Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Myanmar, Burma.

OFFICIAL NAME: Union of Burma

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Myanmar (Burma) is an underdeveloped agrarian country ruled by an authoritarian military regime. The country's government suppresses all expression of opposition to its rule.

After a long period of isolation, Burma has started to encourage tourism. Foreigners can expect to pay several times more than locals do for accommodations, domestic airfares, and entry to tourist sites. Tourist facilities in Rangoon, Bagan, Ngapali Beach, Inle Lake, and Mandalay are superior to tourist facilities in other parts of the country, where they are limited. Please note that visitors should travel with sufficient cash to cover their expenses for the duration of their visit. Travelers’ checks and credit cards are not accepted anywhere, and ATM machines are nonexistent in Burma.

PEOPLE

A majority of Burma's people are ethnic Burmans. Shans, Karens, Rohingya, Arakanese, Kachins, Chins, Mons, and many other smaller indigenous ethnic groups form about 30% of the population. Indians and Chinese are the largest non-indigenous groups.

Although Burmese is the most widely spoken language (approx. 32 million speakers), other ethnic groups have retained their own identities and languages. Some of the most prominent are Shan; various Karen, Karenni and Chin languages; Arakanese; Jingpaw; Mon; Palaung; Parauk; Wa; and Yangbye. English is spoken in many areas frequented by tourists. The Indian and Chinese residents speak various languages and dialects of their homelands: Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali, Mandarin, Fujian, and Cantonese.

An estimated 89% of the population practices Buddhism. Other religions, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, and animist 1%, are less prevalent, although Christian and Muslim groups claim the regime significantly underestimates their number of adherents.

According to the UN Development Programme's 2006 Human Development Report, public health expenditure equaled only 0.3% of Burma's GDP. High infant mortality rates and short life expectancies further highlight poor health and living conditions. The HIV/AIDS epidemic poses a serious threat to the Burmese population, as do tuberculosis and malaria. In 2006, the UNDP's Human Development Index, which measures achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment, and adjusted real income, ranked Burma 130 out of 177 countries.

There are numerous documented human rights violations, and internal displacement of ethnic minorities is prevalent. Over a million Burmese, many of them ethnic minorities, have fled for economic and political reasons to Bangladesh, India, China, Malaysia, and Thailand to seek work and asylum. More than 150,000 Burmese live in nine refugee camps in Thailand and roughly 30,000 live in two camps in Bangladesh. Roughly 30,000 Burmese (mostly Chin and Rohingya) have fled to Malaysia.

ENTRY AND EXIT REQUIREMENTS

The government of Burma strictly controls travel to, from, and within Burma . Since October 1, 2006, Burmese authorities have often prohibited entry or exit at most land border crossings, unless the traveler is part of a package tour group that has received prior permission from the Burmese authorities. A passport and visa are required for entry into Burma . Travelers are required to show their passports with a valid visa at all airports, train stations, and hotels. Security checkpoints are common outside of tourist areas.

Burmese authorities rarely issues visas to persons with occupations they deem “sensitive,” including journalists. Many journalists and writers traveling to Burma on tourist visas have been denied entry. Journalists and tourists mistaken for journalists have been harassed. Some journalists have had film and notes confiscated upon leaving the country.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the absent parent(s) or legal guardian. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.

Information about entry requirements as well as other information may be obtained from the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar, at 2300 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone 202-332-4350 or the Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the U.N. 10 East 77th St., New York, NY 10021, (212-535-1311) 212-744-1271, fax 212-744-1290.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 678,500 sq. km. (slightly smaller than Texas).
Cities: Administrative capital--Nay Pyi Taw, near the township of Pyinmana (pop. 200,000); Other cities--Rangoon (pop. 5.5 million), Mandalay (pop. 1.2 million).
Terrain: Central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands.
Climate: Tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (December to April).

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burmese.
Population: 54.3 million (UNESCAP 2004 estimate); no official census has been taken since 1983.
Annual population growth rate (UNESCAP 2004 estimate): 2.0%.
Ethnic groups: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5%.
Religions: Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%.
Languages: Burmese, minority ethnic languages.
Education: Literacy--adult, 89.9%; male, 93.9%; female, 86.4% (UNDP 2004 estimate).
Health: Infant mortality rate--76 deaths/1,000 live births (UNDP 2004 estimate). Life expectancy--60.6 yrs.: male, 57.8 yrs.; female 63.5 (UNDP 2004 estimate).

Government
Type: Military junta.
Constitution: January 3, 1974 (suspended since September 18, 1988, when the current junta took power). A national convention started on January 9, 1993 to draft a new constitution, but collapsed in 1996 without an agreement. The junta reconvened the convention in May 2004 without the participation of the National League for Democracy and other pro-democracy ethnic groups. It has convened intermittently since then, with the latest session running from October 10 to December 29, 2006.
Branches: Executive--Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Senior General Than Shwe is the head of state. Prime Minister Gen. Soe Win is the head of government. Legislative--The suspended constitution provides for a unicameral People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw) with 485 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms. The last elections were in 1990, but the military prevented the Assembly from ever convening. Judicial--The legal system is based on a British-era system, but with the constitution suspended, the military regime now rules by decree and there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent.
Political parties: National League for Democracy (NLD) is the primary opposition party; National Unity Party (NUP) is the primary pro-regime party; the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) is a pro-regime socio-political organization; there are also many smaller ethnic parties.
Administrative subdivisions: The country is divided into seven primarily Burman ethnic divisions (tain) of Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago (Pegu), Magway, Mandalay, Yangon (Rangoon), Sagaing, and Tanintharyi (Tenassarim) and seven ethnic states (pyi nay): Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin (Karen) State, Kayah (Karenni) State, Mon State, Rakhine (Arakan) State, and Shan State.
Suffrage: Universal suffrage at 18 years of age (but there have been no elections since 1990).

Economy
GDP: $9.6 billion (estimate at March 2007 market rate).
Annual growth rate: 2.9% (2006 estimate); the regime claimed the 2005-2006 rate was 13.2%.
GDP per capita (2006 estimated): $174.
Natural resources: natural gas, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones, hydropower, and some petroleum.
Agriculture: Products--rice, pulses, beans, sesame, peanuts, sugarcane, hardwood, fish, and fish products.
Industries: Types--agricultural processing, knit and woven apparel, wood and wood products, copper, tin, tungsten, iron, construction materials, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizer.
Recorded trade: Exports (IMF 2006)--$3.6 billion. Types (2005-2006 official statistics)--natural gas 30.2%, teak and forest products 13/3%, beans and pulses 9.1%, garments 7.7%, and marine products 5.5%. Major markets (IMF 2005-2006)--Thailand 38%, India 14%, China 10%, Hong Kong 7%, Japan 4%. Imports (IMF 2006)--$2 billion. Types (2005-2006 official statistics)--machinery and transport equipment 15.5%, refined mineral oil 13.6%, base metals and manufactures 10.1%, fabrics 8.0%, and electrical machinery 5.6%. Major suppliers (IMF 2005-2006)--Singapore 28%, China 24%, Thailand 11%, Malaysia 7%.

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government