B U R M A
- 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
- 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
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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
- Population:
46,821,943 (July 1997 est.)
- Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 8,743,108; female 8,410,224)
15-64 years: 59% (male 13,878,541; female 13,859,783)
65 years and over : 4% (male 873,670; female 1,056,617) (July 1997 est.)
- Nationality:
noun:
Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese
- 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 beliefs 1%, other 2%
- Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
- Country 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
-
Data code:
BM
-
Government type:
military regime
-
National capital:
Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as 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; chapter headings and
three of 15 sections have been approved
- Elections:
none
- 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 - NLD 82%; seats by party - NLD 396, NUP 10,
other 79
- Judicial branch:
limited; remnants of the British-era legal system in place, but there
is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of
the executive
- Political parties and leaders:
Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA, proregime), THAN
AUNG, general secretary; National Unity Party (NUP, proregime), THA KYAW;
National League for Democracy (NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary;
and eight minor legal parties
- Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed
by 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;
Kachin Independence Army (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National
Union (KNU); several Shan factions, including the Mong Tai Army (MTA); All
Burma Student Democratic Front (ABSDF)
- Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kent M. WIEDEMANN
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address : Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182 (operator assistance required)
FAX: [95] (1) 280409
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