males age 15-49: 2,149,485
males fit for military service: 1,101,184 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $104 million,
6.4% of GDP (1994)
======================================================================
@Burma
-----
Map
---
Location: 22 00 N, 98 00 E -- Southeastern Asia, bordering the
Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
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
Geography
---------
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 area: 678,500 sq km
land area: 657,740 sq km
comparative area: 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
International disputes: none
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
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%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 34%
Irrigated land: 10,180 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil,
and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to
disease
natural hazards: destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and
landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic
droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea, Tropical
Timber 94
Geographic note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean
shipping lanes
People
------
Population: 45,975,625 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 8,637,102; female 8,308,282)
15-64 years: 59% (male 13,577,232; female 13,571,312)
65 years and over: 4% (male 853,403; female 1,028,294) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.84% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 30.01 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 11.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.83 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 80.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.14 years
male: 54.46 years
female: 57.92 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.83 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese
Ethnic divisions: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 83.1%
male: 88.7%
female: 77.7%
Government
----------
Name of country:
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
Type of government: 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 and head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman
of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since
23 April 1992)
State Law and Order Restoration Council: military junta which
assumed power 18 September 1988
Legislative branch:
People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw): election last held 27 May 1990,
but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats - (485 total)
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; pro-regime), THAN AUNG, secretary; National Unity
Party (NUP), pro-regime, THA KYAW; National League for Democracy
(NLD), AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary; and eight minor legal
parties
Other political or pressure groups: National Coalition Government
of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), headed by the elected prime minister
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)
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Mekong Group,
NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador U THAUNG
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044, 9045
consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marilyn A.
MEYERS
embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)
mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone: [95] (1) 82055, 82182 (operator assistance required)
FAX: [95] (1) 80409
Flag: 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
-------
Economic overview: Burma has a mixed economy with about 75%
private activity, mainly in agriculture, light industry, and
transport, and with about 25% state-controlled activity, mainly in
energy, heavy industry, and foreign trade. Government policy in the
last seven years, 1989-95, 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $47 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 10%
services: 30% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 38% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 16.007 million (1992)
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: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $10 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)
Industries: agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood
and wood products; petroleum refining; copper, tin, tungsten, iron;
construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Industrial production growth rate: 4.9% (FY92/93 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 845,000 kW
production: 3.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 46 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture: paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood
Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,340
metric tons in 1995) and source for over 60% of US heroin imports;
minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade;
Rangoon's antinarcotic programs hindered by lack of resources,
government commitment; growing role in methamphetamine production
for regional consumption
Exports: $879 million (FY94/95 est.)
commodities: pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood
partners: Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong
Imports: $1.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)
commodities: machinery, transport equipment, construction materials,
food products, consumer goods
partners: Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia
External debt: $5.5 billion (FY94/95 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $61 million (1993)
Currency: 1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 5.8475 (January 1996), 5.9170
(1995), 5.9749 (1994), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045 (1992), 6.2837 (1991);
unofficial - 120
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Transportation
--------------
Railways:
total: 3,569 km
narrow gauge: 3,569 km 1.000-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 26,861 km
paved: 3,181 km
unpaved: 23,680 km (1988 est.)
Waterways: 12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial
vessels
Pipelines: crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km
Ports: Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina,
Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy
Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 444,957 GRT/610,420 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 15, chemical tanker 5, container 1,
oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 74
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 10
with paved runways under 914 m: 28
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 17 (1995 est.)
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 1, shortwave 0 (1985 est.)
note: radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 88,000 (1992 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 11,759,636
females age 15-49: 11,588,181
males fit for military service: 6,291,986
females fit for military service: 6,184,667
males reach military age (18) annually: 473,255
females reach military age (18) annually: 454,786 (1996 est.)
