Ethnic Groups in China
The largest ethnic
group in China is that of the Han Chinese., which is also recognised
as the biggest ethnic group across the world. About 92% of the
population of the Peoples Republic of China, 98% of that of the
Republic of China, 75% of that of Singapore and 19% of the entire
world constitutes the Han Chinese, symbolized with Red colour. In
addition to them, China accounts for 55 other ethnic groups,
consisting of around 105 million persons, mainly in the regions of
northwest, north, northeast, south, southwest and a few in central
interior zones.
Amongst the minority
ethnic groups, the major ones include Zhuang accounting for 16.1
million people, Manchu with 10.6 million people, Hui with 9.8
million, Miao with 8.9 million, Uyghur with 8.3 million, Tujia with
8 million, Yi with 7.7 million, Mongol with 5.8 million, Tibetan
with 5.4 million, Buyei with 2.9 million, Dong with 2.9 million, Yao
with 2.6 million, Korean with 1.9 million, Bai with 1.8 million,
Hani with 1.4 million, Kazakh with 1.2 million, Li with 1.2 million
and Dai (also known as Dai Lue) with 1.1 million out of the total
Chinese population, in the mainland China and Taiwan. These groups,
when coupled with the Han Chinese majority, are together known as
Zhonghua Minzu.
Other 37 officially
recognised ethnic groups by the government of the Peoples Republic
of China include She, Lisu, Gelao, Lahu, Dongxiang, Va, Sui, Nakhi,
Qiang, Tu, Xibe, Mulao, Kyrgyz, Daur, Jingpo, Salar, Blang, Maonan,
Tajik, Pumi, Achang, Nu, Ewenki, Jing, Jino, Deang, Uzbeks,
Russian, Yugur, Bonan, Monba, Orogen, Derung, Tatars, Hezhen, Lhoba
and Gaoshan. Some of the undistinguished ethnic minority groups in
China include Gejia, Khmu, Kucong, Mang, Deng, Sherpas, Bajia, Yi
and Youtia.
Besides the above,
the Republic of China officially recognises 13 of the total
Taiwanese aborigines ethnic group, called Gaoshan by the Peoples
Republic of China. These include Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Kavalan,
Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Sakiyat, Sakizaya, Tao, Thao, Truku
and Tsou.
There is no
distinguishing between various ethnic groups in China in the
governments of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and
Macau. These countries do not use the official ethnicity
classification system of the Peoples Republic of China and
vice-versa. The list of ethnic groups in the Peoples Republic of
China, therefore, does not include ethnicities of Hong Kong and
China, namely, Filipinos, Indonesians, Europeans and South Asians
for Hong Kong, and Portuguese and Macanese for Macau.
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