Should we say Burma or Myanmar?

The official English name was changed by the country’s government from the “Union of Burma” to the “Union of Myanmar” in 1989, and still later to the “Republic of the Union of Myanmar”.

Why Burma changed its name to Myanmar?

Officially, on paper, the country’s name is Myanmar. In 1989, the ruling military government changed the name from Burma to Myanmar after thousands were killed in an uprising. The city of Rangoon also became Yangon. The name change was also a way to rid the country of British colonial influences.

Are Myanmar and Burma the same country?

Myanmar is the official name of the country upended by a military coup this week. In official documents issued by the Biden administration, the country with beaches on the Andaman Sea is Burma.

Was Myanmar a formerly Burma?

In 1989, the military government officially changed the English translations of many names dating back to Burma’s colonial period or earlier, including that of the country itself: Burma became Myanmar.

Who owned Burma?

British rule in Burma lasted from 1824 to 1948, from the successive three Anglo-Burmese wars through the creation of Burma as a province of British India to the establishment of an independently administered colony, and finally independence. The region under British control was known as British Burma.

Why is Myanmar not called Myanmar in English?

These reasons include: Myanmar more closely resembles the Burmese name for the country, Myanma; Myanmar is a more culturally inclusive term, and the English term Burma sounds similar to the colloquial term Bama. The English name Myanmar has not been accepted on a global level.

Is it Burma or Yangon?

Everyone can agree that it was Burma up until 1989 when the military junta enacted the Adaptation of Expression Law. This decreed English transliteration changes of geographic locations, including Burma, becoming Myanmar and the capital Rangoon becoming Yangon.

What is the difference between Burmah and Burmese?

The two words mean the same thing and one is derived from the other. Burmah, as it was spelt in the 19th Century, is a local corruption of the word Myanmar. They have both been used within Burma for a long time, says anthropologist Gustaaf Houtman, who has written extensively about Burmese politics.

Why isn’t the United States recognizing Burma’s name change?

The U.S. and others that have not recognized the name change generally argue that it was made without the consent of the people and was thus illegitimate. The military regime, however, has said that “Burma” only refers to its largest ethnic group and is not inclusive of the country’s other 134 ethnic communities.

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