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 subsequently transferred to house arrest, where she remains
virtually incommunicado. In November 2005, the junta extended her detention
for at least another six months. Her supporters, as well as all those who
promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or
jailed.
Geography of
Burma
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman
Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between
Bangladesh
and
Thailand
Coordinates:
22 00 N, 98 00 E
Area:
total: 678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km
Area comparative:
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 territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman
Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
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
Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean
shipping lanes
Population of
Burma
Population:
47,382,633 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 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.4% (male 6,335,236/female
6,181,216) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 16,011,723/female 16,449,626) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 1,035,853/female 1,368,979)
Median age:
27 years
Growth rate:
0.81%
Infant mortality:
61.85 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.97 years male: 58.07 years female: 64.03 years
Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese
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%
Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.3% male: 89.2% female: 81.4%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar) 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
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988);
national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution;
progress has since been stalled
Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by the SPDC; military junta, so named
15 November 1997, assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) elections: none
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
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
Economy
Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government
controls, inefficient economic policies, and 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 stalled,
and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Burma does not have
monetary or fiscal stability, so the economy suffers from serious
macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation, multiple official exchange
rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, and a distorted interest rate regime.
Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress
the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results
of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's
attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new
economic sanctions against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese
products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. A poor
investment climate further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange. The most
productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially
oil and gas, mining, and timber. Other areas, such as manufacturing and
services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable
import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and
corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private
banks and disrupted the economy. As of December 2005, the largest private
banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access
to formal credit. 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 as large as the official
economy. Burma's trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the
Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better
investment and business climates and an improved political situation are
needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism.
GDP:
$78.74 billion (2005 est.)
GDP growth rate:
2.9%
GDP per capita:
$1,700
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 56.4% industry: 8.2% services: 35.3%
Inflation rate:
20.2%
Labor force:
27.75 million
Labor force by occupation:
agriculture: 70% industry: 7% services: 23%
Unemployment:
5%
Budget:
revenues: $7.9 billion expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7
billion (FY96/97)
