factbook.json/east-n-southeast-asia/bm.json

{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "<p>Various ethnic Burman and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century, and several minority ethnic groups continue to maintain independent armies and control territory within the country today, in opposition to the central government. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated all the groups within the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, following major battles on its territory during World War II, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. 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 response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Since independence, successive Burmese governments have fought on-and-off conflicts with armed ethnic groups seeking autonomy in the country’s mountainous border regions.</p> <p>Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing an unknown number of people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations - popularly referred to as the Saffron Revolution. In early May 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, which left 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. The 2008 constitution reserves 25% of its seats to the military. Legislative elections held in November 2010, which the NLD boycotted and many in the international community considered flawed, saw the successor ruling junta's mass organization, the Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the contested seats.</p> <p>The national legislature convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN were former or current military officers, the government initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms included releasing hundreds of political prisoners, signing a nationwide cease-fire with several of the country's ethnic armed groups, pursuing legal reform, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, AUNG SAN SUU KYI was elected to the national legislature in April 2012 and became chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Burma served as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014. In a flawed but largely credible national legislative election in November 2015 featuring more than 90 political parties, the NLD again won a landslide victory. Using its overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament, the NLD elected HTIN KYAW, AUNG SAN SUU KYI’s confidant and long-time NLD supporter, as president. The new legislature created the position of State Counsellor, according AUNG SAN SUU KYI a formal role in the government and making her the de facto head of state. Burma's first credibly elected civilian government after more than five decades of military dictatorship was sworn into office on 30 March 2016. In March 2018, upon HTIN KYAW’s resignation, parliament selected WIN MYINT, another long-time ally of AUNG SAN SUU KYI’s, as president.</p> <p>Attacks in October 2016 and August 2017 on security forces in northern Rakhine State by members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya militant group, resulted in military crackdowns on the Rohingya population that reportedly caused thousands of deaths and human rights abuses. Following the August 2017 violence, over 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh as refugees. In November 2017, the US Department of State determined that the August 2017 violence constituted ethnic cleansing of Rohingyas. The UN has called for Burma to allow access to a Fact Finding Mission to investigate reports of human rights violations and abuses and to work with Bangladesh to facilitate repatriation of Rohingya refugees, and in September 2018 the International Criminal Court (ICC) determined it had jurisdiction to investigate reported human rights abuses against Rohingyas. Burma has rejected charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and has chosen not to work with the UN Fact Finding Mission or the ICC. In March 2018, President HTIN KYAW announced his voluntary retirement; NLD parliamentarian WIN MYINT was named by the parliament as his successor. In February 2019, the NLD announced it would establish a parliamentary committee to examine options for constitutional reform ahead of the November 2020 national elections.</p>"
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "22 00 N, 98 00 E"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "Southeast Asia"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "676,578 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "653,508 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "23,070 sq km"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "slightly smaller than Texas"
    },
    "Land boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "6,522 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Bangladesh 271 km, China 2129 km, India 1468 km, Laos 238 km, Thailand 2416 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "1,930 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      },
      "exclusive economic zone": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      },
      "continental shelf": {
        "text": "200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "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": {
      "text": "central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "highest point": {
        "text": "Gamlang Razi 5,870 m"
      },
      "lowest point": {
        "text": "Andaman Sea/Bay of Bengal 0 m"
      },
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "702 m"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, arable land"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "19.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "48.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "32.6% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "22,950 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts"
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes; the north-south flowing Irrawaddy River is the country's largest and most important commercial waterway"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "57,069,099 (July 2021 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "Burmese (singular and plural)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "Burmese"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "Burman (Bamar) 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%<br><br><strong>note:</strong> government recognizes 135 indigenous ethnic groups",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> government recognizes 135 indigenous ethnic groups"
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "Burmese (official)<br><br><strong>note:</strong> minority ethnic groups use their own languages",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> minority ethnic groups use their own languages"
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Buddhist 87.9%, Christian 6.2%, Muslim 4.3%, Animist 0.8%, Hindu 0.5%, other 0.2%, none 0.1% (2014 est.)<br><br><strong>note:</strong> religion estimate is based on the 2014 national census, including an estimate for the non-enumerated population of Rakhine State, which is assumed to mainly affiliate with the Islamic faith; as of December 2019, Muslims probably make up less than 3% of Burma's total population due to the large outmigration of the Rohingya population since 2017",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> religion estimate is based on the 2014 national census, including an estimate for the non-enumerated population of Rakhine State, which is assumed to mainly affiliate with the Islamic faith; as of December 2019, Muslims probably make up less than 3% of Burma's total population due to the large outmigration of the Rohingya population since 2017"
    },
    "Demographic profile": {
