Myanmar's population is increasing steadily with an annual growth rate of 1.87% and the estimated total for 1995 is approximately 45 million. Out of this total about 75% are living in rural areas where farming is the main occupation. There are 4.4 million farm families working in the whole country. The total labour force is estimated at 17 million out of which 65% are engaged in the agricultural sector. Most of Myanmar lies in the tropical monsoonal zone with the exception of the temperate northern most parts of the country. There are three well-defined seasons: a hot summer from March to mid-May, a rainy season from mid-May to mid-October and a dry and a cool season from mid-October to February, with large variations depending on latitude, altitude and topographical characteristics of each region.
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