserim* Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK) Constitution: 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); National Convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft chapter headings for a new constitution Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948) Political parties and leaders: National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), THA KYAW; National League for Democracy (NLD), U AUNG SHWE; National Coalition of Union of Burma (NCGUB), SEIN WIN (which consists of individuals legitimately elected to parliament, but not recognized by military regime) fled to border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government Other political or pressure groups: Kachin Independence Army (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National Union (KNU - the only non-drug group); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai Army (MTA) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: People's Assembly: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats - (485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79 Executive branch: chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order Restoration Council Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988 Judicial branch: none; Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September 1988 Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government: Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992) Member of: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate general: New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission, Charge d'Affaires Franklin P. HUDDLE, Jr. embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon mailing address: GPO Box 521, AMEMB Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: 95 (1) 82055, 82181 FAX: 95 (1) 80409 Flag: 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 ECONOMY Overview: Burma is a poor Asian country, with a per capita GDP of about $660. The nation has been unable to achieve any substantial improvement in export earnings because of falling prices for many of its major commodity exports. For rice, traditionally the most important export, the drop in world prices has been accompanied by shrinking markets and a smaller volume of sales. In 1985 teak replaced rice as the largest export and continues to hold this position. The economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which generates about 40% of GDP and provides employment for 65% of the work force. Burma has been largely isolated from international economic forces and has been trying to encourage foreign investment, so far with little success. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $28 billion (1992) National product real growth rate: 1.3% (1992) National product per capita: $660 (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1992) Unemployment rate: 9.6% (FY89 est.) in urban areas Budget: revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992) Exports: $535.1 million (FY92) commodities: teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems partners: China, India, Thailand, Singapore Imports: $907.0 million (FY92) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products partners: Japan, China, Singapore External debt: $4 billion (1992) Electricity: 1,100,000 kW capacity; 2,800 million kWh produced, 65 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer Agriculture: accounts for 40% of GDP (including fish and forestry); self-sufficient in food; principal crops - paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; world's largest stand of hardwood trees; rice and teak account for 55% of export revenues Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production has nearly doubled since the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $158 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $424 million Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 6.0963 (January 1992), 6.2837 (1991), 6.3386 (1990), 6.7049 (1989), 6.46 (1988), 6.6535 (1987); unofficial - 105 Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 3,991 km total, all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113 km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track Highways: 27,000 km total; 3,200 km bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels Pipelines: crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km Ports: Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein Merchant marine: 62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 940,264 GRT/1,315,156 DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 18 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 2 container, 2 oil tanker, 3 chemical, 1 combination ore/oil, 23 bulk, 1 combination bulk Airports: total: 83 usable: 78 with permanent-surface runways: 26 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 Telecommunications: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good; 53,000 telephones (1986); radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 11,004,419; females age 15-49 10,945,899; males fit for military service 5,894,514; females fit for military service 5,847,958; males reach military age (18) annually 435,030; females reach military age (18) annually 420,487 (1993 est.); both sexes are liable for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP (1992) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940040.TXT