AsiaBURMA/MYANMAR

Country Name

The Union of Burma (January, 1948 – January, 1974)

The Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (January, 1974 – September, 1988)

The Union of Myanmar (1989 - Present)

Independence Day -January 4, 1948(Independence from the British colonial rule from 1885 – 1947)

Country Size261,218 square miles – the largest country in South East Asia

GENERAL FACTS ABOUT MYANMAR/BURMA

The coordinates of Burma is located with a latitude of 21 degrees North and a longitude of 95 degrees East

Myanmar is located to the east of India and west of China, as well as a widespread border with Thailand to the south. Laos and Bangladesh also share relatively small borders with Myanmar. Myanmar is shaped with a panhandle similar to Oklahoma that runs along the western side of Thailand. Myanmar is located south the Plateau of Tibet, to the west of the Indochina Peninsula, and north of the Malay Peninsula.

The capital of Myanmar is Yangon or otherwise known as Rangoon.

Water Myanmar has several water masses surrounding the southern coast. The Bay of Bengal is on the southwestern coast, the Gulf of Martaban is located south of Myanmar’s capital Yangon, and the Andaman Sea is located on the western side of the panhandle.

The Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady River is Myanmar’s major river, this river runs South across the country

The Chindwin River is the major branch of the Ayeyarwady River.

Sittaung River lies in east central Myanmar, rising northeast of Yamethin on the edge of the Shan Plateau and flowing south to empty into the Gulf of Martaban of the Andaman Sea.

The Thanlwin River (Salween) leaves China and strolls through Myanmar and Thailand on its way to emptying in the Andaman Sea by Mawlamyine

Population• 50,519,000 • Male - 49.7 % • Female - 50.3 %

70 % of total population lives in rural area Religion

Buddhism - 89.2%

Christianity (5.0%)

Islam (3.8%)

Hinduism 0.5%

Spiritualism (1.2%)

Others (0.2%)

Major language Burmese (official language) and ethnic languages; Shan, Kachin, Kayar, Mon etc.

The average life expectancy for a male is 57.35 years and for a female 62.93 years. There is a 1.20 percentage of the population with HIV/AIDS. About one third (29.3%) of the population is under the age of 15 and only 4.60 % of the population over the age of 65.

People of Myanmar

http://youtu.be/34ym9QciLc4

Currency

Kyats (K) (1 kyat = 100 pyas)

Main exports Teak, Jade, Gems, pulses and beans, prawns, fish, rice, opiates, oil and natural gas

Government Military Junta (de facto Military Dictatorship) The State Peace and Development Council (Renamed the State Law and Order Restoration Council in 1997)

Head of the State Senior General Than Shwe Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Military Commander- in-Chief (April, 1992 – Present)

Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including inflation, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, and a distorted interest rate regime. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. A poor investment climate further slowed the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2006, the largest private banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Burma's trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism.