Burma (Myanmar)

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia   Burma (Myanmar) at a glance Did you know? The colours of the Burmese flag are: red signifying courage and decisiveness, white signifying purity and virtue, and the dark blue signifying peace and integrity. Region South East Asia Population 42,382,633 (2006 estimate) Land Geography: Central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands Climate: Tropical monsoon People Religion: Theravada Buddhist 89%, Muslim 4%, Christian 4%, animist 1% and other 2% Language: Official: Burmese; plus 100 indigenous languages Economy GDP per person (PPP): $1,800 (2006 est.) GDP by sector: Agriculture: 54.7%, Industry: 10.6%, Services: 34.7% Government Military regime (State Peace and Development Council) Land Physical geography Burma is a diamond shaped country covering an area of 676,577 square km. It can be divided into five main regions: the northern mountains, with the highest peak, Hkakabo Razi (5967 m), the western mountains, the Shan Plateau in the east, the central lowlands and the coastal area. The north-south running mountains define the courses of the two major rivers. The Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady), drains about three-fifths of the country's surface and the Salween (Thanlwin), drains the Shan Plateau region. Climate Burma's tropical climate is influenced greatly by the monsoons of southern Asia. There are three seasons, a cool dry period from late October to mid-February, a hot dry period from mid-February to mid-May, and the monsoon season from late May to late October. The annual rainfall decreases inland from 5,000mm in the coastal plains to 900mm in the central basin around Mandalay. Most rain falls during the monsoons. Average daily maximum temperatures range between 23º and 32ºC in the highlands of the Shan Plateau and 29º and 36ºC in Rangoon (Yangon) in the south. Environment About one third of Burma is covered by forest which support a wide variety of birds, mammals and snakes. Extensive logging operations is leading to widespread deforestation. causing new problems of erosion, floods, and landslides. It is also threatening some of the last habitats on earth for endangered animals such as the clouded leopard, gaur, silvered leaf monkey, tapir, tiger, Asian elephant, and Asian rhinoceros. People The population of Burma is over 47 million. Three quarters of the people live in the central lowlands and coastal areas. Although one quarter of the people live in urban areas there are only two cities with more than one million people - the capital Rangoon (Yangon) with over 4.4 million people and Mandalay, the capital before colonialisation, with just over one million. People Culture and identity Most people (68%) are of ethnic Burmans (Tibeto-Chinese extraction). The Shan (9%), from the eastern plateau, the Karen (7%), in the delta region, the Pegu Yama range and the lower basin of the Salween River, and the Rakhine (4%), in the west, are the major ethnic groups. Chinese (3%) and Indian (2%) are the major migrant groups. Buddhism and the Burmese royalty have strongly influenced all forms of art - painting, wood carving and sculpture. The most popular dramatic form is the pwe, which is performed outdoors. Pwe may be dramatisations of Buddhist legends or comedy. It may include dance or giant puppets accompanied by group singing or percussion instruments - drums, boat-shaped harps, gongs and bamboo flutes. The cinema and rock music are becoming more common with young people. Health There is limited government spending on health, water and sanitation services which means life expectancy at birth is 61 years and infant mortality rate is 62/1000 live births. Tuberculosis and malaria occur widely and HIV/AIDS, spread both by intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse, is most intense in the northeast. Religion and beliefs The majority of the population are Theravada Buddhist (89%), with small groups of Muslim (4%) and Christian (4%). Ethnic groups may be animist or have their own forms of religion. Food and shelter Burmese food is hot and spicy. Fish and vegetables are cooked with onions, ginger, garlic and chillies. Burman tea is strong, sweet and milky. Sugar-cane juice is a very popular street-side drink. Alcoholic drinks include orange brandy and lychee wine. Economy Wealth and poverty Nearly one quarter of the population live below the poverty line while the richest 10% share about one third of the total income. Education and work The official literacy rate is 85% but limited government spending on education and low rates of school attendance past grade 5 mean that the functional literacy rate is more likely to be 30%. Student unrest has led to the closing of some universities and strong restrictions placed on course work. Industries and products Burma's main agricultural products are rice, pulses, beans, sesame, peanuts and sugarcane. Food processing and clothing, pharmaceutical and fertilizer manufacture are the main industries. Trade Burma's official exports consist of gas, wood products, pulses, beans, fish and rice. The main countries of export are Thailand 39%, India 11.5%, China 6%, Japan 5% (2004). Burma imports machinery, construction materials, crude oil and food products from China 28%, Singapore 21%, Thailand 19%, South Korea 5%, Malaysia 5% (2004). Achievements and challenges Burma is prone to earthquakes and cyclones. Flooding and landslides are common during rainy season but there is also occasional drought. Deforestation is a major issue as the country struggles for export income. Burma is a resource-rich country but poor economic management and social development have lead to widespread poverty. Strong government control limits freedom of speech. There is an estimate 1144 political prisoners and many people have sought asylum or work in neighbouring countries. There is a large informal economy which includes people and drug trafficking. Links with Australia Independence from Britain (1948) and the military takeover (1962) led to roughly 7,000 Anglo-Burmese (people of mixed British and Burmese descent) migrating to Australia between 1948 and 1972. Unrest during the 1990s led to the intake of Burmese under the Migration Refugee Special Humanitarian Program. Burma-born people live mainly in Western Australia (50%), NSW (30%) and Victoria (10%). Australia 's trade and investment relationship with Burma is very limited. In 2005, Australian imports from Burma totalled $15 million and Australian exports to Burma amounted to $40 million. Australian Aid Assistance to Burma focuses on addressing the country's dire humanitarian situation and significant trans-boundary issues of concern such as HIV/AIDS, people trafficking and illicit drugs. Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

The Intha people live in stilted villages around Lake Inle. They are famous for their balance, standing to row their narrow boats with their leg wrapped around the paddle and for dropping their conical fishing net over their catch in the shallow waters of the lake. Photographer: Robin Smith, Photolibrary.com

Detail from Burma's flag showing the stalk of rice which represents Burma's agricultural base, and 14 five-pointed stars representing the country's 14 administrative divisions