The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Burma

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Burma

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Map

Location: 22 00 N, 98 00 E -- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

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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

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Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Geographic coordinates: 22 00 N, 98 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total area: 678,500 sq km
land area: 657,740 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
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
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
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
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
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 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease
natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
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, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

People

Population: 45,975,625 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 8,637,102; female 8,308,282)
15-64 years: 59% (male 13,577,232; female 13,571,312)
65 years and over: 4% (male 853,403; female 1,028,294) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.84% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 30.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 11.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
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: 0.83 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 80.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.14 years
male: 54.46 years
female: 57.92 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.83 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7%

Government

Name of country:
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
Type of government: 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*
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: does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: Prime Minister and 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, NUP 10, other 79
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: Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA; pro-regime), THAN AUNG, secretary; National Unity Party (NUP), pro-regime, THA KYAW; National League for Democracy (NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary; and eight minor legal parties
Other political or pressure groups: National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by the elected prime minister SEIN WIN - consists of 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 (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National Union (KNU); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai Army (MTA); All Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044, 9045
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marilyn A. MEYERS
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 82055, 82182 (operator assistance required)
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

Economic 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 seven years, 1989-95, 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $47 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 10%
services: 30% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 38% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 16.007 million (1992)
by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; petroleum refining; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (FY92/93 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 845,000 kW
production: 3.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 46 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture: paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood
Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,340 metric tons in 1995) and source for over 60% of US heroin imports; minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; Rangoon's antinarcotic programs hindered by lack of resources, government commitment; growing role in methamphetamine production for regional consumption
Exports: $879 million (FY94/95 est.)
commodities: pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood
partners: Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong
Imports: $1.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products, consumer goods
partners: Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia
External debt: $5.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $61 million (1993)
Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 5.8475 (January 1996), 5.9170 (1995), 5.9749 (1994), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045 (1992), 6.2837 (1991); unofficial - 120
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railways:
total: 3,569 km
narrow gauge: 3,569 km 1.000-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 26,861 km
paved: 3,181 km
unpaved: 23,680 km (1988 est.)
Waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km
Ports: Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy
Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 444,957 GRT/610,420 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 15, chemical tanker 5, container 1, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 74
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10
with paved runways under 914 m: 28
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 17 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 122,195 (1993 est.)
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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1985 est.)
note: radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 88,000 (1992 est.)

Defense

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 11,759,636
females age 15-49: 11,588,181
males fit for military service: 6,291,986
females fit for military service: 6,184,667
males reach military age (18) annually: 473,255
females reach military age (18) annually: 454,786 (1996 est.)
note: both sexes liable for military service
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $135 million, NA% of GDP (FY95/96)

Burma

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).