The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      Branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police,

       People's Militia

      Manpower availability: 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: