Is it called Burma or Myanmar? In 1989, the SLORC government mandated that their country should henceforth be known in English as Myanmar instead of Burma. (In all, several hundred place names were changed; another prominent example was the renaming of Rangoon to Yangon). This name change has not been accepted by all members of the international community. Some, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, did not recognize the legitimacy of the military government, and therefore continued to refer to the country as Burma, a decision that provoked resentment in the Burmese government. Others, such as the UN and the ASEAN, avoided taking this step, and instead referred to the country as Myanmar.
This country profile endeavors to use the preferred term of the government, and therefore refers to the country as Burma before 1989 and as Myanmar from 1989 to the present day.
Sources
Lowell Ditmar, “Burma vs. Myanmar: What’s in a name?” Asian Survey 48 (2008).