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
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
Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 49%
other: 34% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10,680 sq km (1993 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 agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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
Population: 48,081,302 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 8,883,099; female 8,542,087)
15-64 years: 60% (male 14,343,888; female 14,293,233)
65 years and over: 4% (male 906,517; female 1,112,478) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.61% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 28.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 12.39 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 76.25 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.74 years
male: 53.24 years
female: 56.32 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.63 children born/woman (1999 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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7% (1995 est.)
Government
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
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; chapter headings and three of 15 sections have been
approved
Legal system: does not accept 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 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 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
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: National Unity Party or NUP
SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; Union
Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social
eight minor legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition
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 or KIA; United Wa State Army or
UWSA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; All Burma
Student Democratic Front or ABSDF
International organization participation: AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU,
NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador TIN WINN
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: New York
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
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
Economy--overview: Burma has a mixed economy with private activity
dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with
substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy
industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the last 10
years, 1989-98, has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three
decades of tight central planning. Thus, private activity has
markedly increased; foreign investment has been encouraged, so far
with moderate success; and efforts continue to increase the
efficiency of state enterprises. Published estimates of Burma's
foreign trade are greatly understated because of the volume of
black-market trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to
achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Although Burma remains a poor
Asian country, its rich resources furnish the potential for
substantial long-term increases in income, exports, and living
standards. The short-term outlook is for continued sluggish growth
because of internal unrest, minimal foreign investment, and the
large trade deficit.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$56.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 1.1% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 59%
industry: 11%
services: 30% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 18.8 million (FY95/96 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%,
trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $7.9 billion
expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7
billion (FY96/97)
Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood
and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction
materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 9.2% (FY95/96 est.)
Electricity--production: 3.75 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.33%
hydro: 38.67%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 3.75 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane,
pulses; hardwood
Exports: $940 million (1997)
Exports--commodities: pulses and beans, teak, rice, rubber,
hardwood
Exports--partners: India 17%, Singapore 14%, China 11%, Thailand
9%, Japan 4% (1997)
Imports: $2.2 billion (1997)
Imports--commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction
materials, food products
Imports--partners: Singapore 30%, Japan 17%, China 10%, Thailand
10%, Malaysia 7% (1997)
Debt--external: $4.3 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $156.9 million (1995)
Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1--6.1163 (January 1999), 6.3432
(1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996), 5.6670 (1995), 5.9749 (1994);
unofficial--310-350 (1998)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 122,195 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: 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: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1998 est.)
Televisions: 88,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,740 km
narrow gauge: 3,740 km 1.000-m gauge (1997)
Highways:
total: 28,200 km
paved: 3,440 km
unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 12,800 km; 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: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 464,478 GRT/695,923 DWT
ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 20, container 2, oil tanker 3,
passenger-cargo 2
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries:
Japan owns 2 ships, US 3 (1998 est.)
Airports: 80 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 12,475,987
females age 15-49: 12,224,947 (1999 est.)
note: both sexes liable for military service
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 6,660,309
females age 15-49: 6,510,730 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 496,912
females: 477,803 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $3.904 billion (FY97/98)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.1% (FY97/98)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: sporadic conflict with Thailand over
alignment of border
Illicit drugs: world's largest producer of illicit opium
(cultivation in 1998--130,300 hectares, a 16% decline from 1997;
potential production--1,750 metric tons, down 26% due to drought and
the first eradication effort since the current government took power
in 1987) and a minor producer of cannabis for the international drug
trade; 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 serious government commitment and resources continues to
hinder the overall antidrug effort; growing role in the production
of methamphetamines for regional consumption
======================================================================
@Burundi
-------
Introduction
Background: Since the end of the Belgian trusteeship in 1962,
Burundi has suffered from ethnic uprisings, coups, and other
societal dislocations. In a series of waves since October 1993,
hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the ethnic violence
between the Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi and have crossed into
Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of
the Congo or DROC). Since October 1996, an estimated 120,000
Burundian Hutu refugees from the DROC have been compelled to return
to Burundi because of insecurity in the region. Continuing ethnic
violence with the Tutsi has caused additional Hutu to flee to
Tanzania, thus raising their numbers in the United Nations Office of
the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps in that country to
about 260,000. Burundian troops have joined armies from Rwanda and
Uganda and Congolese Tutsi in trying to overthrow DROC President
KABILA and restore security to their borders with the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