      "text": "<p>Burma’s 2014 national census – the first in more than 30 years – revealed that the country’s total population is approximately 51.5 million, significantly lower than the Burmese Government’s prior estimate of 61 million.  The Burmese Government assumed that the 2% population growth rate between 1973 and 1983 remained constant and that emigration was zero, ignoring later sample surveys showing declining fertility rates and substantial labor migration abroad in recent decades.  These factors reduced the estimated average annual growth rate between 2003 and 2014 to about .9%.  Among Southeast Asian countries, Burma’s life expectancy is among the lowest and its infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest.  The large difference in life expectancy between women and men has resulted in older age cohorts consisting of far more women than men.</p> <p>Burma’s demographic transition began in the 1950s, when mortality rates began to drop.  Fertility did not start to decrease until the 1960s, sustaining high population growth until the decline accelerated in the 1980s.  The birth rate has held fairly steady from 2000 until today.  Since the 1970s, the total fertility rate (TFR) has fallen more than 60%, from almost 6 children per woman to 2.2 in 2016.  The reduced TFR is largely a result of women marrying later and more women never marrying, both being associated with greater educational attainment and labor force participation among women.  TFR, however, varies regionally, between urban and rural areas, by educational attainment, and among ethnic groups, with fertility lowest in urban areas (where it is below replacement level).</p> <p>The shift in Burma’s age structure has been slow (45% of the population is still under 25 years of age) and uneven among its socioeconomic groups.  Any economic boost from the growth of the working-age population is likely to take longer to develop, to have a smaller impact, and to be distributed unequally.  Rural poverty and unemployment continue to drive high levels of internal and international migration.  The majority of labor migration is internal, mainly from rural to urban areas.  The new government’s growing regional integration, reforms, and improved diplomatic relations are increasing the pace of international migration and destination choices.  As many as 4-5 million Burmese, mostly from rural areas and several ethnic groups, have taken up unskilled jobs abroad in agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and domestic service.  Thailand is the most common destination, hosting about 70% of Burma’s international migrants, followed by Malaysia, China, and Singapore. </p> <p>Burma is a patchwork of more than 130 religious and ethnic groups, distinguishing it as one of the most diverse countries in the region.  Ethnic minorities face substantial discrimination, and the Rohingya, the largest Muslim group, are arguably the most persecuted population in the country.  The Burmese Government and the Buddhist majority see the Rohingya as a threat to identity, competitors for jobs and resources, terrorists, and some still resent them for their alliance with Burma’s British colonizers during its 19th century.  Since at least the 1960s, they have been subjected to systematic human rights abuses, violence, marginalization, and disenfranchisement, which authorities continue to deny.  Despite living in Burma for centuries, many Burmese see the Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants and refer to them Bengalis.  As a result, the Rohingya have been classified as foreign residents and stripped of their citizenship, rendering them one of the largest stateless populations in the world.  </p> <p>Hundreds of thousands of Burmese from various ethnic groups have been internally displaced (an estimated 644,000 as of year-end 2016) or have fled to neighboring countries over the decades because of persecution, armed conflict, rural development projects, drought, and natural disasters.  Bangladesh has absorbed the most refugees from Burma, with an estimated 33,000 officially recognized and 200,000 to 500,000 unrecognized Rohingya refugees, as of 2016.  An escalation in violation has caused a surge in the inflow of Rohingya refugees since late August 2017, raising the number to an estimated 870,000.  As of June 2017, another approximately 132,500 refugees, largely Rohingya and Chin, were living in Malaysia, and more than 100,000, mostly Karen, were housed in camps along the Burma-Thailand border. </p>"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "25.97% (male 7,524,869/female 7,173,333)"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "17% (male 4,852,122/female 4,769,412)"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "42.76% (male 11,861,971/female 12,337,482)"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "8.22% (male 2,179,616/female 2,472,681)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "6.04% (male 1,489,807/female 1,928,778) (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "46.5"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "37.3"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "9.1"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "10.9 (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "29.2 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "28.3 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "30 years (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.81% (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "16.65 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "-1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "population concentrated along coastal areas and in general proximity to the shores of the Irrawaddy River; the extreme north is relatively underpopulated"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "31.4% of total population (2021)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "1.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "5.422 million RANGOON (Yangon) (capital), 1.469 million Mandalay (2021)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "1.06 male(s)/female"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.05 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "1.02 male(s)/female"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "0.96 male(s)/female"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "0.88 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.77 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "25 years (2015/16 est.)<br><br><strong>note:</strong> median age at first birth among women 25-29",
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> median age at first birth among women 25-29"
    },
    "Maternal mortality ratio": {
      "text": "250 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "33.71 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "37.04 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "30.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "69.62 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "67.96 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "71.39 years (2021 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "2.05 children born/woman (2021 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "52.2% (2015/16)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 93% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 76.9% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 81.8% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 7% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 23.1% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 18.2% of population (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Current Health Expenditure": {
      "text": "4.8% (2018)"
    },
    "Physicians density": {
      "text": "0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2018)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "1 beds/1,000 population (2017)"
