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Compare Burma (2007) - British Virgin Islands (2002)

Compare Burma (2007) z British Virgin Islands (2002)

 Burma (2007)British Virgin Islands (2002)
 BurmaBritish Virgin Islands
Administrative divisions 7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)


divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon


states: Chin State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Kayin State, Mon State, Rakhine State, Shan State
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.1% (male 6,277,073/female 6,084,001)


15-64 years: 68.6% (male 16,089,764/female 16,425,299)


65 years and over: 5.3% (male 1,075,868/female 1,421,953) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)


15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509)


65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane; hardwood; fish and fish products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 86 (2007) 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 25


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 61


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 32 (2007)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 678,500 sq km


land: 657,740 sq km


water: 20,760 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Texas about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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 subsequently transferred to house arrest, where she remains virtually incommunicado. In February 2006, the junta extended her detention for another year. Her supporters, as well as all those who promote democracy and improved human rights, are routinely harassed or jailed. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 17.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.18 billion


expenditures: $2.36 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Capital name: Rangoon (Yangon)


geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E


time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital
Road Town
Climate 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) subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 1,930 km 80 km
Constitution 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 1 June 1977
Country name 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
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency - US dollar (USD)
Death rate 9.33 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $6.632 billion (2006 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Shari VILLAROSA


embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon


mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546


telephone: [95] (1) 556-509, 535-756


FAX: [95] (1) 650-306
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires MYINT LWIN


chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344


FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351


consulate(s) general: New York
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups who have substantial numbers of kin in neighboring countries; Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, illegal cross-border activities, Karen and other refugees, and asylum seekers from Burma; Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween River near the border with Burma; in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River which flows through China, Burma, and Thailand; India seeks cooperation from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists, such as the United Liberation Front of Assam, from hiding in remote Burmese Uplands; Burmese Rohingya Muslim refugees reside in two camps in Bangladesh none
Economic aid - recipient $144.7 million (2005 est.) NA
Economy - overview Burma, a resource-rich country, suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies, and rural poverty. The junta took steps in the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure under the "Burmese Way to Socialism," but those efforts stalled, and some of the liberalization measures were rescinded. Lacking monetary or fiscal stability, the economy suffers from serious macroeconomic imbalances - including rising inflation, fiscal deficits, multiple official exchange rates that overvalue the Burmese kyat, a distorted interest rate regime, unreliable statistics, and an inability to reconcile national accounts to determine a realistic GDP figure. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honor the results of the 1990 legislative elections. In response to the government of Burma's attack in May 2003 on AUNG SAN SUU KYI and her convoy, the US imposed new economic sanctions in August 2003 against Burma - including a ban on imports of Burmese products and a ban on provision of financial services by US persons. Further, a poor investment climate hampers attracting outside investment slowing the inflow of foreign exchange. The most productive sectors will continue to be in extractive industries, especially oil and gas, mining, and timber with the latter especially causing environmental degradation. Other areas, such as manufacturing and services, are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, unpredictable import/export policies, deteriorating health and education systems, and endemic corruption. A major banking crisis in 2003 shuttered the country's 20 private banks and disrupted the economy. As of 2006, the largest private banks operate under tight restrictions limiting the private sector's access to formal credit. Official statistics are inaccurate. Published statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and unofficial border trade - often estimated to be as large as the official economy. Though the Burmese government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote serious foreign investment, exports, and tourism. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 3.707 billion kWh (2005) 39.1 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 5.806 billion kWh (2005) 42 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m


highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Environment - international agreements 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 Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5% black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates kyats per US dollar - 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004), 6.0764 (2003), 6.5734 (2002)


note: unofficial exchange rates ranged in 2004 from 815 kyat/US dollar to nearly 970 kyat/US dollar, and by yearend 2005, the unofficial exchange rate was 1,075 kyat/US dollar; data shown for 2002-05 are official exchange rates
the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)


head of government: Prime Minister, Lt. Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24 October 2007)


cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power 18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)


elections: none
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports 5,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) $6.2 million
Exports - commodities gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish, rice, clothing, jade and gems rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners Thailand 48.8%, India 12.7%, China 5.2%, Japan 5.2% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 April - 31 March
Flag description 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 seven administrative divisions and seven states blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 54.7%


industry: 10.6%


services: 34.7% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 2%


industry: 6%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2006 est.) 4.4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 22 00 N, 98 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Heliports 4 (2007) -
Highways - total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs remains world's second largest producer of illicit opium with an estimated production in 2005 of 380 metric tons, up 13% from 2004 and cultivation in 2005 was 40,000 hectares, a 10% increase from 2004; the decline in opium production in the United Wa State Army's areas of greatest control was more than offset by increases in south and east Shan state; 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; 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
(2005)
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center
Imports 19,180 bbl/day (2004 est.) $230 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities fabric, petroleum products, fertilizer, plastics, machinery, transport equipment; cement, construction materials, crude oil; food products, edible oil building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners China 35.1%, Thailand 22.1%, Singapore 16.4%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence 4 January 1948 (from UK) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 4% (1985)
Industries agricultural processing; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; cement, construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer; natural gas; garments, jade and gems tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 50.68 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 57.33 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 43.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 20% (2006 est.) 3.3% (2000)
International organization participation APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 16 (2000)
Irrigated land 18,700 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch 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 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 28.49 million (2006 est.) 4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 70%


industry: 7%


services: 23% (2001)
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Land boundaries total: 5,876 km


border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 14.92%


permanent crops: 1.31%


other: 83.77% (2005)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (1998 est.)
Languages Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages English (official)
Legal system based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction English law
Legislative branch 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
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 62.49 years


male: 60.29 years


female: 64.83 years (2007 est.)
total population: 75.85 years


male: 74.9 years


female: 76.84 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 89.9%


male: 93.9%


female: 86.4% (2000 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Southeast Asia Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims 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
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
Merchant marine total: 33 ships (1000 GRT or over) 364,447 GRT/549,310 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 20, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 8 (Germany 5, Japan 3) (2007)
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT


ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (Tatmadaw Lay) (2007) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.1% (2005 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947) Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Burmese (singular and plural)


adjective: Burmese
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower NEGL
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,224 km; oil 558 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI]; National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and other smaller parties Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders Ethnic Nationalities Council or ENC (based in Thailand); Federation of Trade Unions-Burma or FTUB (exile trade union and labor advocates); 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 Organization or KIO; Karen National Union or KNU; Karenni National People's Party or KNPP; National Council-Union of Burma or NCUB (exile coalition of opposition groups); several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (pro-regime, a social and political mass-member organization) [HTAY OO, general secretary]; 88 Generation Students (pro-democracy movement) [MIN KO NAING] NA
Population 47,373,958


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 2007 est.)
21,272 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 25% (2000 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.815% (2007 est.) 2.16% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave NA (2004) AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 9,000 (1997)
Railways total: 3,955 km


narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
0 km
Religions Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.032 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.757 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2, Intelsat (Indian Ocean), and ShinSat (2007)
general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 503,900 (2005) 10,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 214,200 (2006) NA
Television broadcast stations 2 (2004) 1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 1.95 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.2% (2006 est.) 3% (1995)
Waterways 12,800 km (2007) none
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