Overview:
Burma has a mixed economy with about 70% private activity, mainly in
agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with about 30%
state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and
foreign trade. Government policy in the last five years, 1989-93, has
aimed at revitalizing the economy after four 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. Inflation has
been running at 25% to 30% annually. Good weather helped boost GDP by
perhaps 5% in 1993. Although Burma remains a poor Asian country, its
rich resources furnish the potential for substantial long-term
increases in income, exports, and living standards.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $41 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$950 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$8.1 billion
expenditures:
$11.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$613.4 million (FY93)
commodities:
pulses and beans, teak, rice, hardwood
partners:
Singapore, China, Thailand, India, Hong Kong
Imports:
$1.02 billion (FY93)
commodities:
machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food products
partners:
Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia
External debt:
$4 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate 4.9% (FY93 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
1,100,000 kW
production:
2.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
65 kWh (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 and 66% of employment (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 timber account for 55% of export revenues
Illicit drugs:
world's largest illicit producer of opium (2,575 metric tons in 1993)
and minor producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; opium
production has doubled since the collapse of Rangoon's antinarcotic
programs
Economic aid:
recipient:
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 - 6.2301 (December 1993), 6.1570 (1993), 6.1045
(1992), 6.2837 (1991), 6.3386 (1990), 6.7049 (1989); 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:
total:
27,000 km
paved:
bituminous 3,200 km
unpaved:
gravel, improved earth 17,700 km; unimproved earth 6,100 km
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:
47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 665,628 GRT/941,512 DWT, bulk
15, cargo 15, chemical 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1,
container 2, oil tanker 2, passenger-cargo 3, refrigerated cargo 5,
vehicle carrier 2
Airports:
total:
83
usable:
78
with permanent-surface runways:
24
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
@Burma, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 11,199,531; females age 15-49 11,273,643; males fit
for military service 5,979,710; females fit for military service
6,034,810; males reach military age (18) annually 445,933 (1994 est.);
females reach military age (18) annually 430,738 (1994 est.); both
sexes liable for military service
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
@Burundi, Geography
Location:
Central Africa, between Tanzania and Zaire
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
27,830 sq km
land area:
25,650 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total 974 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km, Zaire 233 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; warm; occasional frost in uplands
Terrain:
mostly rolling to hilly highland; some plains
Natural resources:
nickel, uranium, rare earth oxide, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not
yet exploited), vanadium
Land use:
arable land:
43%
permanent crops:
8%
meadows and pastures:
35%
forest and woodland:
2%
other:
12%
Irrigated land:
720 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
soil exhaustion and erosion; deforestation; habitat loss threatening
wildlife populations
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed
Population:
6,124,747 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.26% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
44.02 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
21.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
113.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
40.3 years
male:
38.31 years
female:
42.35 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.69 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Burundian(s)
adjective:
Burundi
Ethnic divisions:
Africans:
Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1% (other Africans
include about 70,000 refugees, mostly Rwandans and Zairians)
non-Africans:
Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000
Religions:
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs
32%, Muslim 1%
Languages:
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika
and in the Bujumbura area)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
50%
male:
61%
female:
40%
Labor force:
1.9 million (1983 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 93.0%, government 4.0%, industry and commerce 1.5%,
services 1.5%
note:
52% of population of working age (1985)
@Burundi, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Burundi
conventional short form:
Burundi
local long form:
Republika y'u Burundi
local short form:
Burundi
Digraph:
BY
Type:
republic
Capital:
Bujumbura
Administrative divisions:
15 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega,
Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Ngozi, Rutana,
Ruyigi
Independence:
1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 July (1962)
Constitution:
13 March 1992; provides for establishment of a plural political system
Legal system:
based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Interim President Sylvestre NTIBANTUNGANYA, Speaker of the National
Assembly, succeeded deceased President NTARYAMIRA in early April 1994
with a mandate for at least 90 days; on 11 July 1994 the mandate was
extended by the Constitutional Court for three more months at the
request of 12 political parties locked in negotiations on a new
broad-based government; elections will be held later in 1994
note:
President Melchior NDADAYE died in the military coup of 21 October
1993 and was succeeded on 5 February 1994 by President Cyprien
NTARYAMIRA, who was killed in a mysterious airplane explosion on 6
April 1994
head of government:
Prime Minister Anatole KANYENKIKO (since 7 February 1994); chosen by
the president
cabinet:
Council of Ministers ; appointed by prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
elections last held 29 June 1993 (next to be held NA): results -
FRODEBU 71%, UPRONA 21.4%; seats - (81 total) FRODIBU 65, UPRONA 16;
other parties won too small shares of the vote to win seats in the
assembly
note:
The National Unity Charter outlining the principles for constitutional
government was adopted by a national referendum on 5 February 1991
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
Unity for National Progress (UPRONA); Burundi Democratic Front
(FRODEBU); Organization of the People of Burundi (RBP); Socialist
Party of Burundi (PSB); People's Reconciliation Party (PRP)
Other political or pressure groups:
opposition parties legalized in March 1992; Burundi African Alliance
for the Salvation (ABASA); Rally for Democracy and Economic and Social
Development (RADDES)
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jacques BACAMURWANKO, designated (January 1994)
chancery:
Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
(202) 342-2574
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
(vacant); Charge d'Affaires Leonard J. LANGE
embassy:
Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura
mailing address:
B. P. 34, 1720, Bujumbura
telephone:
[257] (223) 454
FAX:
[257] (222) 926
Flag:
divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and
green panels (hoist side and outer side) with a white disk
superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars
outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two
stars below)
@Burundi, Economy