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Compare Barbados (2003) - Burma (2004)

Compare Barbados (2003) z Burma (2004)

 Barbados (2003)Burma (2004)
 BarbadosBurma
Administrative divisions 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status 7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)

divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon (Rangoon)

states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State
Age structure 0-14 years: 21.2% (male 29,621; female 29,207)


15-64 years: 70% (male 94,840; female 99,230)


65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,355; female 15,011) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 27.6% (male 6,023,874; female 5,774,055)


15-64 years: 67.5% (male 14,317,308; female 14,504,500)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 927,570; female 1,172,889) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products sugarcane, vegetables, cotton rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products
Airports 1 (2002) 79 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 9


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 69


over 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 20


under 914 m: 31 (2004 est.)
Area total: 431 sq km


land: 431 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 678,500 sq km


land: 657,740 sq km


water: 20,760 sq km
Area - comparative 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Texas
Background The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. Despite multiparty legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory, the ruling junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in May 2003 and is currently under house arrest. In December 2004, the junta announced it was extending her detention for at least an additional year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed.
Birth rate 13.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 18.64 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $847 million (including grants)


expenditures: $886 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $7.9 billion


expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97)
Capital Bridgetown Rangoon (government refers to the capital as Yangon)
Climate tropical; rainy season (June to October) 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)
Coastline 97 km 1,930 km
Constitution 30 November 1966 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention convened in 1993 to draft a new constitution but collapsed in 1996; reconvened in 2004 but does not include participation of democratic opposition
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Barbados
conventional long form: Union of Burma


conventional short form: Burma


local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of Myanmar)


local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw


former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma


note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
Currency Barbadian dollar (BBD) kyat (MMK)
Death rate 9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 12.16 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $692 million (2002) $6.011 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Earl N. PHILLIPS, Jr.


embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown


mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055


telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950


FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379
chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Carmen M. MARTINEZ


embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521)


mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546


telephone: [95] (1) 379 880, 379 881


FAX: [95] (1) 256 018
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING


chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 339-9201


FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467


consulate(s) general: Miami and New York


consulate(s): Los Angeles
chief of mission: vacant


chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044


FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046


consulate(s) general: New York (UN)
Disputes - international none despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; groups in Burma and Thailand express concern over China's construction of 13 hydroelectric dams on the Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep out Indian Nagaland insurgents
Economic aid - recipient $9.1 million (1995) $127 million (2001 est.)
Economy - overview Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light-manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002 mainly due to a 3% decline in tourism. Growth should be positive in 2003, the precise level largely dependent on economic conditions in the US and Europe. Burma is a resource-rich country that suffers from government controls and abject rural poverty. The military regime took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since stalled. Burma has been unable to achieve monetary or fiscal stability, resulting in an economy that suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including a steep inflation rate and an official exchange rate that overvalues the Burmese kyat by more than 100 times the market rate. In addition, most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta suppressed the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently ignored the results of the 1990 election. A crisis in the private banking sector in early 2003 followed by economic moves against Burma by the United States, the European Union, and Japan - including a US ban on imports from Burma and a Japanese freeze on new bilateral economic aid - further weakened the Burmese economy. Burma is data poor, and official statistics are often dated and inaccurate. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and border trade - often estimated to be one to two times the official economy. Better relations with foreign countries and relaxed controls at home are needed to promote foreign investment, exports, and tourism. In February 2003, a major banking crisis hit the country's 20 private banks, shutting them down and disrupting the economy. In July and August 2003, the United States imposed a ban on all Burmese imports and a ban on provision of financial services, hampering Burma's ability to obtain foreign exchange. As of January 2004, the largest private banks remained moribund, leaving the private sector with little formal access to credit outside of government contracts.
Electricity - consumption 725.4 million kWh (2001) 5.709 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 780 million kWh (2001) 6.139 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m


highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
Environment - current issues pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease
Environment - international agreements party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
Exchange rates Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999), 2 (1998) kyats per US dollar - 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002), 6.6841 (2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999)


note: these are official exchange rates; unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2003 from 100 kyat/US dollar to nearly 1000 kyat/US dollar
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)


head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)


head of government: Prime Minister, Gen SOE WIN (since 19 October 2004)


cabinet: State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); military junta, so named 15 November 1997, which initially assumed power 18 September 1988 under the name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC); the SPDC oversees the cabinet