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 87.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 67.6% of population"
      },
      "improved: total": {
        "text": "total: 73.7% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: urban": {
        "text": "urban: 12.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: rural": {
        "text": "rural: 32.4% of population"
      },
      "unimproved: total": {
        "text": "total: 26.3% of population (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "0.6% (2019 est.)"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": {
      "text": "240,000 (2019 est.)"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - deaths": {
      "text": "7,700 (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "very high (2020)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      },
      "vectorborne diseases": {
        "text": "dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis"
      },
      "animal contact diseases": {
        "text": "rabies"
      }
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "5.8% (2016)"
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "19.1% (2017/18)"
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "1.9% of GDP (2019)"
    },
    "Literacy": {
      "definition": {
        "text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "75.6%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "80%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "71.8% (2016)"
      }
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "11 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "11 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "11 years (2018)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": {
      "total": {
        "text": "1.5%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "1.4%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "1.6% (2019 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Environment": {
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease; rapid depletion of the country's natural resources"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "none of the selected agreements"
      }
    },
    "Air pollutants": {
      "particulate matter emissions": {
        "text": "34.69 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)"
      },
      "carbon dioxide emissions": {
        "text": "25.28 megatons (2016 est.)"
      },
      "methane emissions": {
        "text": "42.2 megatons (2020 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total water withdrawal": {
      "municipal": {
        "text": "3.323 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      },
      "industrial": {
        "text": "498.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural": {
        "text": "29.57 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total renewable water resources": {
      "text": "1,167,800,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "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)"
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "19.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: arable land": {
        "text": "arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent crops": {
        "text": "permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
        "text": "permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "48.2% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "32.6% (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from forest resources": {
      "forest revenues": {
        "text": "1.69% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Revenue from coal": {
      "coal revenues": {
        "text": "0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "31.4% of total population (2021)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "1.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major infectious diseases": {
      "degree of risk": {
        "text": "very high (2020)"
      },
      "food or waterborne diseases": {
        "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
      },
      "vectorborne diseases": {
        "text": "dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese encephalitis"
      },
      "animal contact diseases": {
        "text": "rabies"
      }
    },
    "Food insecurity": {
      "severe localized food insecurity": {
        "text": "due to conflict, political instability, and economic constraints - the political crisis, following the military takeover on 1 February 2021, resulted in increased tensions and unrest throughout the country; the current uncertain political situation may further compromise the fragile situation of vulnerable households and the Rohingya IDPs residing in the country; persisting conflicts in Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Kayin, and Shan states have triggered large-scale population displacements particularly since 2017; income losses and a decline in remittances, due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic, have affected the food security situation of vulnerable households (2021)"
      }
    },
    "Waste and recycling": {
      "municipal solid waste generated annually": {
        "text": "4,677,307 tons (2000 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "Union of Burma"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "Burma"
      },
      "local long form": {
        "text": "Pyidaungzu Thammada Myanma Naingngandaw (translated as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)"
      },
      "local short form": {
        "text": "Myanma Naingngandaw"
      },
      "former": {
        "text": "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, Union of Myanmar"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "both \"Burma\" and \"Myanmar\" derive from the name of the majority Burman (Bamar) ethnic group"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> since 1989 the military authorities in Burma and the current parliamentary government have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; the US Government has not officially adopted the name"
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "parliamentary republic"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Rangoon (Yangon); note - Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "16 48 N, 96 09 E"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>etymology:</strong> Rangoon (Yangon) is a compound of \"yan\" signifying \"enemies\" and \"koun\" meaning \"to run out of\" and so denoting \"End of Strife\"; Nay Pyi Taw translates as: \"Great City of the Sun\" or \"Abode of Kings\""
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "<p>7 regions (taing-myar, singular - taing), 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne), 1 union territory</p> <p><strong>regions:</strong> Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon (Rangoon)</p> <p><strong>states:</strong> Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan</p> <p><strong>union territory:</strong> Nay Pyi Taw</p>"
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "4 January 1948 (from the UK)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "history": {
        "text": "previous 1947, 1974 (suspended until 2008); latest drafted 9 April 2008, approved by referendum 29 May 2008"
      },
      "amendments": {
        "text": "proposals require at least 20% approval by the Assembly of the Union membership; passage of amendments to sections of the constitution on basic principles, government structure, branches of government, state emergencies, and amendment procedures requires 75% approval by the Assembly and approval in a referendum by absolute majority of registered voters; passage of amendments to other sections requires only 75% Assembly approval; amended 2015"