Geography
Location: Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 27,830 sq km
land: 25,650 sq km
water: 2,180 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 974 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda
290 km, Tanzania 451 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude
variation (772 m to 2,760 m); average annual temperature varies with
altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate
as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is
about 150 cm; wet seasons from February to May and September to
November, and dry seasons from June to August and December to January
Terrain: hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east,
some plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Mount Heha 2,670 m
Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat,
cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium
Land use:
arable land: 44%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 36%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 140 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding, landslides
Environment--current issues: soil erosion as a result of
overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands;
deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled
cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife
populations
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography--note: landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo
watershed
People
Population: 5,735,937 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 1,349,995; female 1,345,201)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,392,880; female 1,479,835)
65 years and over: 3% (male 69,748; female 98,278) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.54% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 41.27 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 17.23 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 11.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 99.36 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.44 years
male: 43.54 years
female: 47.41 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.33 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundi
Ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy)
1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religions: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%),
indigenous beliefs 32%, Muslim 1%
Languages: Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along
Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.3%
male: 49.3%
female: 22.5% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
local short form: Burundi
Data code: BY
Government type: republic
Capital: Bujumbura
Administrative divisions: 15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura,
Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo,
Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
note: there may be a new province named Mwaro
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian
administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: 13 March 1992; provided for establishment of a
plural political system; supplanted on 6 June 1998 by a Transitional
Constitution which enlarged the National Assembly and created two
vice presidents
Legal system: based on German and Belgian civil codes and
customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Pierre BUYOYA (interim president since 27
September 1996 and officially sworn in on 11 June 1998) is chief of
state and head of government and is assisted by First Vice President
Frederic BAMVUGINYUMVIRA (since NA) and Second Vice President
Mathias SINAMENYA (since NA); note--former President NTIBANTUNGANYA
was overthrown in a coup on 25 July 1996
head of government: President Pierre BUYOYA is both chief of state
and head of government; assisted by First Vice President Frederic
BAMVUGINYUMVIRA (since NA) and Second Vice President Mathias
SINAMENYA (since NA)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president
elections: NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (81 seats; note--new Transitional Constitution calls for
121 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional
basis to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 29 June 1993 (next was scheduled to be held in
1998, but suspended by presidential decree in 1996)
election results: percent of vote by party--FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA
21.4%; seats by party--FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16; other parties won too
small shares of the vote to win seats in the assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders: Unity for National Progress or
note: opposition parties, legalized in March 1992, include Burundi
African Alliance for the Salvation or ABASA; Rally for Democracy and
BAGAZA]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas NDIKUMANA
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Morris N. HUGHES, Jr.
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
Flag description: divided by a white diagonal cross into red
panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and outer side)
with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red
six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design
(one star above, two stars below)
Economy
Economy--overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country
with a poorly developed manufacturing sector. The economy is
predominately agricultural with roughly 90% of the population
dependent on subsistence agriculture. Its economic health depends on
the coffee crop, which accounts for 80% of foreign exchange
earnings. The ability to pay for imports therefore rests largely on
the vagaries of the climate and the international coffee market.
Since October 1993 the nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based
violence which has resulted in the death of perhaps 250,000 persons
and the displacement of about 800,000 others. Foods, medicines, and
electricity remain in short supply.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$4.1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$740 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 58%
industry: 18%
services: 24% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: 36.2% (1990 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 17% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 93%, government 4%,
industry and commerce 1.5%, services 1.5% (1983 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $165 million, including capital expenditures of $42.6
million (1998 est.)
Industries: light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap;
assembly of imported components; public works construction; food
processing
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 122 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 1.64%
hydro: 98.36%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 152 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 30 million kWh (1996)
note: imports some electricity from Democratic Republic of the Congo
Agriculture--products: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet
potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides
Exports: $49 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: coffee, tea, cotton, hides
Exports--partners: UK, Germany, Benelux, Switzerland (1997)
Imports: $102 million f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: capital goods, petroleum products,
foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports--partners: Benelux, France, Germany, Japan (1997)
Debt--external: $1.1 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $286.1 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1--508 (January 1999),
477.77 (1998), 352.35 (1997), 302.75 (1996), 249.76 (1995), 252.66
(1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 7,200 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: primitive system
domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 4,500 (1993 est.)
Transportation