Burma (Myanmar)

Union of BurmaPyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)

military juntaIndependence 4 January 1948 (from UK)

Burma (Myanmar) as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 128 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 (government refers to the capital as Yangon)
Position22 00 N, 98 00 E
Area678,500 sq km
LocationSoutheastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
2005

Every edition of Burma (Myanmar)

Populationas each edition published it
42.91 million July 2005 est. · 41.28m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.42% 2005 est. · 1.88% in 1993
Median ageyears
26.14 years 2005 est. · 25.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
60.7 years 2005 est. · 59.5 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.01 children per woman 2005 est. · 4.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
67.24 deaths per 1,000 live births 2005 est. · 97 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,700 2004 est. · $660 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-1.3% 2004 est. · 1.3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 is currently under house arrest. In December 2004, the junta announced it was extending her detention for at least an additional year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed.

Geography

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

18 fields

Land useshare of 678,500 sq km

arable land 15.19%permanent crops 0.97%other 83.84% (2001)irrigated 15,920 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
678,500sq km
land: 657,740 sq kmwater: 20,760 sq kmslightly smaller than Texas
Coastline
1,930km
territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Highest point
5,881m
Hkakabo Razilowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
5,876km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

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

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, hydropower

Natural hazards

  • destructive earthquakes and cyclones;
  • flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September);
  • periodic droughts

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered 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 - note

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

People

20 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)

939,092
65 and over5%
1,194,784
14,448,887
15-6467.8%
14,641,419
5,967,487
0-1427.2%
5,717,795
MaleFemale
Population
42,909,464
growth rate: 0.42% (2005 est.)
Note
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 2005 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)

Birth
18.11Death
12.15Net migration
-1.8

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2005 est.)60.7
57.8 · 63.78Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)67.24
73.11 · 61.03
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002)85.3%
89.2% · 81.4%Median age years (2005 est.)26.14
25.57 · 26.72
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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%

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.79 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

20,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk:
very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations (2004)

Nationality

noun:
Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Burmese

Languages

Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Government

Military junta; Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004)

18 fields

People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw, 485 seats, elected 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to conveneseats by party

NLD (opposition) 392SNLD (opposition) 23NUP (pro-government) 10other 60

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 type

military junta

Capital

Rangoon (government refers to the capital as Yangon)

Administrative divisions

7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne); : divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon; : states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State

Independence

4 January 1948 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government:
Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004)
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 (SLORC);
  • the SPDC oversees the cabinet
elections:
none

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 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 branch

remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive

Political parties and leaders

  • National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary];
  • National Unity Party or NUP (pro-government) [THA KYAW];
  • Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO];
  • and other smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some 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 Army or KIA;
  • Karen National Union or KNU;
  • several Shan factions;
  • United Wa State Army or UWSA;
  • Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-government, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]

International organization participation

APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
vacant
chancery:
2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 332-9044
FAX:
[1] (202) 332-9046
consulate(s) general:
New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ
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 description

  • red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice;
  • the 14 stars represent the 7 administrative divisions and 7 states

Economy

Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from government controls, inefficient economic policies, and abject rural poverty.

43 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$74.3billion
(2004 est.)
Real growth rate
-1.3%
(2004 est.)industrial production growth: NA
Unemployment rate
5.2%
(2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2004 est.)

agriculture 56.6%industry 8.8%services 34.5% (2004 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

37.8%
Thailand
19.3%
6%
China
29.8%
Singapore
20.8%
11.7%
India
5.3%
Japan
South Korea
5.2%
Malaysia
4.8%
Exports $2.137 billion f.o.b.Imports $1.754 billion f.o.b.(2004)

Budget

Revenues
$474.9 millionExpenditures
$955.5 million (2004 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion

Electricity

Electricity production
5.068 billion (2003)Electricity consumption
3.484 billion (2003)

Economy - overview

Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from government controls, inefficient economic policies, and abject 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 have since stalled and some of the liberalization measures have been rescinded.

Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation and multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat. In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 legislative elections.

Economic sanctions against Burma by the United States - including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons in response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy - further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange.

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 one to two times the size of the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, a better investment climate and an improved political situation are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism.

In February 2003, a major banking crisis hit the country's 20 private banks, shutting them down and disrupting the economy. As of January 2004, the largest private banks remained moribund, leaving the private sector with little formal access to credit.

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2004 est.)

Labor force

27.01 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.8%
highest 10%:
32.4% (1998)

Investment (gross fixed)

10.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products

  • rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane;
  • 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

Oil - production

17,550 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

60,950 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

3,356 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports

49,230 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - proved reserves

3.2 billion bbl (2003)

Natural gas - production

9.98 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.569 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

8.424 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.46 trillion cu m (2003)

Current account balance

$-185 million (2004 est.)

Exports

$2.137 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 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice

Imports

$1.754 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 est.)

Imports - commodities

fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products

Debt - external

$6.752 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$127 million (2001 est.)

Currency (code)

kyat (MMK)

Exchange rates

kyats per US dollar - 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002), 6.6841 (2001), 6.4257 (2000) note: these are official exchange rates; unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
66,500
(2003)
Fixed lines
357,300
(2003) · country code .mm

Telephone system

general assessment:
barely meets minimum requirements 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 broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1 (2004)

Internet users

28,000 (2003)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
over 3,047 m
2
5
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
16
914 to 1,523 m
20
under 914 m
31
Paved 9Unpaved 69

Networkskm

Highways
28,200Railways
3,955Waterways
12,800 (2004)
Highways: paved: 3,440 km · unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Railways

total:
3,955 km
narrow gauge:
3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Highways

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

Pipelines

gas 2,056 km; oil 558 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe

Merchant marine

total:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 429,144 GRT/659,622 DWT
by type:
bulk carrier 8, cargo 19, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 3, roll on'roll off 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned:
10 (Germany 4, Japan 5, United Kingdom 1) (2005)

Airports

78 (2004 est.)

Heliports

1 (2004 est.)

Military

Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)

7 fields

Military branches

Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (May 2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49:
11,254,374
females age 18-49:
11,303,100 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:
6,512,923
females age 18-49:
6,789,720 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males:
440,914
females:
427,382 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

Disputes - international

  • over half of Burma's population consists of diverse 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 2004 Thailand sheltered about 118,000 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 internally displaced persons

IDPs: 600,000 - 1,000,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, and Mon) (2004)

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 and ability 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)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Burma.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/burma/2005.

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