Burma or, officially,[1] the Union of Myanmar (Burmese: , pronounced [pjìdàunz? mj?mà nàin?ànd?`]), is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia.
The British began conquering Burma in 1824 and incorporated the country into the British Raj in 1886. Burma was administered as a province of British India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. The country achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 4 January 1948, as the "Union of Burma." It became the "Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma" on 4 January 1974, before reverting to the "Union of Burma" on 23 September 1988. On 18 June 1989, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) adopted the name "Union of Myanmar" for English transliteration. This controversial name change in English was not recognized by the opposition groups and many English-speaking nations, as the government which decreed it is unrecognized.
The country is bordered by China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest, with the Bay of Bengal to the southwest. One-third of Burma's total perimeter, 1,930 kilometres (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline.
The country's diverse population has played a major role in defining its politics, history and demographics in modern times. Its political system remains under the tight control of SPDC, the military led government, since 1992, by Senior General Than Shwe. The military has dominated government since General Ne Win led a coup in 1962 that toppled the civilian government of U Nu. Part of the British Empire until 1948, Burma continues to struggle to mend its ethnic tensions. The country's culture, heavily influenced by neighbours, is based on Theravada Buddhism intertwined with local elements.
According to WIKIPEDIA
