PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Union of Burma
Geography
Area: 678,500 sq. km. (slightly smaller than Texas).
Cities: Administrative capital--Nay Pyi Taw, near the township of
Pyinmana (pop. 200,000); Other cities--Rangoon (pop. 5.5 million),
Mandalay (pop. 1.2 million).
Terrain: Central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers
(southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall,
mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (December to April).
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burmese.
Population: 54.3 million (UNESCAP 2004 estimate); no official census
has been taken since 1983.
Annual population growth rate (UNESCAP 2004 estimate): 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese
3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%.
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic
1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%.
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic languages.
Education: Literacy--adult, 89.9%; male, 93.9%; female, 86.4% (UNDP
2004 estimate).
Health: Infant mortality rate--76 deaths/1,000 live births (UNDP
2004 estimate). Life expectancy--60.6 yrs.: male, 57.8 yrs.; female
63.5 (UNDP 2004 estimate).
Government
Type: Military junta.
Constitution: January 3, 1974 (suspended since September 18, 1988,
when the current junta took power). A national convention started on
January 9, 1993 to draft a new constitution, but collapsed in 1996
without an agreement. The junta reconvened the convention in May
2004 without the participation of the National League for Democracy
and other pro-democracy ethnic groups. It has convened
intermittently since then, with the latest session running from
October 10 to December 29, 2006.
Branches: Executive--Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) Senior General Than Shwe is the head of state. Prime
Minister Gen. Soe Win is the head of government. Legislative--The
suspended constitution provides for a unicameral People's Assembly
(Pyithu Hluttaw) with 485 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve 4-year terms. The last elections were in 1990, but the
military prevented the Assembly from ever convening. Judicial--The
legal system is based on a British-era system, but with the
constitution suspended, the military regime now rules by decree and
there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
independent.
Political parties: National League for Democracy (NLD) is the
primary opposition party; National Unity Party (NUP) is the primary
pro-regime party; the Union Solidarity and Development Association
(USDA) is a pro-regime socio-political organization; there are also
many smaller ethnic parties.
Administrative subdivisions: The country is divided into seven
primarily Burman ethnic divisions (tain) of Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy),
Bago (Pegu), Magway, Mandalay, Yangon (Rangoon), Sagaing, and
Tanintharyi (Tenassarim) and seven ethnic states (pyi nay): Chin
State, Kachin State, Kayin (Karen) State, Kayah (Karenni) State, Mon
State, Rakhine (Arakan) State, and Shan State.
Suffrage: Universal suffrage at 18 years of age (but there have been
no elections since 1990).
Economy
GDP: $9.6 billion (estimate at March 2007 market rate).
Annual growth rate: 2.9% (2006 estimate); the regime claimed the
2005-2006 rate was 13.2%.
GDP per capita (2006 estimated): $174.
Natural resources: natural gas, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper,
tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones, hydropower, and
some petroleum.
Agriculture: Products--rice, pulses, beans, sesame, peanuts,
sugarcane, hardwood, fish, and fish products.
Industries: Types--agricultural processing, knit and woven apparel,
wood and wood products, copper, tin, tungsten, iron, construction
materials, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizer.
Recorded trade: Exports (IMF 2006)--$3.6 billion. Types (2005-2006
official statistics)--natural gas 30.2%, teak and forest products
13/3%, beans and pulses 9.1%, garments 7.7%, and marine products
5.5%. Major markets (IMF 2005-2006)--Thailand 38%, India 14%, China
10%, Hong Kong 7%, Japan 4%. Imports (IMF 2006)--$2 billion. Types
(2005-2006 official statistics)--machinery and transport equipment
15.5%, refined mineral oil 13.6%, base metals and manufactures
10.1%, fabrics 8.0%, and electrical machinery 5.6%. Major suppliers
(IMF 2005-2006)--Singapore 28%, China 24%, Thailand 11%, Malaysia
7%.
PEOPLE
A majority of Burma's people are ethnic Burmans. Shans, Karens,
Rohingya, Arakanese, Kachins, Chins, Mons, and many other smaller
indigenous ethnic groups form about 30% of the population. Indians
and Chinese are the largest non-indigenous groups.
Although Burmese is the most widely spoken language (approx. 32
million speakers), other ethnic groups have retained their own
identities and languages. Some of the most prominent are Shan;
various Karen, Karenni and Chin languages; Arakanese; Jingpaw; Mon;
Palaung; Parauk; Wa; and Yangbye. English is spoken in many areas
frequented by tourists. The Indian and Chinese residents speak
various languages and dialects of their homelands: Hindi, Urdu,
Tamil, Bengali, Mandarin, Fujian, and Cantonese.
An estimated 89% of the population practices Buddhism. Other
religions, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%,
and animist 1%, are less prevalent, although Christian and Muslim
groups claim the regime significantly underestimates their number of
adherents.
According to the UN Development Programme's 2006 Human Development
Report, public health expenditure equaled only 0.3% of Burma's GDP.
High infant mortality rates and short life expectancies further
highlight poor health and living conditions. The HIV/AIDS epidemic
poses a serious threat to the Burmese population, as do tuberculosis
and malaria. In 2006, the UNDP's Human Development Index, which
measures achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational
attainment, and adjusted real income, ranked Burma 130 out of 177
countries.
There are numerous documented human rights violations, and internal
displacement of ethnic minorities is prevalent. Over a million
Burmese, many of them ethnic minorities, have fled for economic and
political reasons to Bangladesh, India, China, Malaysia, and
Thailand to seek work and asylum. More than 150,000 Burmese live in
nine refugee camps in Thailand and roughly 30,000 live in two camps
in Bangladesh. Roughly 30,000 Burmese (mostly Chin and Rohingya)
have fled to Malaysia.
