Myanmar

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: April 1, 2002
Features:
The official name of Myanmar is the Union of Myanmar.
Area: 676,581 square kilometers.
Population: Approximately 52 million (2001), with 135 ethnic groups, including the Bamar, Karen, Shan, Kachin, Chin, Kayah, Mon, and Rakhine, among which the Bamar account for about 65% of the total population. Each ethnic minority has its own language, with the Bamar, Kachin, Karen, Shan, and Mon having their own scripts. There are approximately 2.5 million Chinese overseas Chinese. Over 85% of the population practices Buddhism, while about 8% follow 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 office as Chairman of the State Restoration of Law and Order Council on April 23, 1992, and was later appointed to his current position on November 15, 1997.
Major Holidays:
Independence Day: January 4
Army 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 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 nation in 1044, Myanmar 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, in 1886, designated it as a province of British India. In 1937, Myanmar separated from British India and came under direct British governorship. In May 1942, it was occupied by Japan. In March 1945, a nationwide uprising led to Myanmar's liberation. The British then regained control of Myanmar. On January 4, 1948, Myanmar declared independence from the British Commonwealth, establishing a multi-party democratic parliamentary system under the leadership of U Nu. In 1962, General Ne Win launched a coup, overthrowing U Nu's government and establishing a Revolutionary Council. In January 1974, a new constitution was promulgated, the People's Assembly was formed, and the "Programme Party" (hereinafter referred to as the "Party") was established. Ne Win became the Chairman of the "Party," and the country was renamed the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Myanmar." In July 1988, due to economic deterioration, nationwide protests erupted, leading to the resignation of the Party Chairman U Ne Win and President U San Yu, with U Shwe Lwin elected as both Party Chairman and President. Soon after, large-scale anti-government protests broke out across Myanmar, forcing U Shwe Lwin to resign, and Dr. Maung Maung took over as President. On September 18, 1988, the army, led by Defense Minister General Saw Maung, seized power, establishing the "State Restoration of Law and Order Council" (hereinafter referred to as the "SRLOC"), declaring the abolition of the constitution and dissolving the People's Assembly and state power institutions. On the 23rd, the name of the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Myanmar" was changed to the "Union of Myanmar." On November 15, 1997, the SRLOC was renamed the "State Peace and Development Council."
Economy: Myanmar has favorable natural conditions and abundant resources, but its economic development has been slow for many 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 enacted, providing legal safeguards for the development of private enterprises. Currently, the private sector dominates the economy, 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 government formulated a five-year economic development plan for the 1996/1997 to 2000/2001 fiscal years, aiming to achieve an average annual growth rate of 8.4% by prioritizing agricultural development to drive other sectors. In the 2001 fiscal year, the government adopted a four-year economic development plan (2001/2002 to 2004/2005), setting an annual growth target of 10% and continuing to strengthen infrastructure while efforts were made to reduce inflation. However, due to Myanmar's closed and fragile economic structure, coupled with long-term sanctions by Western countries, the 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 KYT
Market Exchange Rate (December 2002): 1 USD ≈ 1,100 KYT
Inflation Rate: 34.5%
Resources:
Mineral resources mainly include tin, tungsten, zinc, aluminum, antimony, manganese, gold, and silver. Gems and jade are renowned worldwide. Significant reserves of oil and natural gas are found both inland and along the coast. Myanmar has a total cultivated land area of 12.15 million hectares. The country has abundant forest resources, with 34.12 million hectares of forest land and a forest coverage rate of around 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 a lack of water management facilities, these resources have not been fully utilized.
Tourism: With beautiful scenery and numerous historical and cultural attractions, Myanmar attracts tourists worldwide. Major tourist destinations include the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the cultural capital of Mandalay, the ancient city of Bagan known as the "City of Pyramids," and the Ngapali Beach, among others. Since 1993, the government has actively developed tourism, attracting foreign investment and building tourism infrastructure. The number of tourists visiting Myanmar was 132,300 in the 1994/95 fiscal year, 170,000 in 1995/96, 310,000 in 1996/97, 330,000 in 1997/98, 350,000 in 1998/99, 309,500 in 1999/2000, and 272,900 in 2000/2001. As of now, there are 533 hotels with a total of 15,848 rooms. Some of the more famous hotels include: the Shwedagon Hotel, Inya Lake Hotel, Commercial Hotel, Seafront Hotel, Garden Hotel in Yangon; the Shwedagon Hotel in Mandalay; the Thiri Pyissaya Hotel and Bagan Hotel in Bagan. In 2002, the tourism revenue was $99 million.