Is it Myanmar or Burma?

The first thing travelers notice is that the country is referred to differently by different individuals. Some call it Myanmar, while others call it Burma. This is unusual and perhaps one-of-a-kind.

So, what's it all about? Burma was the name given to the nation by the British during their monarchy, which lasted from 1824 to 1948. Burma derives its name from the majority Bamar ethnic group, which accounts for 70% of the population.

Following independence, the country was controlled by a repressive dictatorship commanded by a military junta. Burma was renamed the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in 1989, and Rangoon was renamed Yangon. Many democratic states refused to recognize the junta's control and hence refused to recognize the name change. Instead, they referred to it by its old name. In a nutshell, the old name is Burma, and the new name is Myanmar.