East & Southeast Asia :: Burma page last updated on December 20, 2011

Introduction ::Burma Background: Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, selfgoverning colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In September 1988, the military deposed NE WIN and established a new ruling junta. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. She was finally released in November 2010. After the ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy protests. Burma in early May 2008 was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which claimed over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Parliamentary elections held in November 2010, considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the junta's Union Solidarity and Development Party garnering over 75% of the seats. Parliament convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. The vast majority of nationallevel appointees named by THEIN SEIN are former or current military officers.

Geography ::Burma

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: 676,578 sq km country comparison to the world: 40 land: 653,508 sq km water: 23,070 sq km Area - comparative: 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: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin 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 Elevation extremes: lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower Land use: arable land: 14.92%

other: 83.77% (2005) Irrigated land: 22,500 sq km (2008) Total renewable water resources: People Society ::Burma 1,045.6and cu km (1999) Nationality: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): noun: Burmese (singular and plural) total: 33.23 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%) adjective: Burmese per capita: 658 cu m/yr (2000) Ethnic groups: Natural Burman hazards: 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts Languages: Burmese (official) Environment - ethnic currentgroups issues:have their own languages note: minority deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute Religions: to disease Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Population: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, 53,999,804 (July 2011 est.) Tropical Timber 94 country comparison to the world: 24 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in- lower Geography note: life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes expected Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.5% (male 7,560,859/female 7,278,652) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 18,099,707/female 18,342,696) 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,184,291/female 1,533,599) (2011 est.) Median age: total: 26.9 years male: 26.3 years female: 27.5 years (2011 est.) Population growth rate: 1.084% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 108 Birth rate: 19.31 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 Death rate: 8.16 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 129 Urbanization: urban population: 34% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities - population: RANGOON (capital) 4.259 million; Mandalay 1.009 million; Nay Pyi Taw 992,000 (2009) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.) Maternal mortality rate: 240 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 54 Infant mortality rate: total: 49.23 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 50 male: 56.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.88 years country comparison to the world: 167 male: 62.57 years female: 67.33 years (2011 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.26 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 Health expenditures: 2% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 188 Physicians density: 0.457 physicians/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 128 Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1,000 population (2006) country comparison to the world: 165 Drinking water source: improved: urban: 75% of population rural: 69% of population total: 71% of population unimproved: urban: 25% of population rural: 31% of population total: 29% of population (2008) Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 86% of population rural: 79% of population total: 81% of population unimproved: