| Key Demographic
Features of Burma* |
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Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea
and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Map references: Southeast Asia
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.)
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.)
Ethnic divisions:
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
Country Abbreviation: BM
Type of government: military regime
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
\i 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:
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:
GDP: purchasing power parity - $47 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6.8% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,000 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Communications
Telephones: 122,195 (1993 est.)
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.)
*Source: World Factbook 1996, U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency
The World Factbook contains many additional demographic
variables that may be of interest to persons who wish to
examine a particular country in more depth. To access the
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