Country name:

Union of Burma (1948), Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (1974), Union of

Myanmar (1989)

Area:

678,500 sq km

Coastline:

1,930 km

Population:

42,909,464 (July 2005 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.42% (2005 est.)

Birth rate:

18.11 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate:

12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

Total: 67.24 deaths/1,000 live births (male: 73.11 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 61.03 deaths/1,000 live births) (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

Male: 54.22 years, female: 57.9 years (2005 est.)

Languages:

Arakanese, Burmese, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, Shan, Wa, English and more than 100 minority dialects

Religions:

Buddhist (89%), Christian (4%), (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim (4%), Animist (1%), other (2%)

Last election:

27 May 1990. NLD won 392 of the 485 seats contested

Government: 

State Peace and Development Council

System of Government:

Military Dictatorship

Administrative areas:

Seven States (Arakan, Chin, Mon, Kachin, Karen, Kayah, Shan), Seven Divisions (Irrawaddy, Magwe, Mandalay, Pegu, Rangoon, Sagaing, Tenasserim)

LDC status:

Since 1987

GDP:   

$13.6 billion* (FY 2003/04)

GDP real growth rate:

13.8%* (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:

$225 (2004 est.)

Inflation rate:

18% (2005 est.)

Natural resources:

Timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, and some petroleum

Agriculture products: 

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

Opium production:

292 metric tons; remains the worlds second largest producer of illicit opium (2005 est.)

Refugees from Burma:

Approximately 453,500 in Thailand, 150,000 refugees in Bangladesh, 60,000 refugees in India, 25,000 refugees in Malaysia, and an unknown number of refugees in China.

Internally displaced persons:

Approximately 1 million persons

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Facts on Human Rights Violations