CIA FACTBOOK 1999 (BURMA) (r)

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, BURMA IS ON THE C LIST OF THE CIA WHERAS CHINA IS ON
THE A LIST RIGHT NOW. BEING ON THE C LIST MEANS BURMA IS A NATION OF LEAST
IMPORTANCE IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES.

SINCERELY,

JULIEN MOE

>Dear Friends ,
>
>it is interesting that a well resourced intellegent netork like CIA does not
>mention any thing about Committee Repreenting People's Parliament ( CRPP)
>which is  formed by five political parties including NLD on 16th of Sept
>1998. Please check under Legislative branch , political Parties , Political
>Pressure groups.
>
>It could not be the update error since the latest date of the data used is
>already  1998/99 .
>
>May be CIA thinks CRPP is not worth or mentioning in its Burma factbook Or
>CIA simply ignore the very turning point of the Burmese comtemporary
>politics.
>
>Please, fix it!
>
>mmt in Sydney
>
>
>
>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 (proregime) [THA
>KYAW]; National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN
>SUU KYI, general secretary]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or
>USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general
>secretary]; and eight minor legal parties
>Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government of the
>Union of Burma or NCGUB [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 or KIA; United Wa
>State Army or UWSA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; All
>Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF
>
>Date: Sunday, November 21, 1999 6:45 AM
>Subject: CIA FACTBOOK 1999 (BURMA)
>
>
>>[NOTE FROM DAVID ARNOTT: I REMEMBER SOMEONE WANTING
>>TO KNOW WHERE JM GOT HIS CIA FIGURES FOR BURMESE
>>MILITARY EXPENDITURE. ( $3.904 billion (FY97/98)
>>
>>WELL I WENT TO MR HOTBOT AND TYPED IN CIA AND IT
>>CAME UP WITH A FEW OPTIONS AND I CLICKED ON CIA FACTBOOK AND
>>THEN CLICKED ON COUNTRIES AND THEN BURMA AND GOT HERE:
>>
>>http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/bm.html#comm
>>
>>BUT JUST IN CASE PEOPLE'S FINGERS ARE TIRED OF CLICKING, HERE IS
>>THE PAGE CUT AND PASTED. I'M NOT GOING TO EVEN UP THE LINES FOR
>>YOU. IF YOU WANT A PRETTY VERSION, GO TO THE URL AND CLICK FOR IT.]
>>
>>
>>CIA FACTBOOK 1999
>>Burma
>>
>>                                             Burma
>>
>>                                            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: 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 (proregime) [THA
>>KYAW]; National League for Democracy or
>>NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; Union
>>Solidarity and Development Association
>>or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG,
>>general secretary]; and eight minor legal parties
>>
>>Political pressure groups and leaders: National Coalition Government of the
>>Union of Burma or NCGUB [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 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
>>telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044
>>FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046
>>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
>>telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182 (operator assistance required)
>>FAX: [95] (1) 280409
>>
>>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
>>
>>
>>[Top of Page]
>>
>>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
>>
>>
>>[Top of Page]
>>
>>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
>>
>>
>>[Top of Page]
>>
>>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
>>
>>
>>[Top of Page]
>>
>>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
>>
>>
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