Holy See (Vatican City) (2006) | Burma (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none | 7 divisions* (yin-mya, singular - yin) and 7 states (pyine-mya, singular - pyine); Chin State, Ayeyarwady*, Bago*, Kachin State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Magway*, Mandalay*, Mon State, Rakhine State, Sagaing*, Shan State, Tanintharyi*, Yangon* |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
29.14% (male 6,245,798; female 5,992,074) 15-64 years: 66.08% (male 13,779,571; female 13,970,707) 65 years and over: 4.78% (male 895,554; female 1,110,974) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | paddy rice, corn, oilseed, sugarcane, pulses; hardwood |
Airports | - | 80 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total:
9 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
71 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 0.44 sq km
land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
678,500 sq km land: 657,740 sq km water: 20,760 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Texas |
Background | Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. | Despite multiparty elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition party winning a decisive victory, the military junta ruling the country refused to hand over power. Key opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG San Suu Kyi, under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, was again placed under house detention in September 2000; her supporters are routinely harassed or jailed. |
Birth rate | - | 20.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $245.2 million
expenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2002) |
revenues:
$7.9 billion expenditures: $12.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.7 billion (FY96/97) |
Capital | name: Vatican City
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Rangoon (regime refers to the capital as Yangon) |
Climate | temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) | 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 | 0 km (landlocked) | 1,930 km |
Constitution | new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929) | 3 January 1974 (suspended since 18 September 1988); national convention started on 9 January 1993 to draft a new constitution; progress has since been stalled |
Country name | conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano) |
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 |
Currency | - | kyat (MMK) |
Death rate | - | 12.3 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $6 billion (FY99/00 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Francis ROONEY
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346 |
chief of mission:
Permanent Charge d'Affaires Priscilla A. CLAPP embassy: 581 Merchant Street, Rangoon (GPO 521) mailing address: Box B, APO AP 96546 telephone: [95] (1) 282055, 282182 FAX: [95] (1) 280409 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate U LINN MYAING chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9044 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9046 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | none | sporadic border hostilities with Thailand over border alignment and ethnic Shan rebels operating in cross-border region |
Economic aid - recipient | $0 | $99 million (FY98/99) |
Economy - overview | This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. | Burma has a mixed economy with private activity dominant in agriculture, light industry, and transport, and with substantial state-controlled activity, mainly in energy, heavy industry, and the rice trade. Government policy in the 1990s has aimed at revitalizing the economy after three decades of tight central planning. Private activity markedly increased in the early to mid-1990s, but began to decline in the past several years due to frustrations with the unfriendly business environment and political pressure from western nations. Published estimates of Burma's foreign trade are greatly understated because of the volume of black-market, illicit, and border trade. A major ongoing problem is the failure to achieve monetary and fiscal stability. Burma remains a poor Asian country and living standards for the majority have not improved over the past decade. Short-term growth will continue to be restrained because of poor government planning and minimal foreign investment. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 4.476 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 4.813 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
68.56% hydro: 31.44% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m |
lowest point:
Andaman Sea 0 m highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water; inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease |
Environment - international agreements | party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Italians, Swiss, other | Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%, other 5% |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) | kyats per US dollar - official rate - 6.5972 (January 2001), 6.5167 (2000), 6.2858 (1999), 6.3432 (1998), 6.2418 (1997), 5.9176 (1996); kyats per US dollar - black market exchange rate - 435 (yearend 2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE (since 15 September 2006) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI |
chief of state:
Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992); note - the prime minister is both the chief of state and head of government 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; the SPDC oversees the cabinet elections: none; the prime minister assumed power upon resignation of the former prime minister |
Exports | 0 kWh | $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | - | apparel 36%, foodstuffs 22%, wood products 21%, precious stones 5% (1999) |
Exports - partners | - | India 13%, Singapore 11%, China 11%, US 8% (1999 est.)