      }
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "citizenship by descent only": {
        "text": "both parents must be citizens of Burma"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "no"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "none"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> an applicant for naturalization must be the child or spouse of a citizen"
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "Commander in Chief Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING; note - power was given to MIN AUNG HLAING following a military takeover of the government and the declaration of a state of emergency on 1 February 2021; on 2 February, MIN AUG HLAING established a State Administration Council as the executive governing body; the Council is chaired by MIN AUNG HLAING and has 16 members (8 civilian and 8 military)"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "Commander in Chief Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING; note - power was given to MIN AUNG HLAING following a military takeover of the government and the declaration of a state of emergency on 1 February 2021"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Cabinet appointments shared by the president and the commander-in-chief; note - after 1 February, the military replaced the cabinet"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "president indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the full Assembly of the Union from among 3 vice-presidential candidates nominated by the Presidential Electoral College (consists of members of the lower and upper houses and military members); the other 2 candidates become vice-presidents (president elected for a 5-year term); election last held on 28 March 2018"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "WIN MYINT elected president; Assembly of the Union vote - WIN MYINT (NLD) 403, MYINT SWE (USDP) 211, HENRY VAN THIO (NLD) 18, 4 votes canceled (636 votes cast); note - WIN MYINT was placed under arrest following the military takeover on 1 February 2021"
      },
      "state counsellor": {
        "text": "State Counselor AUNG SAN SUU KYI (since 6 April 2016); note - under arrest since 1 February 2021; formerly served as minister of foreign affairs and minister for the office of the president"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> a parliamentary bill creating the position of \"state counsellor\" was signed into law by former President HTIN KYAW on 6 April 2016; a state counsellor serves the equivalent term of the president and is similar to a prime minister in that the holder acts as a link between the parliament and the executive branch"
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "bicameral Assembly of the Union or Pyidaungsu consists of:<br>House of Nationalities or Amyotha Hluttaw, (224 seats; 168 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed and 56 appointed by the military; members serve 5-year terms)<br>House of Representatives or Pyithu Hluttaw, (440 seats, currently 433; 330 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 appointed by the military; members serve 5-year terms); note - on 1 February, the military dissolved the Assembly of the Union; the State Administration Council governs in place of the Assembly of the Union"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "House of Nationalities - last held on on 8 November 2020 (next to be held in 2025)<br>House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2020 (next to be held in 2025); note - the military junta overturned the results of the 8 November legislative elections"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "House of Nationalities - percent of vote by party - NLD 61.6%, USDP 3.1%, ANP 1.8%, MUP 1.3%, KSDP 1.3%, other 5.9%, military appointees 25%; seats by party - NLD 138, USDP 7, ANP 4, MUP 3, KSPD 3, SNLD 2, TNP 2, other 2, canceled due to insurgency 7, military appointees 56 <br><br>House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NLD 58.6%, USDP 5.9%, SNLD 3.0%, other 7.5%, military 25%; seats by party - NLD 258, USDP 26, SNLD 13, ANP 4, PNO 3, TNP 3, MUP 2, KSPD 2, other 4, canceled due to insurgency 15, military appointees 110"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest courts": {
        "text": "Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges)"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "chief justice and judges nominated by the president, with approval of the Lower House, and appointed by the president; judges normally serve until mandatory retirement at age 70"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "High Courts of the Region; High Courts of the State; Court of the Self-Administered Division; Court of the Self-Administered Zone; district and township courts; special courts (for juvenile, municipal, and traffic offenses); courts martial"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "All Mon Region Democracy Party or AMRDP<br>Arakan National Party or ANP (formed from the 2013 merger of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party and the Arakan League for Democracy)<br>National Democratic Force or NDF [KHIN MAUNG SWE]<br>National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SAN SUU KYI]<br>Kayah State Democratic Party or KySDP <br>National Unity Party or NUP [THAN TIN]<br>Pa-O National Organization or PNO [AUNG KHAM HTI]<br>People's Party [KO KO GYI]<br>Shan Nationalities Democratic Party or SNDP [SAI AIK PAUNG]<br>Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO]<br>Ta'ang National Party or TNP [AIK MONE]<br>Union Solidarity and Development Party or USDP [THAN HTAY]<br>Zomi Congress for Democracy or ZCD [PU CIN SIAN THANG]<br>numerous smaller parties"
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO"
    },
    "Diplomatic representation in the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador AUNG LYNN (since 16 September 2016)"
      },
      "chancery": {
        "text": "2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 332-3344"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[1] (202) 332-4351"
      },
      "consulate(s) general": {
        "text": "Los Angeles, New York"
      }
    },
    "Diplomatic representation from the US": {
      "chief of mission": {
        "text": "Ambassador Thomas J. VAJDA (since 19 January 2021)"
      },
      "telephone": {
        "text": "[95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038"
      },
      "embassy": {
        "text": "110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon"
      },
      "mailing address": {
        "text": "Box B, APO AP 96546"
      },
      "FAX": {
        "text": "[95] (1) 511-069"
      }
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "design consists of three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a large white five-pointed star that partially overlaps onto the adjacent colored stripes; the design revives the triband colors used by Burma from 1943-45, during the Japanese occupation"
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "chinthe (mythical lion); national colors: yellow, green, red, white"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"Kaba Ma Kyei\" (Till the End of the World, Myanmar)"
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "SAYA TIN"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> adopted 1948; Burma is among a handful of non-European nations that have anthems rooted in indigenous traditions; the beginning portion of the anthem is a traditional Burmese anthem before transitioning into a Western-style orchestrated work"
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economic overview": {
