*Burma, Government

Names:
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
Digraph:
BM
Type:
military regime
Capital:
Rangoon (sometimes translated as Yangon)
Administrative divisions:
7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular -, pyine); Chin State,
Irrawaddy*, Kachin State, Karan State, Kayah State,, Magwe*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Pegu*, Rakhine,
State, Rangoon*, Sagaing*, Shan, State, Tenasserim*, Independence:
4 January 1948 (from UK)
Constitution:
3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); National Convention
started on 9 January 1993 to draft chapter headings for a new constitution
Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948)
Political parties and leaders:
National Unity Party (NUP; proregime), THA KYAW; National League for
Democracy (NLD), U AUNG SHWE; National Coalition of Union of Burma (NCGUB),
SEIN WIN (which consists of individuals legitimately elected to parliament,
but not recognized by military regime) fled to border area and joined with
insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government
Other political or pressure groups:
Kachin Independence Army (KIA); United Wa State Army (UWSA); Karen National
Union (KNU - the only non-drug group); several Shan factions, including the
Mong Tai Army (MTA)
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
People's Assembly:
last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never convened; results - NLD 80%; seats
- (485 total) NLD 396, the regime-favored NUP 10, other 79
Executive branch:
chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, State Law and Order
Restoration Council
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) was dissolved after the coup
of 18 September 1988
Judicial branch: none; Council of People's Justices was abolished after the coup of 18
September 1988

*Burma, Government

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Gen. THAN SHWE
(since 23 April 1992)
Member of:
AsDB, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador U THAUNG
chancery:
2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 332-9044 through 9046
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission, Charge d'Affaires Franklin P. HUDDLE, Jr.
embassy:
581 Merchant Street, Rangoon
mailing address:
GPO Box 521, AMEMB Box B, APO AP 96546
telephone:
[95] (1) 82055, 82181
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

*Burma, Economy

Overview:
Burma is a poor Asian country, with a per capita GDP of about $660. The
nation has been unable to achieve any substantial improvement in export
earnings because of falling prices for many of its major commodity exports.
For rice, traditionally the most important export, the drop in world prices
has been accompanied by shrinking markets and a smaller volume of sales. In
1985 teak replaced rice as the largest export and continues to hold this
position. The economy is heavily dependent on the agricultural sector, which
generates about 40% of GDP and provides employment for 65% of the work
force. Burma has been largely isolated from international economic forces
and has been trying to encourage foreign investment, so far with little
success.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $28 billion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
1.3% (1992)
National product per capita:
$660 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
9.6% (FY89 est.) in urban areas
Budget:
revenues $8.1 billion; expenditures $11.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$535.1 million (FY92)
commodities:
teak, rice, oilseed, metals, rubber, gems
partners:
China, India, Thailand, Singapore
Imports:
$907.0 million (FY92)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products
partners:
Japan, China, Singapore
External debt:
$4 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.6% (FY90 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
1,100,000 kW capacity; 2,800 million kWh produced, 65 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products;
petroleum refining; mining of copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction
materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer
Agriculture:
accounts for 40% of GDP (including fish and forestry); self-sufficient in
food; principal crops - paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses;
world's largest stand of hardwood trees; rice and teak account for 55% of
export revenues
Illicit drugs:
world's largest illicit producer of opium poppy and minor producer of
cannabis for the international drug trade; opium production has nearly
doubled since the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic programs

*Burma, Economy

Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $158 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.9 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $424 million
Currency:
1 kyat (K) = 100 pyas
Exchange rates: kyats (K) per US$1 - 6.0963 (January 1992), 6.2837 (1991), 6.3386 (1990),
6.7049 (1989), 6.46 (1988), 6.6535 (1987); unofficial - 105
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

*Burma, Communications

Railroads:
3,991 km total, all government owned; 3,878 km 1.000-meter gauge, 113 km
narrow-gauge industrial lines; 362 km double track
Highways:
27,000 km total; 3,200 km bituminous, 17,700 km improved earth or gravel,
6,100 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
12,800 km; 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km
Ports:
Rangoon, Moulmein, Bassein
Merchant marine:
62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 940,264 GRT/1,315,156 DWT; includes 3
passenger-cargo, 18 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 4 vehicle carrier, 2
container, 2 oil tanker, 3 chemical, 1 combination ore/oil, 23 bulk, 1
combination bulk
Airports:
total:
83
usable:
78
with permanent-surface runways:
26
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
38
Telecommunications:
meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and
government; international service is good; 53,000 telephones (1986);
radiobroadcast coverage is limited to the most populous areas; broadcast
stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (1985); 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station