note: official trade statistics do not include trade in illicit goods - such as narcotics, teak, and gems - or the largely unrecorded border trade with China and Thailand |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white band | red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing, all in white, 14 five-pointed stars encircling a cogwheel containing a stalk of rice; the 14 stars represent the 14 administrative divisions |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $63.7 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
42% industry: 17% services: 41% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 41 54 N, 12 27 E | 22 00 N, 98 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence) | strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes |
Heliports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
Highways | - | total:
28,200 km paved: 3,440 km unpaved: 24,760 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%:
2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998) |
Illicit drugs | - | world's second largest producer of illicit opium, after Afghanistan (potential production in 1999 - 1,090 metric tons, down 38% due to drought; cultivation in 1999 - 89,500 hectares, a 31% decline from 1998); 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; becoming a major source of methamphetamine for regional consumption |
Imports | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy | $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery, transport equipment, construction materials, food products |
Imports - partners | - | Singapore 28%, Thailand 12%, China 10%, Japan 10%, South Korea 9% (1999 est.) |
Independence | 11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century | 4 January 1948 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities | agricultural processing; textiles and footwear; wood and wood products; copper, tin, tungsten, iron; construction materials; pharmaceuticals; fertilizer |
Infant mortality rate | - | 73.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 18% (1999) |
International organization participation | CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTO (observer) | ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1
note: as of September 2000, Internet connections were legal only for the government, tourist offices, and a few large businesses (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | 10,680 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946 |
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 | NA | 19.7 million (FY98/99 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican | agriculture 65%, industry 10%, services 25% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 3.2 km
border countries: Italy 3.2 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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005) |
arable land:
15% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 49% other: 34% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Italian, Latin, French, various other languages | Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages |
Legal system | based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it | has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Pontifical Commission | 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 convened election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NLD 392, SNLD 23, NUP 10, other 60 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
55.16 years male: 53.73 years female: 56.68 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.1% male: 88.7% female: 77.7% (1995 est.) note: these are official statistics; estimates of functional literacy are likely closer to 30% (1999 est.) |
Location | Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand |
Map references | Europe | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 411,181 GRT/632,769 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 20, container 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Japan 2 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard | - |
Military branches | Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) | Army, Navy, Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $39 million (FY97/98) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2.1% (FY97/98) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
12,050,964 females age 15-49: 12,070,017 note: both sexes liable for military service (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
6,425,514 females age 15-49: 6,419,677 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
470,667 females: 479,691 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005) | Independence Day, 4 January (1948) |
Nationality | noun: none
adjective: none |
noun:
Burmese (singular and plural) adjective: Burmese |
Natural hazards | NA | destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts |
Natural resources | none | petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower |
Net migration rate | - | -1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 1,343 km; natural gas 330 km |
Political parties and leaders | none | National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, chairman, AUNG SAN SUU KYI, general secretary]; National Unity Party or NUP (proregime) [THA KYAW]; Shan Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [U KHUN TUN OO]; Union Solidarity and Development Association or USDA (proregime, a social and political organization) [THAN AUNG, general secretary]; and other smaller parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers) | All Burma Student Democratic Front or ABSDF; Kachin Independence Army or KIA; Karen National Union or KNU; National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma or NCGUB [Dr. SEIN WIN] consists of individuals legitimately elected to the People's Assembly but not recognized by the military regime; the group fled to a border area and joined with insurgents in December 1990 to form a parallel government; several Shan factions; United Wa State Army or UWSA |
Population | 932 (July 2006 est.) | 41,994,678
note: estimates for this country explicitly 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 and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 23% (1997 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.01% (2006 est.) | 0.6% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Bassein, Bhamo, Chauk, Mandalay, Moulmein, Myitkyina, Rangoon, Akyab (Sittwe), Tavoy |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004) | AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | - | 4.2 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total:
3,991 km narrow gauge: 3,991 km 1.000-m gauge |
Religions | Roman Catholic | Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2% |
Sex ratio | - | 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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | limited to cardinals less than 80 years old | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: automatic digital exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network international: country code - 39; uses Italian system |
general assessment:
meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 5,120 (2005) | 250,000 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 8,492 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2005) | 2 (1998) |
Terrain | urban; low hill | central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 7.1% (official FY97/98 est.) |
Waterways | - | 12,800 km
note: 3,200 km navigable by large commercial vessels |