      "text": "<p>Since Burma began the transition to a civilian-led government in 2011, the country initiated economic reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment and reintegrating into the global economy. Burma established a managed float of the Burmese kyat in 2012, granted the Central Bank operational independence in July 2013, enacted a new anti-corruption law in September 2013, and granted licenses to 13 foreign banks in 2014-16. State Counsellor AUNG SAN SUU KYI and the ruling National League for Democracy, who took power in March 2016, have sought to improve Burma’s investment climate following the US sanctions lift in October 2016 and reinstatement of Generalized System of Preferences trade benefits in November 2016. In October 2016, Burma passed a foreign investment law that consolidates investment regulations and eases rules on foreign ownership of businesses.</p> <p>Burma’s economic growth rate recovered from a low growth under 6% in 2011 but has been volatile between 6% and 8% between 2014 and 2018. Burma’s abundant natural resources and young labor force have the potential to attract foreign investment in the energy, garment, information technology, and food and beverage sectors. The government is focusing on accelerating agricultural productivity and land reforms, modernizing and opening the financial sector, and developing transportation and electricity infrastructure. The government has also taken steps to improve transparency in the mining and oil sectors through publication of reports under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in 2016 and 2018.</p> <p>Despite these improvements, living standards have not improved for the majority of the people residing in rural areas. Burma remains one of the poorest countries in Asia – approximately 26% of the country’s 51 million people live in poverty. The isolationist policies and economic mismanagement of previous governments have left Burma with poor infrastructure, endemic corruption, underdeveloped human resources, and inadequate access to capital, which will require a major commitment to reverse. The Burmese Government has been slow to address impediments to economic development such as unclear land rights, a restrictive trade licensing system, an opaque revenue collection system, and an antiquated banking system.</p>"
    },
    "Real GDP growth rate": {
      "Real GDP growth rate 2017": {
        "text": "6.8% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2016": {
        "text": "5.9% (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP growth rate 2015": {
        "text": "7% (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": {
        "text": "8.8% (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": {
        "text": "6.8% (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": {
        "text": "4.6% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": {
        "text": "$277.909 billion (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": {
        "text": "$270.109 billion (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": {
        "text": "$253.028 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2010 dollars"
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$76.606 billion (2019 est.)"
    },
    "Real GDP per capita": {
      "Real GDP per capita 2019": {
        "text": "$5,142 (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2018": {
        "text": "$5,029 (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Real GDP per capita 2017": {
        "text": "$4,740 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> data are in 2017 dollars"
    },
    "Gross national saving": {
      "Gross national saving 2018": {
        "text": "29.4% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Gross national saving 2017": {
        "text": "26.2% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Gross national saving 2016": {
        "text": "17.6% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "24.1% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "35.6% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "40.3% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "59.2% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "13.8% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "33.5% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "1.5% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "21.4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-28.6% (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": {
      "Overall score": {
        "text": "46.8 (2020)"
      },
      "Starting a Business score": {
        "text": "89.3 (2020)"
      },
      "Trading score": {
        "text": "47.7 (2020)"
      },
      "Enforcement score": {
        "text": "26.4 (2020)"
      }
    },
    "Agricultural products": {
      "text": "rice, sugar cane, beans, vegetables, milk, maize, poultry, groundnuts, fruit, plantains"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; oil and natural gas; garments; jade and gems"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "8.9% (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "22.3 million (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "70%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "7%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "23% (2001 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "Unemployment rate 2017": {
        "text": "4% (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Unemployment rate 2016": {
        "text": "4% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "24.8% (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": {
      "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": {
        "text": "30.7 (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "2.8%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "32.4% (1998)"
      }
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "9.108 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "11.23 billion (2017 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "13.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "Public debt 2017": {
        "text": "33.6% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Public debt 2016": {
        "text": "35.7% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "1 April - 31 March"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "Current account balance 2019": {
        "text": "$240 million (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Current account balance 2018": {
        "text": "-$2.398 billion (2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exports": {
      "Exports 2018": {
        "text": "$16.267 billion (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Exports 2017": {
        "text": "$14.611 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> official export figures are grossly underestimated due to the value of timber, gems, narcotics, rice, and other products smuggled to Thailand, China, and Bangladesh"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "China 24%, Thailand 24%, Japan 7%, Germany 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "natural gas, clothing products, rice, copper, dried legumes (2019)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "Imports 2018": {
        "text": "$14.958 billion (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Imports 2017": {
        "text": "$16.21 billion (2017 est.)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> 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"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "China 43%, Thailand 15%, Singapore 12%, Indonesia 5% (2019)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, fabrics, motorcycles, packaged medicines (2019)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$4.924 billion (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$4.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "Debt - external 31 December 2017": {
        "text": "$6.594 billion (31 December 2017 est.)"
