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Burma

Continent:

Geography

People &
Society

Government

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Energy

Communications

Military &
Security

Transportation

Terrorism

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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

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, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan

Independence

4 January 1948 (from the UK)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)

Constitution

3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; a new constitution was approved on 10 May 2008; note - new constitution will take effect when a new parliament is convened following elections scheduled for 2010

Legal System

based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International Law Organization Participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Legislative Branch

A unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw consisting of 485 seats with members elected by popular vote was elected in 1990 but was never seated; according to the terms of the constitution approved on 10 May 2008, a bicameral Pyidaungsu Hluttaw consisting of an upper house with a maximum of 224 seats and a lower house with a maximum of 440 seats will be selected in elections in 2010 elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government), other 60

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

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 numerous other smaller parties

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); 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) [TOE KYAW HLAING] other: several Shan factions

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

National Anthem

Year

Government Type

  • Military junta

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

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

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Charge d'Affaires Larry M. DINGER - note
  • Embassy
    110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
  • Mailing Address
    Box B, APO AP 96546
  • Telephone
    [95] (1) 536-509, 535-756, 538-038
  • FAX
    [95] (1) 650-306

International Organization Participation

  • ADB
  • APT
  • ARF
  • 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)
  • SAARC (observer)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO
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