Background information
- Government type: Military junta
- Capital: Naypyidaw (formerly Rangoon)
- Population: 47,382,633 (2006 est.)
- Ethnic groups: Burman (Bamar) 68%, Shan 9%, Karen (Kayin) 7%, Arakananese (Rakhine) 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%
- Languages: Burmese (official), minority ethnic groups have their own languages
- Area: 678,500 km² (261,970 mi²)
- Literacy rate: 85.3% (Male 89.2%, Female 81.4%)
Burma or Myanmar?
‘Burma’ is a term in the English language coined by the British when they colonised present-day Burma, and is not used in the Burmese language. This term continues to be widely used in English-language literature In 1989, the military junta decided to rename the country ‘Myanmar’, which is a rough transliteration of the country in Burmese. However, western governments and certain publications argue that because the junta did not have legitimate power to do so, the goverments and publications continue to use ‘Burma’ as an alternative to ‘Myanmar’. Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy promote usage of ‘Burma’.
Burma News 