| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Southeast Asia |
| Geographical Location |
22° 00' North Latitude
98° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
678,500 sq km |
| 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) |
| Natural Resources |
Petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Union of Burma |
| Capital City |
Rangoon (government refers to the capital as Yangon) |
| Government Type |
Military junta |
| Administrative 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 State, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State |
| Independence Day |
4 January 1948 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
42,909,464 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Burmese |
| Ethnic Groups |
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% |
| Religion |
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% |
| Languages |
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.42% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Kyat (MMK) |
| Industries |
Agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement |
| Labor Force |
27.01 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products |
| Export Commodities |
Clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice |
| Export Partners |
Thailand 37%, India 14%, China 6.2%, Japan 5.1%, UK 4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products |
| Import Partners |
China 28.3%, Singapore 20.6%, Thailand 19.1%, South Korea 6.2%, Malaysia 4.7% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
3,955 km |
| Highways |
28,200 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 2,056 km; oil 558 km (2004) |
| Airports |
78 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+95 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.mm |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (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 Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. 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 League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel
Peace 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 is currently under house arrest.
In December 2004, the junta announced it was extending her detention for at least an additional year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed. |
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| www.kfrawy.com |
_s.jpg "Burma Photos")