elections: none
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components Clothing, gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice
Exports - partners US 14.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 12%, UK 10.6%, Jamaica 6.2%, Saint Lucia 4.7% (2002) Thailand 31.5%, US 10.2%, India 9.3%, China 5.8%, Japan 4.8% (2003)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, 14 white five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 7 administrative divisions and 7 states
GDP purchasing power parity - $4.153 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $74.53 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 6%


industry: 16%


services: 78% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 57.2%


industry: 9.6%


services: 33.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -2.8% (2002 est.) -0.5% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 13 10 N, 59 32 W 22 00 N, 98 00 E
Geography - note easternmost Caribbean island strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
Heliports - 1 (2003 est.)
Highways total: 1,793 km


paved: 1,719 km


unpaved: 74 km (1999)
total: 28,200 km


paved: 3,440 km


unpaved: 24,760 km (1996 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
Illicit drugs one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center world's second largest producer of illicit opium (potential production in 2003 - 484 metric tons, down 23% due to eradication efforts and alternate development; cultivation in 2003 - 47,130 hectares, a 39% decline from 2002); surrender of drug warlord KHUN SA's Mong Tai Army in January 1996 was hailed by Rangoon as a major counternarcotics success, but lack of government will and ability to take on major narcotrafficking groups and lack of serious commitment against money laundering continues to hinder the overall antidrug effort; major source of methamphetamine and heroin for regional consumption; currently under Financial Action Task Force countermeasures due to continued failure to address its inadequate money-laundering controls
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components Fabric, petroleum products, plastics, machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, crude oil; food products
Imports - partners US 41.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, UK 7.3%, Japan 4.2% (2002) China 31.1%, Singapore 22.3%, Thailand 15.1%, South Korea 6.3%, Malaysia 4.8%, Japan 4.3% (2003)
Independence 30 November 1966 (from UK) 4 January 1948 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate -3.2% (2000 est.) NA
Industries tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export agricultural processing; knit and woven apparel; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; cement
Infant mortality rate total: 12.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 68.78 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 74.78 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 62.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) -0.6% (2002 est.) 49.7% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 19 (2000) -
Irrigated land 10 sq km (1998 est.) 15,920 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not independent of the executive
Labor force 128,500 (2001 est.) 22.14 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.) agriculture 70%, industry 7%, services 23% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 5,876 km


border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Land use arable land: 37.21%


permanent crops: 2.33%


other: 60.46% (1998 est.)
arable land: 15.19%


permanent crops: 0.97%


other: 83.84% (2001)
Languages English Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Legal system English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008)


election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw (485 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.84 years


male: 69.56 years


female: 74.14 years (2003 est.)
total population: 56.01 years


male: 54.22 years


female: 57.9 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97.4%


male: 98%


female: 96.8% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 85.3%


male: 89.2%


female: 81.4% (2002)
Location Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Southeast Asia
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 284,222 GRT/439,810 DWT


ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 22, combination bulk 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, The Bahamas 1, Canada 4, Germany 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 7, Norway 7, UK 18 (2002 est.)
total: 31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 384,529 GRT/608,609 DWT


by type: bulk 8, cargo 18, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: Germany 6, Japan 4 (2004 est.)
Military branches Royal Barbados Defense Force (including Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $39 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 2.1% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 77,862 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 12,450,884


females age 15-49: 12,457,077 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 53,282 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 6,609,995


females age 15-49: 6,595,611 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 441,333


females: 440,914 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 30 November (1966) Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)
Nationality noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)


adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)


adjective: Burmese
Natural hazards infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
Natural resources petroleum, fish, natural gas petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines - gas 2,056 km; oil 558 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Clyde Mascoll] National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (progovernment) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [KHUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE] National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB (self-proclaimed government in exile) ["Prime Minister" Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals, some legitimately elected to the People's Assembly in 1990 (the group fled to a border area and joined insurgents in December 1990 to form parallel government in exile); Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (progovernment, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]
Population 277,264 (July 2003 est.) 42,720,196


note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 25% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate 0.38% (2003 est.) 0.47% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina) Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Pathein, Rangoon, Sittwe, Tavoy
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 1 (2004)
Railways 0 km total: 3,955 km


narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
Religions Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system


international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
general assessment: barely meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is fair


domestic: NA


international: country code - 95; satellite earth station - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat
Telephones - main lines in use 108,000 (1997) 357,300 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,013 (1997) 66,500 (2003)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997) 2 (2004)
Terrain relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Total fertility rate 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.08 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 10% (2001 est.) 4.2% (2003)
Waterways none 12,800 km (2004)
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