[Grammar] what was then Burma

[kadioguy]

Our next stop and primary destination, the ancient city of Bagan, likely looks much as it did in the days when British author George Orwell worked for the Indian Imperial Police in what was then Burma.

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Hello, everyone.

What is the grammar of this sentence "...in what was then Burma"?

why is "...in what was then Burma" not a question?

Thanks!

 

[GoesStation]

It isn't a question because in this instance, "what" means "the place which". You could rephrase the last bit as "...in the place which was, at that time, Burma."

 

[emsr2d2]

At the time George Orwell was there, it was called Burma. Now it's called Myanmar.