Burma Decides It’s the ‘Union of Myanmar’

This country has officially changed its name in English to the Union of Myanmar and renamed the capital of Rangoon to Yangon, the state-run Working People’s Daily said.

In Monday’s law changing Burma’s name, the nationality--Burmese--also was changed to Myanmar. The word for Burma and Burmese in the Burmese language are both pronounced Myanmar.

The names of states, towns and other geographical sites are to be written in English according to the Burmese pronunciation. Rangoon, for example, is to be written as Yangon, which is the Burmese pronunciation of the capital.

The latest change in the country’s name, government officials say, is to better reflect Burma’s ethnic diversity. The term Burma connotes Burman--the dominant ethnic group in the country--to the exclusion of ethnic minorities.

The country is ruled by military officers who seized power in September.