List of renamed places in Myanmar


After the Burmese military staged a coup in 1988 after the 8888 Uprising, the military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council began the process of re-romanizing and renaming many place names and ethnonyms throughout the country, often to better approximate their native endonymic pronunciations.
On 18 June 1989, SLORC enacted the Adaptation of Expressions Law, which officially renamed "Burma" as "Myanmar" and "Burmese" as "Myanma," and permitted authorities to rename any the English language names of any state, division, township zone, township, town, ward, village-tract, village or any river, stream, forest, mountain or island to better conform with the Burmese pronunciation, via notification in the Burma Gazette. Prior to the renaming, many coastal towns and cities had colonial-era English names, based on nonstandard approximations of their Burmese names.
The renaming of "Myanmar" remains highly contested. Many opposition parties and human rights groups, especially among ethnic minorities, view "Myanmar" as a name that reinforces the dominance of the Bamar majority and disregards the distinct identities of the country's many diverse ethnic groups. They often prefer "Burma" as a more neutral term. Despite the official renaming of the country from Burma to Myanmar and its capital from Rangoon to Yangon, the names and spellings in the Burmese language have mostly remained unchanged — မြန်မာ and ရန်ကုန်.

Country

Burma → Myanmar

Cities & towns

Akyab → SittweAmherst → KyaikkhamiAva → InwaBassein → PatheinHenzada → HinthadaHsenwi → TheinniHsipaw → ThibawKemmendine → KyimyindaingKeng Tung → Kyaing TongLawksawk → YatsaukKyaukpyu → KyaukphyuMagwe → MagwayMartaban → MottamaMaymyo → Pyin Oo LwinMergui → MyeikMöng Kawng → MogaungMöng Mit → MomeikMöng Nai → MoneMöng Pai → MobyeMöng Yang → MohnyinMoulmein → MawlamyinePanglong PinlonPagan → BaganPegu → BagoProme → PyayRamree → YanbyeRangoon → YangonSalween → ThanlwinSandoway → Thandwe

Regions & states

Arakan State → Rakhine StateIrrawaddy Division → Ayeyarwady RegionKaren State → Kayin StateKarenni State → Kayah StateMagwe Division → Magway RegionPegu Division → Bago RegionRangoon Division → Yangon RegionTenasserim Division → Tanintharyi Region

Geographic features

Rivers

Bassein River → Pathein RiverChindwin River → Chindwinn RiverIrrawaddy River → Ayeyarwady RiverSalween River → Thanlwin RiverSittang River → Sittaung River

Mountain ranges

Arakan Yoma → Rakhine YomaPegu Yoma → Bago Yoma

Islands

King Island ''→ Kadan IslandNegrais Island → Hainggyi IslandRamree Island →'' Yanbye Island

Ethnonyms