Head of state: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi Prime minister: Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi
President : Thein Sein
Population
194,320
54,584,650
Life Expectancy
72.660 years
65.240 years
Capital City
Rangoon (Yangon)
Largest city
Apia (population: 40,407)
Rangoon (population: 4,477,640)
Human Development Index
0.76
NA
GDP per capita
$1,300 US
Literacy Rate
99.7%
89.9%
Corruption Perception Index
4.4
NA
Percentage of Women in Parliament
8.2%
NA
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
5.500%
Death Penalty
Abolished
NA
Political System
parliamentary democracy
military junta
Independence date
4 January 1948 (from UK)
Religions
Congregationalist 34.8%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-Day Saints 12.7%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Languages
Samoan (Polynesian), English
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
kyats (MMK) per US dollar - 1,205 (2008 est.), 1,296 (2007), 1,280 (2006), 5.761 (2005), 5.7459 (2004) 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 2003-05 are official exchange rates
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Area
2,831 km sq
676,578 km sq
Coastline
403 km
1,930 km
Climate
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May 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)
