Burma or Myanmar? Country can't agree on its name

Located in southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal between Bangladesh and Thailand, sits a country about the size of Texas.

It's called Burma. Or is it Myanmar?

Since 1989, military authorities in Burma and the current parliamentary government have promoted the name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state. However, some of the country's 55 million residents refer to their homeland as Burma.

The U.S. government has not adopted the name Myanmar.

Perhaps the inability to agree on a proper name is indicative of the civil unrest the country has experienced since released from British rule in 1947.

Since that time, the government has been dominated by the military.

Legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the victory of the National League for Democracy (NLD), but the military refused to hand over power, placing the NLD leader under house arrest.

Some of the Burmese people who have escaped and are living in Northeast Nebraska have described the military ruling with an iron fist, often destroying property and infringing on basic human rights.

Parliamentary elections were held in 2010 and although the vast majority of appointees are former or current military officers, the government has initiated a series of political and economic reforms, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners. Most political parties have begun building their institutions in preparation for the next round of general elections in 2015.

After closing its doors to the West for half a century, Burma has reopened, inviting tourists to come and discover its treasures. But for the people who live there every day, a number of issues remain.

Burma has been a source country for human trafficking for labor and sex. Children have also been recruited to become soldiers or to work.

The country is also the world's third-largest producer of illicit opium. Methamphetamine and heroin trafficking, along with money laundering, remain a scourge.

There is also a high risk of disease due to inadequate sanitation and water treatment.

Although Burma is rich in natural resources, it is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia with about 32 percent of the population living in poverty.

Petroleum, timber, precious stones, natural gas, coal and metal are listed among the country's assets, along with agricultural products like rice, sesame, sugarcane and fish.

However, the country suffers from pervasive government controls, inefficient economic policies and corruption. In the last two years, the Burmese government has initiated notable reforms such as allowing banks to trade foreign currency and abolishing exchange rates.

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Editor's note: Information from the CIA contributed to this report.

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