note: both sexes liable for military service
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $135 million, NA%
of GDP (FY95/96)
======================================================================
@Burundi
-------
Map
---
Location: 3 30 S, 30 00 E -- Central Africa, east of Zaire
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)
Geography
---------
Location: Central Africa, east of Zaire
Geographic coordinates: 3 30 S, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 27,830 sq km
land area: 25,650 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 974 km
border countries: Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands; dry season
from June to September
Terrain: hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east,
some plains
lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m
highest point: Mount Heha 2,760 m
Natural resources: nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat,
cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium
Land use:
arable land: 43%
permanent crops: 8%
meadows and pastures: 35%
forest and woodland: 2%
other: 12%
Irrigated land: 720 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: flooding, landslides
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species; signed, but
not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geographic note: landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo
watershed
People
------
Population: 5,943,057 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 1,404,375; female 1,398,228)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,454,545; female 1,527,644)
65 years and over: 3% (male 62,955; female 95,310) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.54% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 43.02 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 15.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -12.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note: in a number of waves since October 1993, hundreds of thousands
of refugees have fled the civil strife between the Hutu and Tutsi
factions in Burundi and crossed into Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zaire;
the refugee flows are continuing in 1996 as the ethnic violence
persists
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 102.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.33 years
male: 48.28 years
female: 50.42 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Burundian(s)
adjective: Burundi
Ethnic divisions:
Africans: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%
non-Africans: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 35.3%
male: 49.3%
female: 22.5%
Government
----------
Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Burundi
conventional short form: Burundi
local long form: Republika y'u Burundi
local short form: Burundi
Data code: BY
Type of government: republic
Capital: Bujumbura
Administrative divisions: 15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura,
Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo,
Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi
Independence: 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian
administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution: 13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a
plural political system
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 Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA (acting president
from 8 April 1994 to 30 September 1994, president since 1 October
1994); note - NTIBANTUNGANYA, in his capacity as President of the
National Assembly, became acting president upon the death of
President Cyprien NTARYAMIRE in an airplane crash on 6 April 1994;
NTIBANTUNGANYA was sworn in on 1 October 1994 as president by the
"Convention on Government" to serve a four year transitional term
head of government: Prime Minister Antoine NDUWAYO (since February
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): election last held 29 June
1993 (next to be held NA); results - FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%;
seats - (81 total) FRODEBU 65, UPRONA 16; other parties won too
small shares of the vote to win seats in the assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Unity for National Progress
(UPRONA); Burundi Democratic Front (FRODEBU); Organization of the
People of Burundi (RBP); Socialist Party of Burundi (PSB); People's
Reconciliation Party (PRP); opposition parties, legalized in March
1992, include Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation (ABASA);
Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social Development (RADDES);
and Party for National Redress (PARENA)
Other political or pressure groups: NA
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, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Severin NTAHOMVUKIYE
chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Charles YELLIN
embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura
telephone: [257] (2) 23454
FAX: [257] (2) 22926
Flag: 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
-------
Economic overview: Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country
in an early stage of economic development. 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. As
part of its economic reform agenda, launched in February 1991 with
IMF and World Bank support, Burundi is trying to diversify its
agricultural exports, attract foreign investment in industry, and
modernize government budgetary practices. Since October 1993 the
nation has suffered from massive ethnic-based violence which has
resulted in the death of perhaps 100,000 persons and the
displacement of a million others; production has fallen sharply, and
an impoverished and disorganized government can hardly implement
these needed reform programs.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 2.7% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $600 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 54.1%
industry: 16.8%
services: 29.1% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1993 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million (1983 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and
commerce 1.5%, services 1.5%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $318 million
expenditures: $326 million, including capital expenditures of $150
million (1991 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:
capacity: 55,000 kW
production: 100 million kWh
consumption per capita: 20 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes,
bananas, manioc; meat, milk, hides
Exports: $68 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee 81%, tea, cotton, hides
partners: EC 57%, US 19%, Asia 1%
Imports: $203 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: capital goods 31%, petroleum products 15%, foodstuffs,
consumer goods
partners: EC 45%, Asia 29%, US 2%
External debt: $1.05 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Burundi franc (FBu) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Burundi francs (FBu) per US$1 - 268.13 (November
1995), 252.66 (1994), 242.78 (1993), 208.30 (1992), 181.51 (1991),
171.26 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation
--------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 14,473 km
paved: 1,028 km
unpaved: 13,445 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: Lake Tanganyika
Ports: Bujumbura
Airports:
total: 3
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)
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
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 4,500 (1993 est.)
Defense
-------
Branches: Army (includes naval and air units), paramilitary
Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,312,458
males fit for military service: 683,073
males reach military age (16) annually: 67,990 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $25 million, 2.6%
of GDP (1993)
======================================================================
@Cambodia
--------
Map
---
Location: 13 00 N, 105 00 E -- Southeastern Asia, bordering the
Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand and Vietnam
Flag
----
Description: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double
width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing
Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band
Geography
---------
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand,
between Thailand and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:
total area: 181,040 sq km
land area: 176,520 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Oklahoma
Land boundaries:
total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km
Coastline: 443 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: offshore islands and sections of the
boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam
not defined; parts of border with Thailand in dispute; maritime
boundary with Thailand not clearly defined