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The country once known as Burma officially changed its name to Myanmar in 1989, following years of internal turmoil. The young democracy is undergoing drastic political, social and economic changes. In 2012, during a visit to the country, then-President Barack Obama used both “Burma” and “Myanmar.” An adviser to Myanmar’s president called that “very positive” and said it was an “acknowledgement of Myanmar’s government. Myanmar is a small country in South East Asia with a population of almost 55 million inhabitants. government still officially uses “Burma.” But even Washington has mellowed its stance. Inside the country, opposition leaders made clear it didn’t matter much anymore. As repression eased and international opposition to the military became less vocal, “Myanmar” became increasingly common. Only 3 countries in the world have not adopted it Myanmar, the United States and Liberia. In Myanmar, people do not use the metric system of measures. The biggest book in the world is in Myanmar. Over the years, many countries and news outlets, including The Associated Press, had begun using the country’s official name. Myanmar (Burma) is a country which has a history of more than 2.5 thousand years old. Longtime pro-democracy activist Suu Kyi became the country’s civilian leader. The military retained extensive political power, but opposition leaders were freed from prison and house arrest, and elections were allowed. Much of the world showed defiance of the junta by refusing to use the new name.Ī little over a decade ago, the country began a stumbling semi-democratic transition. In the Burmese language, “Myanmar” is simply the more formal version of “Burma.” The country’s name was changed only in English.
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The old name, officials said, excluded the country’s many ethnic minorities.Īt home, though, it changed nothing. Hoping for a sliver of international legitimacy, it said it was discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity. But in 1989, one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar.īy then, Burma was an international pariah, desperate for any way to improve its image. – People in Myanmar honk horns, bang on pots to protest coupįor generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group.– EXPLAINER: Myanmar, Burma and why the different names matter.– Coup a further complication for tricky Myanmar-China ties.