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Communications

Airports [time series]

88 total, 81 usable; 29 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 37 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

17 major transport aircraft (including 3 helicopters)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

27,000 km total; 3,200 km bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel, 6,100 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels

Merchant marine [time series]

45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,814 GRT/955,924 DWT; includes 3 passenger-cargo, 15 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 5 chemical, 16 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude, 1,343 km; natural gas, 330 km

Ports [time series]

Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3,991 km total, all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113 km narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service; international service is good; radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas; 53,000 telephones (1986); stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$315.0 million, 21.0% of central government budget (FY88)

Military manpower [time series]

eligible 15-49, 20,294,848; of the 10,135,886 males 15-49, 5,438,196 are fit for military service; of the 10,158,962 females 15-49, 5,437,518 are fit for military service; 434,200 males and 423,435 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $5.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY89 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$5.6 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$11.0 billion, per capita $280; real growth rate 0.2% (FY88 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 1.5% (FY88)

Industries [time series]

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) [time series]

22.6% (FY89 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

10.4% in urban areas (FY87)

Geography

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

1,930 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Texas

Contiguous zone [time series]

24 nm;

Continental shelf [time series]

edge of continental margin or 200 nm;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

5,876 km total; Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Terrain [time series]

central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

678,500 km2; land area: 657,740 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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*

Capital [time series]

Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988)

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order Restoration Council

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

4 January 1948 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

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)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup of 18 September 1988

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

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

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 January (1948)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

military government

People

Birth rate [time series]

33 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

97 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

53 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

78%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Burmese; adjective--Burmese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

41,277,389 (July 1990), growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.2 children born/woman (1990)

Burma (Myanmar)