Burma’s been in the news a lot recently because of the Rohingya crisis in the north-west of the country, where many thousands of the large ethnic Bengali community (who are denied Burmese citizenship) are fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh alleging persecution at the hands of the Burmese military and security forces.
Why do we say ‘Burma’ rather than ‘Myanmar’? Because the military government (the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC) which seized power in a coup in 1988, decided the following year to change the country’s official name to Myanmar. The democracy movement argued that they had no right to do so.
Take our quick quiz and find out how much (or how little) you know about this fascinating, enigmatic yet troubled country.
- Burma is bordered by five other countries. Can you name them?
- What is the currency of Burma?
- What is the name of the country’s largest river?
- Who or what is a nat?
- What is the official capital of Myanmar?