Myanmar

[ mee-uhn-mahr, myahn-mahr ]

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

/ ˈmjænmɑː; ˈmaɪænmɑː /

noun

1. 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) Official full namethe Union of Myanmar Former official name (until 1989, though still widely used)Burma

Myanmar

1. The official name for Burma since 1989.

Usage Note

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

Compared with neighbors Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos, Cambodia appears to have a blossoming civil society.

From The Daily Beast

Did you visit Myanmar, which is one of the other main settings?

From The Daily Beast

I traveled in Myanmar for a few weeks with a journalist friend in 2006, and it kind of blew my mind.

From The Daily Beast

He was pursued by law-enforcement officials from Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and China.

From The Daily Beast

He joined the Muang Tai Army, a former resistance group in Myanmar, and fought against the military junta.

From The Daily Beast