Burma (Myanmar)

military governmentIndependence 4 January 1948 (from UK)

Burma (Myanmar) as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalRangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)

Area678,500 km2

1990

Every edition of Burma (Myanmar)

Populationas each edition published it

41.28 million July 1990 · 57.93m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.88% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 59.5 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.2 children per woman 1990 · 1.95 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

97 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 30.8 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $660 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.3% in 1993

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 678,500 km2

arable land 15%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 49%other 34%permanent crops 1% in allincludes 2% irrigated

Total area

678,500km2

land area: 657,740 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Coastline

1,930km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

5,876km total

Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

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

crude oil, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas

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

14 fields

Population

41,277,389

(July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

33Death

13Net migration

Ethnic divisions

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

Religion

Buddhist 85%animist beliefs 15%Muslim; Christian; or other

Literacy

78%

Language

Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Labor force

16,036,000; 65.2% agriculture, 14.3% industry, 10.1% trade, 6.3% government, 4.1% other (FY89 est.)

Organized labor

Workers' Asiayone (association), 1,800,000 members, and Peasants' Asiayone, 7,600,000 members

Government

Military government

18 fields

Long-form name

Union of Burma; note--the local official name is Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw which has been translated as Union of Myanma or Union of Myanmar

Capital

Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)

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*

Constitution

3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988)

Legal system

martial law in effect throughout most of the country; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September 1988 Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council and Prime Minister Gen. SAW MAUNG (since 18 September 1988)

Political parties and leaders

National League for Democracy, U Tin Oo and Aung San Suu Kyi;
League for Democracy and Peace, U Nu;
National Unity Party (promilitary);
over 100 other parties

Suffrage

universal at age 18 People's Assembly--last held 6-20 October 1985, but dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988;
next scheduled 27 May 1990);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(NA total) number of seats by party NA

Communists

several hundred, est., primarily as an insurgent group on the northeast frontier

Other political or pressure groups

Kachin Independence Army;
Karen National Union, several Shan factions (all insurgent groups);
Burmese Communist Party (BCP)

Member of

ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador U MYO AUNG;
Chancery at 2300 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 332-9044 through 9046;
there is a Burmese Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Burton LEVIN;
Embassy at 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 521, Rangoon or Box B, APO San Francisco 96346);
telephone 82055 or 82181

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

Burma is one of the poorest countries in Asia, with a per capita GDP of about $280.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$11.0billion

per capita $280; real growth rate 0.2% (FY88 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

22.6%

(FY89 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.4%in urban areas

(FY87)

External debt

$5.6billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$4.9 billionExpenditures

$5.0 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY89 est.)

Overview

Burma is one of the poorest countries in Asia, with a per capita GDP of about $280. The government reports negligible growth for FY88. The nation has been unable to achieve any significant 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 more than 65% of the work force.

Exports

$311 million (f.o.b., FY88 est.) commodities--teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems; partners--Southeast Asia, India, China, EC, Africa

Imports

$536 million (c.i.f., FY88 est.) commodities--machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products; partners--Japan, EC, CEMA, China, Southeast Asia

Industrial production

growth rate - 1.5% (FY88)

Electricity

950,000 kW capacity; 2,900 million kWh produced, 70 kWh per capita (1989)

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 about 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;
1985 fish catch of 644 million metric tons

Illicit drugs

world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
opium production is on the increase as growers respond to the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $158 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.8 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $424 million

Currency

kyat (plural--kyats); 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas

Exchange rates

kyats (K) per US$1--6.5188 (January 1990), 6.7049 (1989), 6.3945 (1988), 6.6535 (1987), 7.3304 (1986), 8.4749 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 45 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger-cargo 3cargo 15roll-on/roll-off 2vehicle carrier 1container 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 2chemical 5bulk 1645 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,814 GRT/955,924 DWT

Airports, 88 total, 81 usable

permanent-surface runways

29runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

27,000Railroads

3,991Inland waterways

12,800

Highways: ; 3,200 km bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth · Railroads: , all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113 km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track · Inland waterways: ; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels