Union of Myanmar

National name: Pyidaungsu Myanmar Naingngandau

Head of State: Senior Gen. Than Shwe (1992)

Prime Minister: Lt. Gen. Soe Win (2004)

Land area: 253,954 sq mi (657,741 sq km); total area: 261,70 q mi (sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 47,382,633 (growth rate: 0.8%); birth rate: 17.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 61.9/1000; life expectancy: 61.0; density per sq mi: 187

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Rangoon (Yangon), 4,344,100

Other large city: Mandalay, 1,147,400

Monetary unit: Kyat

Languages: Burmese, minority languages

Ethnicity/race: 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%), Islam 4%, Animist 1%, other 2%

Literacy rate: 83% (1995 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $76.36 billion; per capita $1,600. Real growth rate: 1.5%. Inflation: 25%. Unemployment: 5%. Arable land: 15%. Agriculture: rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products. Labor force: 27.75 million; agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001). Industries: agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement; natural gas. Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower. Exports: $3.111 billion f.o.b. (2004); note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh: clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice. Imports: $3.454 billion f.o.b.; note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2004): fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products. Major trading partners: Thailand, India, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 250,000 (2000); mobile cellular: 8,492 (1997). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998). Radios: 4.2 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 2 (1998). Televisions: 320,000 (2000). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1; note: as of Sept. 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000). Internet users: 10,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 3,955 km (2002). 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. Ports and harbors: Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy. Airports: 80 (2002).

International disputes: despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities.


 

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