Myanmar

American  

[myahn-mahr, mee-uhn-mahr] / ˈmyɑn mɑr, ˈmi ən mɑr /

noun

1. a country in Southeast Asia, bordering on the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal; area 262, 000 sq. mi. (678,500 sq. km). Nay Pyi Taw.

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Myanmar British  

/ ˈmaɪænmɑː, ˈmjænmɑː /

noun

1. Official full name: the Union of Myanmar.  Former official name (until 1989, though still widely used): Burma.  a republic in SE Asia, on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea: unified from small states in 1752; annexed by Britain (1823–85) and made a province of India in 1886; became independent in 1948. It is generally mountainous, with the basins of the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers in the central part and the Irrawaddy delta in the south. Official language: Burmese. Religion: Buddhist majority. Currency: kyat. Capital: Yangon. Pop: 55 167 330 (2013 est). Area: 676 577 sq km (261 228 sq miles)

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Myanmar Cultural  

1. The official name for Burma since 1989.

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Usage

Due to a history of political and civil unrest, the official name of this country has been the subject of controversy. In 1989 the ruling military government changed the country’s name from Burma to Myanmar. The United Nations as well as almost all news organizations—including The New York Times, the Associated Press, and the BBC—adopted the new name. However, many pro-democracy groups and opponents of the government, both in-country and internationally, rejected the new name as illegitimate and continue to refer to the country as Burma. Both the U.S. Department of State and the CIA (for example, in its authoritative World Factbook ), as a matter of policy in support of democratic change, also continue to refer to the country as Burma.

Example Sentences

The BBC travelled to Myanmar without the permission of the authorities – the only way to report from rebel-held territory.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Mukhopadhaya says since 2017, China has widened its influence in Myanmar and become more open about supporting its military leadership in pursuit of its own strategic and economic interests.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Myanmar's state-run English-language newspaper, the Global New Light of Myanmar, has published a joint statement saying both countries underscored the need to prevent the misuse of Myanmar's territory for activities "inimical to their security interests".

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing, who is in India on a five-day visit, has held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on areas including trade, connectivity, border security and defence.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

An even more drastic linguistic upheaval must have swept over tropical Southeast Asia to the south of China—in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Peninsular Malaysia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond