Burma Map (China-Outside Contrast)

Author: Zhou Min
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features:
Burma's official name: the Union of Myanmar. Area: 676,581 square kilometers. Population: approximately 52 million (2001), with 135 ethnic groups, mainly including the Bamar, Karen, Shan, Kachin, Chin, Kayah, Mon, and Rakhine ethnicities, among which the Bamar account for about 65% of the total population. Each minority ethnic group has its own language, with the Bamar, Kachin, Karen, Shan, and Mon ethnic groups having their own scripts. There are approximately 2.5 million Chinese overseas Chinese. Over 85% of the population in the country practices Buddhism, and about 8% practice Islam.
Capital: Yangon, with a population of approximately 5 million (2000), and an average temperature of 25°C.
Head of State: Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, assumed the position of Chairman of the State Restoration of Law and Order Council on April 23, 1992, and was appointed to the current position on November 15, 1997.
Major Holidays: Independence Day: January 4, Armed Forces Day: March 27, Water Festival (Myanmar New Year): April 13.
Overview: Located in the western part of the Indochina Peninsula. It borders China to the northeast, India and Bangladesh to the northwest, Laos and Thailand to the southeast, and the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to the southwest. The coastline is 3,200 kilometers long. It has a tropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of 27°C. After forming a unified state in 1044, it went through three feudal dynasties: the Pagan, Toungoo, and Konbaung dynasties. In the 19th century, after the British launched three invasion wars, they occupied Myanmar and divided it into a province of British India in 1886. In 1937, Myanmar separated from British India and came under direct rule by the British Governor. In May 1942, it was occupied by Japan. In March 1945, a nationwide uprising occurred, and Myanmar was liberated. Later, the British regained control of Myanmar. On January 4, 1948, Myanmar declared independence from the Commonwealth. The government led by U Nu implemented a multi-party democratic parliamentary system. In 1962, General Ne Win launched a coup, overthrew U Nu's government, and established the Revolutionary Council. In January 1974, a new constitution was promulgated, the People's Assembly was established, and the "Socialist Programme Party" (hereinafter referred to as the "Programme Party") was formed. Ne Win was appointed Chairman of the "Programme Party," and the country was renamed the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Myanmar." In July 1988, due to economic deterioration, nationwide protests broke out, and the Chairman of the Programme Party, U Ne Win, and the President, U San Yu, resigned. U Sein Lwin was elected as the new Chairman of the Party and President. Soon after, large-scale anti-government protests broke out across Myanmar, forcing U Sein Lwin to resign, and Dr. Maung Maung took over as President. On September 18, 1988, the army, led by Minister of Defense General Saw Maung, took over the government, established the "State Restoration of Law and Order Council" (hereinafter referred to as the "SRLOC"), and announced the abolition of the constitution and the dissolution of the People's Assembly and state power institutions. On the 23rd, the name "Socialist Republic of the Union of Myanmar" was changed to "Union of Myanmar." On November 15, 1997, the SRLOC was renamed the "State Peace and Development Council."
Economy: With favorable natural conditions and abundant resources, the economy has developed slowly over the years. In December 1987, the United Nations listed Myanmar as one of the world's least developed countries. On March 31, 1989, the government promulgated the "State-Owned Economic Enterprises Law," opening up other sectors to private economic activities while defining the scope of state-owned enterprises. In November 1990, the "Private Enterprise Law" was promulgated, providing necessary legal guarantees for the development of the private economy. Currently, the private economy dominates, accounting for about 75% of the gross national product. From 1992 to 1995, Myanmar's economy experienced rapid growth, with an average annual growth rate of 7.5%. In 1995, the Myanmar government formulated a five-year economic development plan for the 1996/1997 to 2000/2001 fiscal years, aiming to achieve an average annual economic growth rate of 8.4% by prioritizing agricultural development to drive other sectors. In the 2001 fiscal year, the government formulated a four-year economic development plan for 2001/2002 to 2004/2005, setting an annual growth target of 10% and continuing to strengthen infrastructure development while working to reduce inflation. However, due to the closed and fragile economic structure of Myanmar itself, coupled with long-term sanctions by Western countries, Myanmar's economy has yet to emerge from its.
Gross National Product (2001/2002 fiscal year): $16 billion.
Per capita Gross National Product: $300.
Gross National Product Growth Rate: 10.9%.
Currency Name: Kyat.
Official Exchange Rate (2002 fiscal year): 1 USD = 6.22 MYR.
Market Exchange Rate (December 2002): 1 USD ≈ 1,100 MYR.
Inflation Rate: 34.5%.
Resources:
Mineral resources mainly include tin, tungsten, zinc, aluminum, antimony, manganese, gold, and silver. Gems and jade are renowned worldwide. There are significant reserves of oil and natural gas both inland and along the coast. The total cultivated land area in the country is 12.15 million hectares. The country has abundant forest resources, with a forested area of 34.12 million hectares and a forest coverage rate of about 50%. Myanmar is the world's largest producer of teak. The country has rich hydropower resources, with the Irrawaddy, Chindwin, and Salween river systems running north to south. However, due to the lack of water conservancy facilities, these resources have not been fully utilized.
Tourism: With beautiful scenery and numerous historical and cultural attractions, Myanmar is a popular destination. Major tourist attractions include the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the cultural capital of Mandalay, the ancient city of Bagan known as the "City of Ten Thousand Pagodas," and the Ngapali Beach, among others. Since 1993, the government has vigorously developed tourism, actively attracting foreign investment, and building tourism facilities. The number of tourists visiting Myanmar in the 1994/95 fiscal year was 132,300, in 1995/96 it was 170,000, in 1996/97 it was 310,000, in 1997/98 it was 330,000, in 1998/99 it was 350,000, in 1999/2000 it was 309,500, and in 2000/2001 it was 272,900. Currently, there are 533 hotels of various sizes with a total of 15,848 rooms. Some of the more famous hotels include: the Shwedagon Hotel, Inya Lake Hotel, Commercial Hotel, Seafront Hotel, and Garden Hotel in Yangon; the Shwedagon Hotel in Mandalay; the Thiri Pyissaya Hotel and Bagan Hotel in Bagan, among others. In 2002, the tourism revenue was $99 million.