Burmese language has been used as a medium of communication for more than 1000 years. It is spoken by more than 60 million people in Myanmar, and about 5 million people in Bangladesh. In the history of religion, the religion of Buddhism was the most popular, but since the mid-20th century, the majority of the people have turned to Christianity, mainly Catholic. Now, the population is divided among Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. In Myanmar, the most popular religion is Buddhism, and in Bangladesh, Islam is the most prevalent religion. The people of Myanmar prefer to be known as Buddhist, while those of Bangladesh prefer to be called Muslim.