Burma

[ bur-muh ]

noun
  1. a country in Southeast Asia, renamed Myanmar in 1989.

  • Former official name Union of Burma .

usage note For Burma

See Myanmar.

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British Dictionary definitions for Burma

Burma

/ (ˈbɜːmə) /


noun
  1. the former official name (until 1989, though still widely used) of Myanmar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Burma

Burma

Republic in Southeast Asia, now officially known as Myanmar, bordered by Bangladesh, India, and the Bay of Bengal to the west; China to the north and northeast; Laos and Thailand to the east; and the Andaman Sea to the south. Rangoon is its capital and largest city.

Notes for Burma

Under British control until 1948, it then became an independent republic.

Notes for Burma

During World War II, the Allies and Japanese troops fought intense campaigns over control of the Burma Road, a vital supply link between China and India.

Notes for Burma

Run by its military in the 1970s and 1980s, Burma saw its economy decline. Free elections in 1990 were won by the main opposition party, but the military government refused to relinquish its powers.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.