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red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 14, white, five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the seven administrative divisions and seven states

Economy Burma

Economy - overview:

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failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Despite Burma's increasing oil and gas revenue, socio-economic conditions have deteriorated due to the regime's mismanagement of the economy. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. 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 in August 2003 including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2007, the largest private banks operated under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Moreover, the September 2007 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators, including thousands of monks, further strained the economy as the tourism industry, which directly employs about 500,000 people, suffered dramatic declines in foreign visitor levels. In November 2007, the European Union announced new sanctions banning investment and trade in Burmese gems, timber and precious stones, while the United States expanded its sanctions list to include more Burmese government and military officials and their family members, as well as prominent regime business cronies, their family members, and associated companies. 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. 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 serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$91.13 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$13.53 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$1,900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 50%

industry: 17.6%

services: 32.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

29.26 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 70%

industry: 7%

services: 23% (2001)

Unemployment rate:

10.2% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

32.7% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

34.4% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

12.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: NA

expenditures: NA (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products

Industries:

agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gems

Industrial production growth rate:

9.6% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

6.154 billion kWh (FY06)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 44.5%

hydro: 43.4%

nuclear: 0%

other: 12.1% (2002)

Electricity - consumption:

3.744 billion kWh (FY06)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

7,700 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption:

20,460 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - imports:

19,180 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

1.963 billion bbl (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production:

12.47 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - consumption:

3.971 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - exports:

8.497 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

271.6 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$541 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.346 billion f.o.b.

note: official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

natural gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems

Exports - partners:

Thailand 48.8%, India 12.7%, China 5.2%, Japan 5.2% (2006)

Imports:

$3.624 billion f.o.b.

note: import figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of consumer goods, diesel fuel, and other products smuggled in from Thailand, China, Malaysia, and India (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil

Imports - partners:

China 35.1%, Thailand 22.1%, Singapore 16.4%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$144.7 million (2005 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.268 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$7.133 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

kyat (MMK)

Currency code:

MMK

Exchange rates:

kyats per US dollar - 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003)

note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2003-05 are official exchange rates

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Communications Burma

Telephones - main lines in use:

503,900 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

214,200 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good

domestic: system capable of providing basic service; cellular mobile phone system functions more efficiently than traditional lines

international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 3 (2007)

Radios:

4.2 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

4 (2008)

Televisions:

320,000 (2000)

Internet country code:

.mm

Internet hosts:

101 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1

note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000)

Internet users:

31,500 (2005)

Transportation Burma

Airports:

86 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 25

over 3,047 m: 8

2,438 to 3,047 m: 10

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 61

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 14

914 to 1,523 m: 14

under 914 m: 32 (2007)

Heliports:

4 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 2,790 km; oil 558 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 3,955 km

narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 27,000 km

paved: 3,200 km

unpaved: 23,800 km (2005)

Waterways:

12,800 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 364,447 GRT/549,310 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1

foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 5, Japan 3) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Moulmein, Rangoon, Sittwe

Military Burma

Military branches:

Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes; forced conscription of children, although officially prohibited, reportedly continues (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 13,402,788

females age 16-49: 13,437,042 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 9,031,046

females age 16-49: 9,396,547 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 423,809

females age 16-49: 415,843 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

2.1% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Burma

Disputes - international:

over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic refugees, asylum seekers, and rebels, as well as illegal cross-border activities from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China is reconsidering construction of 13 dams on the Salween River but energy-starved Burma with backing from Thailand remains intent on building five hydro-electric dams downstream, despite identical regional and international protests; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; after 21 years, Bangladesh resumes talks with Burma on delimiting a maritime boundary in January 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: 503,000 (government offensives against ethnic insurgent groups near the eastern borders; most IDPs are ethnic Karen, Karenni, Shan, Tavoyan, and Mon) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: Burma is a source country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; Burmese women and children are trafficked to East and Southeast Asia for commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor; Burmese children are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Thailand as hawkers, beggars, and for work in shops, agriculture, fish processing, and small-scale industries; women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation to Malaysia and China; some trafficking victims transit Burma from Bangladesh to Malaysia and from China to Thailand; internal trafficking occurs primarily from villages to urban centers and economic hubs for labor in industrial zones, agricultural estates, and commercial sexual exploitation; military and civilian officials continue to use a significant amount of forced labor; ethnic insurgent groups also used compulsory labor of adults and unlawful recruitment of children; the military junta's gross economic mismanagement, human rights abuses, and its policy of using forced labor are the top causal factors for Burma's significant trafficking problem

tier rating: Tier 3 - Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; military and civilian officials remain directly involved in significant acts of forced labor and unlawful conscription of child soldiers (2008)

Illicit drugs:

remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2005 of 380 metric tons, up 13% from 2004 and cultivation in 2005 was 40,000 hectares, a 10% increase from 2004; the decline in opium production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control was more than offset by increases in south and east Shan state; lack of government will to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls (2005)

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Burundi

Introduction Burundi

Background:

Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. More than 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in September of 2006 but still faces many challenges.

Geography Burundi

Location:

Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:

3 30 S, 30 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 27,830 sq km

land: 25,650 sq km

water: 2,180 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 974 km