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2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Burma
n : a mountainous republic in southeastern Asia on the Bay of
Bengal; "much opium is grown in Myanmar" [syn: {Myanmar},
{Union of Burma}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Burma
Introduction Burma
------------------
Background: Despite multiparty elections in 1990
that resulted in the main opposition
party winning a decisive victory,
the ruling military junta refused to
hand over power. Key opposition
leader and Nobel Peace Prize
recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, under
house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was
again placed under house detention
in September 2000; her supporters
are routinely harassed or jailed.
Geography Burma
---------------
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
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
Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony,
zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal,
some marble, limestone, precious
stones, natural gas, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 14.53%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 84.56% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 15,920 sq km (1998 est.)
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, 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 Burma
------------
Population: 42,238,224
note: estimates for this country
explicitly 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
and growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age
and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.6% (male 6,158,039;
female 5,905,314)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 13,976,047;
female 14,162,467)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male
905,476; female 1,130,881) (2002
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.56% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 19.65 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -1.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
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: 0.8 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 72.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.41 years
female: 57.07 years (2002 est.)
male: 53.85 years
Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.99% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 530,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 48,000 (1999 est.)
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: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7% (1995 est.)
note: these are official statistics;
estimates of functional literacy are
likely closer to 30% (1999 est.)
Government Burma
----------------
Country name: conventional long form: Union of
Burma
conventional short form: 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
Government type: military regime
Capital: Rangoon (regime refers to the
capital as Yangon)
Administrative divisions: 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular -
yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya,
singular - pyine); Chin State,
Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State,
Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*,
Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State,
Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*,
Yangon*
Independence: 4 January 1948 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
Constitution: 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: Prime Minister and
Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN
SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note -
the prime minister is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: Prime Minister
and Chairman of the State Peace and
Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN
SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note -
the prime minister is both the chief
of state and head of government
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; the SPDC
oversees the cabinet
elections: none; the prime minister
assumed power upon resignation of
the former prime minister
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 convened
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NLD
392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, 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 (proregime) [THA
KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for
Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO];
Union Solidarity and Development
Association or USDA (proregime, a
social and political organization)
[THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and
other smaller parties
Political pressure groups and All Burma Student Democratic Front
leaders: or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army
or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU;
National Coalition Government of the
Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN
WIN] consists of individuals
legitimately elected to the People's
Assembly but not recognized by the
military regime (the group fled to a
border area and joined with
insurgents in December 1990 to form
a parallel government); several Shan
factions; United Wa State Army or
UWSA
International organization ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
participation: FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador U LINN
MYAING
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044
chancery: 2300 S Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Permanent Charge
US: d'Affaires Priscilla A. CLAPP
embassy: 581 Merchant Street,
Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182
FAX: [95] (1) 280409
Flag description: 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
Economy Burma
-------------
Economy - overview: Burma is a resource-rich country
that suffers from abject rural
poverty. The military regime 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. Burma has been unable
to achieve monetary or fiscal
stability, resulting in an economy
that suffers from serious
macroeconomic imbalances - including
an official exchange rate that
overvalues the Burmese kyat by more
than 100 times the market rate. In
addition, most overseas development
assistance ceased after the junta
suppressed the democracy movement in
1988 and subsequently ignored the
results of the 1990 election. Burma
is data poor, and official
statistics are often dated and
inaccurate. Published estimates of
Burma's foreign trade are greatly
understated because of the size of
the black market and border trade -
often estimated to be one to two
times the official economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $63
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,500
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 42%
industry: 17%
services: 41% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 25% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.8%
percentage share: highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 23.7 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 10%,
services 25% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $7.9 billion
expenditures: $12.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$5.7 billion (FY96/97)
Industries: agricultural processing; knit and
woven apparel; wood and wood
products; copper, tin, tungsten,
iron; construction materials;
pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 4.766 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 83.3%
hydro: 16.7%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 4.432 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: rice, pulses, beans, sesame,
groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood;
fish and fish products
Exports: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: apparel 55%, foodstuffs 18%, wood
products 13%, precious stones 2%
(2000)
Exports - partners: US 27%, India 16%, China 7%, Japan
6%, Singapore 6% (2000 est.)
note: official trade statistics do
not include trade in illicit goods -
such as narcotics, teak, and gems -
or the largely unrecorded border
trade with China and Thailand
Imports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery, transport equipment,
construction materials, food
products, textile fabrics, petroleum
products
Imports - partners: China 26%, Singapore 23%, South
Korea 15%, Japan 10%, Taiwan 10%
(2000 est.)
Debt - external: $6 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $99 million (FY98/99)
Currency: kyat (MMK)
Currency code: MMK
Exchange rates: kyats per US dollar - official rate
- 6.8581 (January 2002), 6.7489
(2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858
(1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418
(1997); kyats per US dollar - black
market exchange rate - 435 (yearend
2000)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Communications Burma
--------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 250,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,492 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: meets minimum
requirements for local and intercity
service for business and government;
international service is good
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 4.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1998)
Televisions: 320,000 (2000)
Internet country code: .mm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1
note: as of September 2000, Internet
connections were legal only for the
government, tourist offices, and a
few large businesses (2000)
Internet users: 500 (2000)
Transportation Burma
--------------------
Railways: total: 3,991 km
narrow gauge: 3,991 km 1.000-m gauge
(2000 est.)
Highways: total: 28,200 km
paved: 3,440 km
unpaved: 24,760 km (1996)
Waterways: 12,800 km
note: 3,200 km navigable by large
commercial vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330
km
Ports and harbors: Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay,
Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab
(Sittwe), Tavoy
Merchant marine: total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 382,386 GRT/582,084 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 5, Japan 4
(2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 21,
container 1, passenger/cargo 3,
petroleum tanker 1
Airports: 80 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 8
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 72
under 914 m: 33 (2001)
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 21
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Burma
--------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 12,211,144
note: both sexes liable for military
service (2002 est.)
females age 15-49: 12,223,069
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 6,502,013
service: females age 15-49: 6,491,732 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 486,432
military age annually: females: 470,667 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar $39 million (FY97/98)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.1% (FY97/98)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Burma
--------------------------
Disputes - international: despite renewed border committee
talks, significant differences
remain with Thailand over boundary
alignment and the handling of ethnic
guerrilla rebels, refugees,
smuggling, and drug trafficking in
cross-border region; Burmese
attempts to construct a dam on
border stream with Bangladesh in
2001 prompted an armed response
halting construction; Burmese Muslim
migration into Bangladesh strains
Bangladesh's meager resources
Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of illicit
opium, surpassing Afghanistan
(potential production in 2001 - 865
metric tons, down 21% due to
drought, and to a lesser extent,
eradication; cultivation in 2002 -
105,000 hectares, a 3% decline from
2000); surrender of drug warlord
KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January
1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a
major counternarcotics success, but
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
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