- Country name
- conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long form: Pyidaungzu Thammada Myanma Naingngandaw (translated as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar)
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, Union of Myanmar
etymology: both "Burma" and "Myanmar" derive from the name of the majority Burman (Bamar) ethnic group, with the term myanma, or "the strong," being the group's name for itself - Government type
- military regime
- Capital
- name: Rangoon (aka Yangon, continues to be recognized as the primary Burmese capital by the US Government); Nay Pyi Taw is the administrative capital
geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 10 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: Rangoon/Yangon derives from the Burmese words yan and koun, commonly translated as "end of strife"; Nay Pyi Taw translates as "abode of kings" - Administrative divisions
- 7 regions (taing-myar, singular - taing), 7 states (pyi ne-myar, singular - pyi ne), 1 union territory regions: Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Yangon (Rangoon) states: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan union territory: Nay Pyi Taw
- Legal system
- mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law
- Constitution
- history: previous 1947, 1974 (suspended until 2008); latest drafted 9 April 2008, approved by referendum 29 May 2008
amendment process: proposals require at least 20% approval by the Assembly of the Union membership; passage of amendments to sections of the constitution on basic principles, government structure, branches of government, state emergencies, and amendment procedures requires 75% approval by the Assembly and approval in a referendum by absolute majority of registered voters; passage of amendments to other sections requires only 75% Assembly approval; military granted 25% of parliamentary seats by default - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Burma
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: none - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: Acting President Sr. Gen. MIN AUNG HLAING (since 31 July 2025)
head of government: Prime Minister NYO SAW (since 31 July 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet appointments shared by the president and the commander-in-chief
election/appointment process: prior to the military takeover in 2021, president was indirectly elected by simple majority vote by the full Assembly of the Union from among 3 vice-presidential candidates nominated by the Presidential Electoral College (consists of members of the lower and upper houses and military members); the other 2 candidates became vice presidents (president elected for a 5-year term)
most recent election date: 8 November 2020
election results: 2020: the National League for Democracy (NLD) won 396 seats across both houses -- well above the 322 required for a parliamentary majority -- but on 1 February 2021, the military claimed the results of the election were illegitimate and deposed State Counsellor AUNG SAN SUU KYI and President WIN MYINT of the NLD, causing military-affiliated Vice President MYINT SWE (USDP) to become acting president; MYINT SWE subsequently handed power to coup leader MIN AUNG HLAING; WIN MYINT and other key leaders of the ruling NLD party were placed under arrest after the military takeover2018: WIN MYINT elected president in an indirect by-election held on 28 March 2018 after the resignation of HTIN KYAW; Assembly of the Union vote for president - WIN MYINT (NLD) 403, MYINT SWE (USDP) 211, HENRY VAN THIO (NLD) 18, 4 votes canceled (636 votes cast)
expected date of next election: on 31 July 2025, the military government announced that it was preparing for elections to be held in December 2025
state counsellor: State Counselor AUNG SAN SUU KYI (since 6 April 2016); note - under arrest since 1 February 2021 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Assembly of the Union (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw)
legislative structure: bicameral
most recent election date: 28 December 2025
expected date of next election: on 31 July 2025, the military government announced that it was preparing for elections to be held in late December 2025 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Union (consists of the chief justice and 7-11 judges)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice and judges nominated by the president, with approval of the Lower House, and appointed by the president; judges normally serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
subordinate courts: High Courts of the Region; High Courts of the State; Court of the Self-Administered Division; Court of the Self-Administered Zone; district and township courts; special courts (for juvenile, municipal, and traffic offenses); courts martial - Political parties
- according to the military regime, more than 50 parties registered and were approved for the December 2025 election, but only 9 contested nationwide; the remainder ran in regional or state constituenciesthe 9 parties included:Democratic Party of National Politics (DNP)Myanmar Farmers Development Party (MFDP)National Democratic Force Party (NDF)National Unity Party (NUP)People’s PartyPeople’s Pioneer Party (PPP)Shan and Ethnic Democratic Party (SEDP)Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)Women’s Party (Mon)
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Soe Thet NAUNG (since 24 June 2025)
chancery: 2300 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-3344
FAX: [1] (202) 332-4351
email address and website: washington-embassy@mofa.gov.mmhttps://www.mewashingtondc.org/
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Susan STEVENSON (since 10 July 2023)
embassy: 110 University Avenue, Kamayut Township, Rangoon
mailing address: 4250 Rangoon Place, Washington DC 20521-4250
telephone: [95] (1) 753-6509
FAX: [95] (1) 751-1069
email address and website: ACSRangoon@state.govhttps://mm.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- ADB, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, CP, EAS, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Independence
- 4 January 1948 (from the UK)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)
- Flag
- description: three equal horizontal stripes of yellow (top), green, and red; centered on the green band is a five-pointed white star that overlaps onto the yellow and red stripeshistory: the design revives the triband colors that Burma used from 1943 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation
- National symbol(s)
- chinthe (mythical lion)
- National color(s)
- yellow, green, red, white
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Kaba Ma Kyei" (Till the End of the World)
lyrics/music: SAYA TIN
history: adopted 1948 - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Pyu Ancient Cities; Bagan