Older people know it as Burma, today it is called Myanmar; this Southeastern Asian country has been renamed several times through history. Take a look at the story behind the name.
Origin
Both names have roots in the same Burmese word. Burma comes from the word "Bama" which was the spoken name of the country. It is believed that while "Myanma" (where Myanmar comes from) was the written name of the country, in oral language "myan" was shortened to "ba". The name "Burma" was first introduced by the English.
History
 The country used to be called "Burma" from colonial times to 1974, when the name was reformed to "Socialistic Republic of Burma". Later on it became "Union of Burma". In 1989 the military junta decided to change several names (of cities etc) that reminded of the county's colonial past, so the name changed once again, from "Union of Burma" to "Union of Myanmar". The last official change came in 2011 when "Union of Myanmar" became "Republic of Union of Myanmar".
Today
Individuals, countries and official organizations (like United Nations) still disagree on how the country should be referred as. Germany, France, Japan, China, Russia and most Asian countries have adopted the name "Myanmar". On the other hand, English Speaking countries like United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia still refer to the country as "Burma". The same goes with the official media. New York Times, CNN, Reuters and Associated Press refer to the country as "Myanmar" while The Washington Post, National post (Canada) and others continue to use the name "Burma". The United Nations recognized "Myanmar" to be the official name of the country five days after it was announced.
Reasons of controversy
But why is the subject of the name so important? The ones that go with the official name "Myanmar" (the Burmese government among them) support that it is closer to the Burmese pronunciation and at the same time emphasizes the country's independence (as mentioned above the name Burma was introduced by the English colonists). On the other hand, supporters of "Burma" believe that accepting the name "Myanmar" equals with recognizing the junta (that first used the name "Myanmar") as a legal government.
What locals think
I was very curious about what locals want their country to be called so I asked a few people during my trip to Burma. I don't know if the sample was characteristic of the general population but the bottom line is that they don't really care much about how the rest of the world calls them. What they want people to realize is that they live in a country that is under military dictatorship; human rights are violated every day and people are called to pay ridiculous amounts of money for basic goods.
Myanmar or Burma, as it used to be called, it's up to you which name to use. No matter how people call it, it is a beautiful, unspoiled country waiting to be explored!
Origin
Both names have roots in the same Burmese word. Burma comes from the word "Bama" which was the spoken name of the country. It is believed that while "Myanma" (where Myanmar comes from) was the written name of the country, in oral language "myan" was shortened to "ba". The name "Burma" was first introduced by the English.
History
 The country used to be called "Burma" from colonial times to 1974, when the name was reformed to "Socialistic Republic of Burma". Later on it became "Union of Burma". In 1989 the military junta decided to change several names (of cities etc) that reminded of the county's colonial past, so the name changed once again, from "Union of Burma" to "Union of Myanmar". The last official change came in 2011 when "Union of Myanmar" became "Republic of Union of Myanmar".
Today
Individuals, countries and official organizations (like United Nations) still disagree on how the country should be referred as. Germany, France, Japan, China, Russia and most Asian countries have adopted the name "Myanmar". On the other hand, English Speaking countries like United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia still refer to the country as "Burma". The same goes with the official media. New York Times, CNN, Reuters and Associated Press refer to the country as "Myanmar" while The Washington Post, National post (Canada) and others continue to use the name "Burma". The United Nations recognized "Myanmar" to be the official name of the country five days after it was announced.
Reasons of controversy
But why is the subject of the name so important? The ones that go with the official name "Myanmar" (the Burmese government among them) support that it is closer to the Burmese pronunciation and at the same time emphasizes the country's independence (as mentioned above the name Burma was introduced by the English colonists). On the other hand, supporters of "Burma" believe that accepting the name "Myanmar" equals with recognizing the junta (that first used the name "Myanmar") as a legal government.
What locals think
I was very curious about what locals want their country to be called so I asked a few people during my trip to Burma. I don't know if the sample was characteristic of the general population but the bottom line is that they don't really care much about how the rest of the world calls them. What they want people to realize is that they live in a country that is under military dictatorship; human rights are violated every day and people are called to pay ridiculous amounts of money for basic goods.
Myanmar or Burma, as it used to be called, it's up to you which name to use. No matter how people call it, it is a beautiful, unspoiled country waiting to be explored!