Myanmar

## Description

 Capital
 Language
 Government
 Leader
 Area
 Population
 GDP
 GDP per Capita
 Currency

A fresh breeze of change sweeps across ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်, (The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma). The sovereign state in Southeast Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand may not be known for its transparency, but perhaps for being one of the largest exporters of heroin in the world.

There has just recently been a democratic election, the first one since 1990 - which the military dictatorship who had been in power since 1962 declared invalid. In a landmark 2015 election, the National League for Democracy won a majority in both houses, ending military rule. The military support party admit defeat but they, despite the loss, still have the right and power to appoint the key defense, interior and border trade ministers.

Myanmar is a country rich in jade and gems, oil, natural gas and other mineral resources. A 2015 estimate, its GDP (nominal) stood at $73.620 billion ($1,419 per capita) and its GDP (PPP) at $269.996 billion ($5,207 per capita). The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world, as a large proportion of the economy is controlled by supporters of the former military government.

The armed forces are known as the Tatmadaw, which numbers 488,000, making the country ranked twelfth in the world for its number of active troops in service. It comprises the Army, the Navy and a quite small Air Force.

### Brief summary of erlier history.

* *Myanmar has received extensive military aid from China in the past*
* *Imports most of its weapons form Russia, Ukraine, China and India*
* *Is building a research nuclear reactor near Pyin Oo Lwin with help from Russia*
* *In 2010 Wikileaks leaked information making Myanmar suspected of using North Korean construction teams to build a fortified Surface-to-Air Missile facility*
* *Reports gathered from anti-government Burmese shows that North Korea may be exporting nuclear technology to Myanmar*
* *Restrictions on media censorship were said to be significantly eased in 2012*

## Future goals and aspirations of Myanmar

Myanmar/Burma is standing on wobbly feet right now but do have its eyes fixed on some certain goals.

* Improve foreign relations.
* Establish military and trade alliances.
* Raise military budget.
* Boost GDP in any way possible.
* Search for new and expand current sources of exportable goods.
* Gain more influence on the regional and global stage.
* Decriminalize drugs.
* Build adequate infrastructure.
* Promote tourism
* Reform the education program

## Timeline

[May 2016] [News] Myanmar citizens disregard wealth as a main source of happiness.

[May 2016] [News] Praised speech from Suang Sun Maiy, party member of National League for Democracy, is bound to go down in the annals of history.

[April 2016] [News] Myanmar's first civilian-backed government in more than 50 years is pledging an open economy and has a heap of new business friendly laws.

[April 2016] [Event] Myanmar is looking to expand incomes from mineral resources by exploring previously untapped sources and opening new mines. **A great success, boosting the economy with almost 10%**