Fox Facts: Burma / Myanmar
- Burma’s government is run by military junta.
- Burma's constitution has been suspended since September 18, 1988, when the current junta took power.
- Burma is called Myanmar by the ruling junta.
- The democratically elected but never convened Parliament of 1990 does not recognize the name change. The democratic opposition continues to use the name "Burma."
- Myanmar’s junta has been bolstered by ties to India and China. Beijing and New Delhi compete for access to Myanmar’s natural resources.
- An estimated 89% of the population practices Buddhism.
- Burma is in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand.
- Burma is slightly smaller than Texas.
- Burma is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium.
Sources: U.S. State Department, CIA’s The World Factbook and Council on Foreign Relations
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