      },
      "Debt - external 31 December 2016": {
        "text": "$8.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "currency": {
        "text": "kyats (MMK) per US dollar -"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2017": {
        "text": "1,361.9 (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2016": {
        "text": "1,234.87 (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2015": {
        "text": "1,234.87 (2015 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2014": {
        "text": "1,162.62 (2014 est.)"
      },
      "Exchange rates 2013": {
        "text": "984.35 (2013 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity access": {
      "electrification - total population": {
        "text": "51% (2019)"
      },
      "electrification - urban areas": {
        "text": "76% (2019)"
      },
      "electrification - rural areas": {
        "text": "39% (2019)"
      }
    },
    "Electricity - production": {
      "text": "17.32 billion kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - consumption": {
      "text": "14.93 billion kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - exports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - imports": {
      "text": "0 kWh (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - installed generating capacity": {
      "text": "5.205 million kW (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from fossil fuels": {
      "text": "39% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": {
      "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": {
      "text": "61% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from other renewable sources": {
      "text": "1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - production": {
      "text": "11,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - exports": {
      "text": "1,824 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - imports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - proved reserves": {
      "text": "139 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "13,330 bbl/day (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - consumption": {
      "text": "123,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "0 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "102,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - production": {
      "text": "18.41 billion cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - consumption": {
      "text": "4.502 billion cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - exports": {
      "text": "14.07 billion cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - imports": {
      "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - proved reserves": {
      "text": "637.1 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "544,283"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "less than 1 (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "63,877,526"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "113.84 (2019 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telecommunication systems": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "Burma, one of the last underdeveloped telecom markets in Asia, saw growth in mobile and broadband services through foreign competition and roll out of 4G and 5G networks; infrastructure development challenged by flooding, unreliable electricity, inefficient bureaucracy, and corruption; digital divide affects rural areas; fixed broadband remains low due to number of fixed-lines and near saturation of the mobile platform; healthy m-banking platform; tests for NB-IoT; benefit from launch of regional satellite; government utilizes intermittent censorship and shut-down of Internet in political crisis; top importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021) (2020)"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "fixed-line is 1 per 100, while mobile-cellular is 114 per 100 and shows great potential for the future (2019)"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 95; landing points for the SeaMeWe-3, SeaMeWe-5, AAE-1 and Singapore-Myanmar&nbsp;optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia&nbsp;and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2019)"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments"
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "government controls all domestic broadcast media; 2 state-controlled TV stations with 1 of the stations controlled by the armed forces; 2 pay-TV stations are joint state-private ventures; access to satellite TV is limited; 1 state-controlled domestic radio station and 9 FM stations that are joint state-private ventures; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available in parts of Burma; the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), BBC Burmese service, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), and Radio Australia use shortwave to broadcast in Burma; VOA, RFA, and DVB produce daily TV news programs that are transmitted by satellite to audiences in Burma; in March 2017, the government granted licenses to 5 private broadcasters, allowing them digital free-to-air TV channels to be operated in partnership with government-owned Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) and will rely upon MRTV&rsquo;s transmission infrastructure (2019)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".mm"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "17,064,985"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "30.68% (July 2018 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": {
      "total": {
        "text": "129,050"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "less than 1 (2018 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "8 (2020)"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "42"
      },
      "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "3,407,788 (2018)"
      },
      "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "4.74 million mt-km (2018)"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "XY"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "total": {
        "text": "64 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "36 (2017)"
      },
      "over 3,047 m": {
        "text": "12 (2017)"
      },
      "2,438 to 3,047 m": {
        "text": "11 (2017)"
      },
      "1,524 to 2,437 m": {
        "text": "12 (2017)"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "1 (2017)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "28 (2013)"
