Full country name: Union of Myanmar (Burma became Myanmar in 1989 after the State Law and Order Restoration Council decided that the old name implied the dominance of Burmese culture; the Burmese are just one of the many ethnic groups in the country)
Area: 671,000 sq km (416,020 sq mi)
Population: 45 million (growth rate 2.1%)
Capital city: Yangon (Rangoon) (pop 4 million)
People: 65% Burmese, 10% Shan, 7% Karen, 4% Rakhine and Chin, Kachin, Mon, Chinese, Indian and Assamese minorities
Language: Burmese, also Karen, Chin, Shan and Kachin dialects
Religion: 87% Theravada Buddhist, 5% Christian, 4% Muslim, 3% animist
Government: Military council
Prime Minister: General Khin Nyunt
Defense Minister: Than Shwe
Major products/industries: teak, rice, jute and illegal opium poppies
Major trading partners: Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, India