1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 678,500 km2 land area: 657,740 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
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)
Coastline
1,930 km
Environment
subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
10,180 km2 (1989)
Land boundaries
total 5,876 km, Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Land use
arable land: 15% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 49% other: 34%
Location
Southeast Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Map references
Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas
Note
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
Terrain
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
People and Society
Birth rate
28.88 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%
Infant mortality rate
65.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
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.)
Languages
Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 59.5 years male: 57.5 years female: 61.63 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 81% male: 89% female: 72%
Nationality
noun: Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
43,455,953 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.88% (1993 est.)
Religions
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
Total fertility rate
3.7 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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)
Capital
Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)
Chief of State and Head of Government
Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
Constitution
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); National Convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft chapter headings for a new constitution
Digraph
BM
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-9044 through 9046 consulate general: New York
Executive branch
chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order Restoration Council
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
Judicial branch
none; Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18 September 1988
Legal system
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988
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
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
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)
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
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
military regime
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
Economy
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
Budget
revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Currency
1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
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
Electricity
1,100,000 kW capacity; 2,800 million kWh produced, 65 kWh per capita (1992)
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
Exports
$535.1 million (FY92) commodities: teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems partners: China, India, Thailand, Singapore
External debt
$4 billion (1992)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
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
Imports
$907.0 million (FY92) commodities: machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products partners: Japan, China, Singapore
Industrial production
growth rate 2.6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
Industries
agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
50% (1992)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $28 billion (1992)
National product per capita
$660 (1992)
National product real growth rate
1.3% (1992)
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.
Unemployment rate
9.6% (FY89 est.) in urban areas
Communications
Airports
total: 83 usable: 78 with permanent-surface runways: 26 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 38
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
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
Pipelines
crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km
Ports
Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
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
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
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP (1992)
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