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.

---

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)

---

Myanmar Cultural  

1. The official name for Burma since 1989.

---

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

"However, it is observed that a few Member States continue to maintain restrictions, discriminatory measures, and the exclusion of the Myanmar Government from equal representation."

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

US government documents said Stone will work on "rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief".

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held in detention since a military coup in 2021, has been moved to house arrest, the country's state media reported.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The average price in Myanmar was $1.56 per liter as of April 27, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com, which tracks retail energy prices around the world.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 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