| Government
& Politics
Myanmar is under the control of the State Peace and Development
Council, (formerly the State Law and Order Restoration Committee, SLORC). 
The SPDC, and the SLORC before it, perform both legislative
and administrative functions and oversees the cabinet. The Prime Minister is both
the Head of State, Head of Government, and Chairman of SPDC. He presides over
the executive cabinet, also made up of SPDC members. The country is administratively
broken down into 7 yin-mya (divisions) and 7 pyine-mya (states) with each division
and state governed by its own divisional or SPDC Council. Mainly populated by
the dominant Burmans, the divisions are centrally located and generally more developed
than the seven remote and mountainous states. States are named after and populated
by each of the seven other major indigenous races in Myanmar. The largest cities
are the national capital, Yangon, and Mandalay.
Economy
One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, according to UN figures, Myanmar
is nevertheless rich in natural resources, with significant deposits of petroleum,
tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, limestone, precious stones,
natural gas, oil, tin, gemstones, silver and coal. Agriculture, livestock and
fishing employ two-thirds of the population, and make up the largest sectors of
the economy. About 15% of the land is cultivated, mainly with rice, but other
crops include oil seeds, sugar cane, cotton, jute and rubber. Less than 10% of
the people are employed in manufacturing, which has an emphasis on heavy industrial
production. Major exports include rice, timber and wood products (especially quality
hardwood), petroleum and various minerals and precious gems. Several foreign companies
are engaged in oil exploration and hydroelectric projects, and energy production
is seen as an increasingly important activity. |