      },
      "over 3,047 m": {
        "text": "1 (2013)"
      },
      "1,524 to 2,437 m": {
        "text": "4 (2013)"
      },
      "914 to 1,523 m": {
        "text": "10 (2013)"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "13 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Heliports": {
      "text": "11 (2013)"
    },
    "Pipelines": {
      "text": "3739 km gas, 1321 km oil (2017)"
    },
    "Railways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,031 km (2008)"
      },
      "narrow gauge": {
        "text": "5,031 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)"
      }
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "157,000 km (2013)"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "34,700 km (2013)"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "122,300 km (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "12,800 km (2011)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "93"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "bulk carrier 2, general cargo 37, oil tanker 5, other 49 (2020)"
      }
    },
    "Ports and terminals": {
      "major seaport(s)": {
        "text": "Mawlamyine (Moulmein), Sittwe"
      },
      "river port(s)": {
        "text": "Rangoon (Yangon) (Rangoon River)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military and security forces": {
      "text": "Burmese Defense Service (Tatmadaw): Army (Tatmadaw Kyi), Navy (Tatmadaw Yay), Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay); People’s Militia; Border Guard Forces; Ministry of Home Affairs: People's Police Force (2021)<br><br>note: the Burmese military controls the People's Militia, Border Guard Forces, and the Ministry of Home Affairs",
      "note": "note: the Burmese military controls the People's Militia, Border Guard Forces, and the Ministry of Home Affairs"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "Military Expenditures 2019": {
        "text": "2.7% of GDP (2019 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2018": {
        "text": "2.9% of GDP (2018 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2017": {
        "text": "3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2016": {
        "text": "3.7% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      },
      "Military Expenditures 2015": {
        "text": "4.1% of GDP (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Military and security service personnel strengths": {
      "text": "information varies widely; approximately 400,000 total active troops (est. 360,000 Army; 20,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force) (2021)"
    },
    "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": {
      "text": "the Burmese military inventory is comprised mostly of older Chinese and Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a smaller mix of more modern acquisitions; since 2010, China and Russia are the leading suppliers of military hardware; Burma has a limited defense industry, including a growing shipbuilding capability (2020)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "18-35 years of age (men) and 18-27 years of age (women) for voluntary military service; no conscription (a 2010 law reintroducing conscription has not yet entered into force); 2-year service obligation; male (ages 18-45) and female (ages 18-35) professionals (including doctors, engineers, mechanics) serve up to 3 years; service terms may be stretched to 5 years in an officially declared emergency (2019)"
    },
    "Military - note": {
      "text": "since the country's founding, the armed forces have been heavily involved in domestic politics and ran the country for five decades following a military coup in 1962; the military controls three key security ministries (Defense, Border, and Home Affairs), one of two vice presidential appointments, 25% of the parliamentary seats, and has a proxy political party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)<br><br>the military owns and operates two business conglomerates that have over 100 subsidiaries and have close ties to other companies; the business activities of these conglomerates include banking and insurance, hotels, tourism, jade and ruby mining, timber, construction, real estate, and the production of palm oil, sugar, soap, cement, beverages, drinking water, coal, and gas; some of the companies supply goods and services to the military, such as food, clothing, insurance, and cellphone service; the military also runs manages a film industry, publishing houses, and television stations <br><br>the military's primary operational focus is internal security, particularly counterinsurgency operations against ethnic-based insurgent groups; these operations have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, human rights abuses, and internal displacement<br> <p>there are approximately 20 ethnic-based armed groups operating in Burma with strengths of a few hundred up to more than 20,000 estimated fighters; they are estimated to control about one-third of the country’s territory, primarily in the border regions; key groups include the United Wa State Army, the Karen National Union, the Kachin Independence Army, the Arakan Army, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, and the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army; in 2015, the Burmese Government signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with eight mostly small armed groups, including the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, Arakan Liberation Party, Chin National Front, Democratic Karen Benevolent Army, Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council, Karen National Union, Pa-O National Liberation Organization, and Shan State Army-South; seven other groups did not sign the NCA, but have signed bi-lateral ceasefires with the Burmese Government, including the National Democratic Alliance Army, Shan State Army, New Mon State Army, Karenni Army, National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Khaplang, and the United Wa State Army, which is assessed to be the largest and most capable group, with more than 20,000 fighters; others, such as the Arakan Army (Chin, Kachin, Rakhine, Shan states; the Arakan Army entered into ceasefire negotiations with the Burmese Government in November 2020), Kachin Independence Army (Kachin state), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Shan state), Shanni