OFFICIAL NAME:
Union of Burma
Geography
Area: 678,500 sq. km. (slightly smaller than Texas).
Cities: Administrative capital--Nay Pyi Taw, near the township of
Pyinmana (pop. 200,000); Other cities--Rangoon (pop. 5.5 million),
Mandalay (pop. 1.2 million).
Terrain: Central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers
(southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall,
mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (December to April).
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burmese.
Population: 54.3 million (UNESCAP 2004 estimate); no official census
has been taken since 1983.
Annual population growth rate (UNESCAP 2004 estimate): 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese
3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%.
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic
1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%.
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic languages.
Education: Literacy--adult, 89.9%; male, 93.9%; female, 86.4% (UNDP
2004 estimate).
Health: Infant mortality rate--76 deaths/1,000 live births (UNDP
2004 estimate). Life expectancy--60.6 yrs.: male, 57.8 yrs.; female
63.5 (UNDP 2004 estimate).
Government
Type: Military junta.
Constitution: January 3, 1974 (suspended since September 18, 1988,
when the current junta took power). A national convention started on
January 9, 1993 to draft a new constitution, but collapsed in 1996
without an agreement. The junta reconvened the convention in May
2004 without the participation of the National League for Democracy
and other pro-democracy ethnic groups. It has convened
intermittently since then, with the latest session running from
October 10 to December 29, 2006.
Branches: Executive--Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) Senior General Than Shwe is the head of state. Prime
Minister Gen. Soe Win is the head of government. Legislative--The
suspended constitution provides for a unicameral People's Assembly
(Pyithu Hluttaw) with 485 seats; members are elected by popular vote
to serve 4-year terms. The last elections were in 1990, but the
military prevented the Assembly from ever convening. Judicial--The
legal system is based on a British-era system, but with the
constitution suspended, the military regime now rules by decree and
there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
independent.
Political parties: National League for Democracy (NLD) is the
primary opposition party; National Unity Party (NUP) is the primary
pro-regime party; the Union Solidarity and Development Association
(USDA) is a pro-regime socio-political organization; there are also
many smaller ethnic parties.
Administrative subdivisions: The country is divided into seven
primarily Burman ethnic divisions (tain) of Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy),
Bago (Pegu), Magway, Mandalay, Yangon (Rangoon), Sagaing, and
Tanintharyi (Tenassarim) and seven ethnic states (pyi nay): Chin
State, Kachin State, Kayin (Karen) State, Kayah (Karenni) State, Mon
State, Rakhine (Arakan) State, and Shan State.
Suffrage: Universal suffrage at 18 years of age (but there have been
no elections since 1990).
Economy
GDP: $9.6 billion (estimate at March 2007 market rate).
Annual growth rate: 2.9% (2006 estimate); the regime claimed the
2005-2006 rate was 13.2%.
GDP per capita (2006 estimated): $174.
Natural resources: natural gas, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper,
tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones, hydropower, and
some petroleum.
Agriculture: Products--rice, pulses, beans, sesame, peanuts,
sugarcane, hardwood, fish, and fish products.
Industries: Types--agricultural processing, knit and woven apparel,
wood and wood products, copper, tin, tungsten, iron, construction
materials, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizer.
Recorded trade: Exports (IMF 2006)--$3.6 billion. Types (2005-2006
official statistics)--natural gas 30.2%, teak and forest products
13/3%, beans and pulses 9.1%, garments 7.7%, and marine products
5.5%. Major markets (IMF 2005-2006)--Thailand 38%, India 14%, China
10%, Hong Kong 7%, Japan 4%. Imports (IMF 2006)--$2 billion. Types
(2005-2006 official statistics)--machinery and transport equipment
15.5%, refined mineral oil 13.6%, base metals and manufactures
10.1%, fabrics 8.0%, and electrical machinery 5.6%. Major suppliers
(IMF 2005-2006)--Singapore 28%, China 24%, Thailand 11%, Malaysia
7%.
PEOPLE
A majority of Burma's people are ethnic Burmans. Shans, Karens,
Rohingya, Arakanese, Kachins, Chins, Mons, and many other smaller
indigenous ethnic groups form about 30% of the population. Indians
and Chinese are the largest non-indigenous groups.
Although Burmese is the most widely spoken language (approx. 32
million speakers), other ethnic groups have retained their own
identities and languages. Some of the most prominent are Shan;
various Karen, Karenni and Chin languages; Arakanese; Jingpaw; Mon;
Palaung; Parauk; Wa; and Yangbye. English is spoken in many areas
frequented by tourists. The Indian and Chinese residents speak
various languages and dialects of their homelands: Hindi, Urdu,
Tamil, Bengali, Mandarin, Fujian, and Cantonese.
An estimated 89% of the population practices Buddhism. Other
religions, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%,
and animist 1%, are less prevalent, although Christian and Muslim
groups claim the regime significantly underestimates their number of
adherents.
According to the UN Development Programme's 2006 Human Development
Report, public health expenditure equaled only 0.3% of Burma's GDP.
High infant mortality rates and short life expectancies further
highlight poor health and living conditions. The HIV/AIDS epidemic
poses a serious threat to the Burmese population, as do tuberculosis
and malaria. In 2006, the UNDP's Human Development Index, which
measures achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational
attainment, and adjusted real income, ranked Burma 130 out of 177
countries.
There are numerous documented human rights violations, and internal
displacement of ethnic minorities is prevalent. Over a million
Burmese, many of them ethnic minorities, have fled for economic and
political reasons to Bangladesh, India, China, Malaysia, and
Thailand to seek work and asylum. More than 150,000 Burmese live in
nine refugee camps in Thailand and roughly 30,000 live in two camps
in Bangladesh. Roughly 30,000 Burmese (mostly Chin and Rohingya)
have fled to Malaysia.
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