BackgroundBritain conquered Burma over a period of 62 yrs (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 Commonwlth was attained in 1948. . 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 Lgue for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD lder and Nobel Pce 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. After Burma's ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly incrsed fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at lst 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October 2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters. Burma in rly May 2008 was struck by Cyclone Nargis which official estimates claimed left over 80,000 dd and 50,000 injured. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990, setting the stage for the 2010 parliamentary elections.
GeographyStrategic loion nr major Indian Ocn shipping lanes.Loion:Southstern Asia, bordering the Andaman S and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and ThailandGeographic coordinates:22 00 N, 98 00 r:total: 678,500 sq km
land: 657,740 sq km
water: 20,760 sq kmSize comparison: slightly smaller than TexasLand Boundaries:total: 5,876 km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 kmCoastline:1,930 kmMaritime claims:territorial s: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental marginClimate:tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northst monsoon, December to April)Terrain:central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlandsElevation extremes:lowest point: Andaman S 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 mNatural resources:petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, ld, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropowerLand use:arable land: 14.92%
permanent crops: 1.31%
other: 83.77% (2005)Irrigated land:18,700 sq km (2003)Natural hazards:destructive rthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy sson (June to September); periodic droughtsCurrent Environment Issues:deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water trtment contribute to disseInternational Environment Agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertifiion, Endangered Species, Law of the S, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
PeoplePopulation:47,758,180 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, higher dth rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)Age structure:0-14 yrs: 25.7% (male 6,236,484/female 6,038,576)
15-64 yrs: 68.9% (male 16,300,380/female 16,627,045)
65 yrs and over: 5.4% (male 1,098,344/female 1,457,352) (2008 est.)Median age:total: 27.8 yrs
male: 27.2 yrs
female: 28.4 yrs (2008 est.)Population growth rate:0.8% (2008 est.)Birth rate:17.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)Dth rate:9.23 dths/1,000 population (2008 est.)Net migration rate:NA (2008 est.)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 yrs: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 yrs: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 yrs and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)Infant mortality rate:total: 49.12 dths/1,000 live births
male: 55.53 dths/1,000 live births
female: 42.33 dths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)Life expectancy at birth:total population: 62.94 yrs
male: 60.73 yrs
female: 65.28 yrs (2008 est.)Total fertility rate:1.92 children born/woman (2008 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:1.2% (2003 est.)HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:330,000 (2003 est.)HIV/AIDS - dths:20,000 (2003 est.)Nationality:noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: BurmeseEthnic 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 holic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%Languages:Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languagesLiteracy:definition: age 15 and over can rd and write
total population: 89.9%
male: 93.9%
female: 86.4% (2006 est.)
GovernmentCountry 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 NaingngandawGovernment type:military juntaCapital:name: Rangoon (Yangon)
geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahd of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capitalAdministrative 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, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, ShanIndependence:4 January 1948 (from UK)National holiday:Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)Constitution:10 May 2008Legal system:based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdictionSuffrage:18 yrs of age; universalExecutive branch:chief of state: Chairman of the State Pce and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. . THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
hd of government: Prime Minister, Lt. THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
elections: noneLegislative branch:unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 sts; members elected by popular vote to serve four-yr terms)
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; sts by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60Judicial 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 executivePolitical parties and lders:National Lgue for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities Lgue for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller partiesPolitical pressure groups and lders:Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advoes); 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 ar and joined insurts in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, eral secretary]; 88 eration Students (pro-democracy movement) [TOE KYAW HLAING]
other: several Shan factionsInternational organization participation:ADB, APT, ARF, ASN, BIMSTEC, CP, S, FAO, G-77, IA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTODiplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
consulate(s) eral: New YorkDiplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER
embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038
FAX: [95] (1) 650-306
EconomyBurma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. Despite Burma's incrsing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated because of the regime's mismanagement of the economy. The economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a rlistic GDP figure. Most overss development assistance csed after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to 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 in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers the inflow of foreign investment. Foreign investors have shied away from nrly every sector except for natural gas and power eration. The business climate is widely perceived as opaque, corrupt, and highly inefficient. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other ars, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating hlth and eduion systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2008, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions, limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. The September 2007 down on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the Europn Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber, and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are grtly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. 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 serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.GDP (purchasing power parity):$56.58 billion (2008 est.)GDP (official exchange rate):$13.7 billion (2008 est.)GDP - rl growth rate:0.9% (2008 est.)GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,200 (2008 est.)GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 40.9%
industry: 19.7%
services: 39.3% (2008 est.)Labor force:30.04 million (2008 est.)Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 70%
industry: 7%
services: 23% (2001)Unemployment rate:9.4% (2008 est.)Population below poverty line:32.7% (2007 est.)Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)Inflation rate (consumer prices):27.3% (2008 est.)Investment (gross fixed):14.1% of GDP (2008 est.)Budget:revenues: NA
expenditures: NAAgriculture - products:
Industries:agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gemsIndustrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:5.961 billion kWh (2006 est.)Electricity - consumption:4.289 billion kWh (2006 est.)Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2007 est.)Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2007 est.)Oil - production:21,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)Oil - consumption:43,140 bbl/day (2006 est.)Oil - exports:5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)Oil - imports:22,180 bbl/day (2005 est.)Oil - proved reserves:50 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)Natural gas - production:12.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)Natural gas - consumption:3.62 billion cu m (2006 est.)Natural gas - exports:9.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - imports:0 cu m (2007 est.)Natural gas - proved reserves:283.2 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)Current account balance:$762 million (2008 est.)Exports:$6.149 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 (2008 est.)Exports - commodities:natural gas, wood products, pulses, bns, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gemsExports - partners:Thailand 44.3%, India 14.5%, China 7.1%, Japan 5.7% (2007)Imports:$3.589 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 (2008 est.)Imports - commodities:fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oilImports - partners:China 33.7%, Thailand 19.1%, Singapore 15.5%, South Kor 5.8%, Indonesia 5.2%, Malaysia 4.2% (2007)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$2.262 billion (31 December 2008 est.)Debt - external:$7.17 billion (31 December 2008 est.)Market value of publicly traded shares:$NACurrency ():kyat (MMK)Exchange rates:kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,205 (2008 est.), 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004) note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nrly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yrend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2003-05 are official exchange ratesFiscal yr:1 April - 31 March
CommuniionsTele in use:503,900 (2005)Cellular in use:214,200 (2006)Telephone system:eral assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government
domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of less than 1 per 100 persons
international: country - 95; landing point for the S-ME-WE-3 optical telecommuniions submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle st, and Europe; satellite rth stations - 2, sat (Indian Ocn) and ShinSat (2007)Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)Television broadcast stations:4 (2008)Internet country :.mmInternet hosts:108 (2008)Internet users:40,000 (2007)
TransportationAirports:86 (2007)Airports (paved runways):total: 25
over 3,047 m: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)Airports (unpaved runways):total: 61
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 32 (2007)Heliports:4 (2007)Pipelines:gas 2,790 km; oil 558 km (2007)Railways:total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)Roadways:total: 27,000 km
paved: 3,200 km
unpaved: 23,800 km (2006)Waterways:12,800 km (2008)Merchant marine:total: 24
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 17, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 3 (Cyprus 1, Germany 1, Japan 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)Ports and terminals:Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe
Military
Military branches:Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2008)Military service age and obligation:18 yrs of age for voluntary military service for both sexes; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2007)Manpower available for military service:males age 16-49: 13,402,788
females age 16-49: 13,437,042 (2008 est.)Manpower fit for military service:males age 16-49: 9,031,046
females age 16-49: 9,396,547 (2008 est.)
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