Why are hurricanes in the Pacific called cyclones?

Question

The disaster in Myanmar was caused by a cyclone. What is the difference between that and a hurricane like Katrina?

Answer 1

Actually, hurricanes over the western Pacific are known as typhoons, while over the eastern Pacific (and the Atlantic basin)   they are called hurricanes.  The storm that struck Myanmar was a Cyclone, because it came from the northern Indian Ocean.  There is no difference between them other than their names, which depend on where they are located.  They are all the same type of storm system.

Answer 2

No difference. It's just the area of the world where they occur.