Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand

Map references: Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 678,500 sq km
land area: 657,740 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries: total 5,876 km, Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km

Coastline: 1,930 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: 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)

Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands

Natural resources: petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 1%
forest and woodland: 49%
other: 34%

Irrigated land: 10,180 sq km (1989)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation
natural hazards: subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September)
international agreements: party to - Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes

NOTE: The information regarding Burma on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Burma Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Burma Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.