Nationalities Army (Kachin state), and Taang National Liberation Army (Shan state) continue to engage in active insurgent operations against the Burmese Government; since March 2021, the Karen National Union has resumed fighting with the Burmese military</p> <p>in addition, Burma has a large number (estimates run into the thousands) of armed militias which take many different forms and vary in allegiances and size; most are pro-government and associated with the Tatmadaw; some are integrated within the Tatmadaw’s command structure as Border Guard Forces (BGF); BGF are organized as 325-man battalions that include a mix of militia forces, ethnic armed groups, and government soldiers; they are armed, supplied, and paid by the Tatmadaw; other pro-government militias are not integrated within the Tatmadaw command structure, but receive direction from the military and are recognized as government militias; the amount of support they receive from the Tatmadaw varies depending on local security conditions; a third type of pro-government militias are small community-based militias that are armed, coordinated, and trained by local Tatmadaw units and activated as needed; anti-government militias are typically associated with ethnic-based armed organizations</p>"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "<p>over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Bangladesh struggles to accommodate 912,000 Rohingya, Burmese Muslim minority from Rakhine State, living as refugees in Cox's Bazar; Burmese border authorities are constructing a 200 km (124 mi) wire fence designed to deter illegal cross-border transit and tensions from the military build-up along border with Bangladesh in 2010; Bangladesh referred its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea; Burmese forces attempting to dig in to the largely autonomous Shan State to rout local militias tied to the drug trade, prompts local residents to periodically flee into neighboring Yunnan Province in China; fencing along the India-Burma international border at Manipur's Moreh town is in progress to check illegal drug trafficking and movement of militants; over 100,000 mostly Karen refugees and asylum seekers fleeing civil strife, political upheaval, and economic stagnation in Burma were living in remote camps in Thailand near the border as of May 2017</p>"
    },
    "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
      "IDPs": {
        "text": "505,000 (government offensives against armed ethnic minority groups near its borders with China and Thailand, natural disasters, forced land evictions) (2020)"
      },
      "stateless persons": {
        "text": "600,000 (2020); note - Rohingya Muslims, living predominantly in Rakhine State, are Burma's main group of stateless people; the Burmese Government does not recognize the Rohingya as a \"national race\" and stripped them of their citizenship under the 1982 Citizenship Law, categorizing them as \"non-nationals\" or \"foreign residents\"; under the Rakhine State Action Plan drafted in October 2014, the Rohingya must demonstrate their family has lived in Burma for at least 60 years to qualify for a lesser naturalized citizenship and the classification of Bengali or be put in detention camps and face deportation; native-born but non-indigenous people, such as Indians, are also stateless; the Burmese Government does not grant citizenship to children born outside of the country to Burmese parents who left the country illegally or fled persecution, such as those born in Thailand; the number of stateless persons has decreased dramatically because hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 to escape violence"
      },
      "note": "<strong>note:</strong> estimate does not include stateless IDPs or stateless persons in IDP-like situations because they are included in estimates of IDPs (2017)"
    },
    "Trafficking in persons": {
      "current situation": {
        "text": "human traffickers exploit men, women, and children through forced labor, and women and children in sex trafficking in Burma and abroad; Burmese men are forced to work domestically and abroad in fishing, manufacturing, forestry, agriculture, and construction; fishermen are lured into forced labor in remote waters and offshore by recruitment agencies in Burma and Southeast Asia; Burmese women increasingly are lured to China for marriage under false pretenses and are subjected to sex trafficking, forced concubinage and childbearing, and forced domestic labor; men, women, and children in ethnic minority areas are at increased risk of sex trafficking and forced labor in farming, manufacturing, and construction; men and boys are recruited locally by traffickers for forced labor in oil palm, banana, and rubber plantations, in mining, fishing, and bamboo, teak, rice, and sugarcane harvesting; some military personnel, civilian brokers, border guard officials, and ethnic armed groups continue to recruit child soldiers, particularly in conflict areas"
      },
      "tier rating": {
        "text": "Tier 3 &mdash; Burma does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; authorities increased the investigation and prosecution of trafficking crimes, including those involving officials, and the investigation of forced labor in the fishing sector; the government identified and referred more victims to care and enacted legislation enhancing protections for child victims; however, a policy or pattern of forced labor existed; the use of children in labor and support roles by the military increased in conflict zones in Rakhine and Shan States; displacement resulting from military conflict made Rohingya and other ethnic groups vulnerable to human trafficking; the constitutionally guaranteed power of the military continued to limit the government&rsquo;s ability to address forced adult labor and child soldier recruitment; although authorities allocated increased funding to victim protection, most services to trafficking victims were provided by NGOs and foreign donors (2020)"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated poppy cultivation totaling 41,000 hectares in 2017, a decrease of 25% from the last survey in 2015; Shan state is the source of 91% of Burma's poppy cultivation; 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; Burma is one of the world&rsquo;s largest producers of amphetamine-type stimulants, which are trafficked throughout the region, as far afield as Australia and New Zealand"
    }
  }
}