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Nationalities of China

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Ethnolinguistic map of China
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Ethnolinguistic map of China

The People's Republic of China (PRC) is a multi-ethnic unitary state and, as such, officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (or Mínzú, [[wiktionary:民|民]][[wiktionary:族|族]]), also translated as nationalities, within China. Of these the Han are the majority (>92%), and the remaining 55 ethnic groups (referred to as Shǎoshù Mínzú in Chinese; [[wiktionary:少|少]][[wiktionary:數|數]][[wiktionary:民|民]][[wiktionary:族|族]]) are considered ethnic minorities. In addition to the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, there are some Chinese who privately classify themselves as members of unrecognized ethnic groups (such as Jewish, Tuvan, Oirat and Ili Turki), although most Chinese who are uncertain of their specific ethnicity identify themselves generically as Han. Also, foreign nationals who have become Chinese citizens form yet another separate group. The direct translation of minzu (民族) may mean "ethnic group", "people", or "nationality"[link].

In general, the system of 56 ethnic groups is applied only within mainland China, with the exception of the ethnic groups of Hainan and Taiwanese aborigines. The latter are classified as a single one of the 56 ethnic groups--Gaoshan ("High Mountains")--although they represent several linguistically and culturally diverse ethnicities. Hong Kong and Macau do not use this ethnic classification system, and figures by the PRC government do not include Hong Kong and Macau.

In the PRC and the Republic of China, the various ethnic groups in China are part of a broader "civil ethnicity" known as the Chinese nation ([[wiktionary:中|中]][[wiktionary:華|華]][[wiktionary:民|民]][[wiktionary:族|族]]; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínzú). Unless specifically stated or discussing Chinese minorities, English usage of the term "Chinese" typically refers to the Chinese nation, and not the Han Chinese.

Contents

Ethnic groups

Most ethnic groups are distinctive from one another, but there are some that are very similar to the Han majority group. For example, many Hui Chinese are indistinguishable from Han Chinese except for the fact that they practice Islam. Conversely, Hakka are often thought of as an ethnic group, but they are generally considered to be within the subgroups of the Han ethnicity.

While Han Chinese make up the vast majority of China's total population, the population distribution is highly uneven with large parts of western China having Han Chinese as a minority. In addition the lumping of most Chinese into the majority Han, obscures some of the large linguistic, cultural, and genetic differences between persons within that group.

The multi-ethnic nature of China results in many centuries of assimilation, expansion and modern consolidation of territories incorporated by the Qing dynasty, whose emperors were themselves Manchu and not members of the majority Han. Chinese ethnicities theory is heavily influenced by that of the Soviet Union. Official policy is against assimilation and maintains that each ethnic group should have the right to develop its own culture and language.

The degree of integration of ethnic minorities with the national community varies widely from group to group. With some groups, such as the Tibetans and the Uyghurs there is some resentment against the majority. Other groups such as the Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, and ethnic Koreans are well integrated into the national community and typically identify themselves as part of the Chinese nationality.

See List of China administrative regions by ethnic group for the ethnic composition of each province-level division of China.

The Long-horn tribe, a small branch of ethnic Miao in the western part of Guizhou Province.
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The Long-horn tribe, a small branch of ethnic Miao in the western part of Guizhou Province.

In order of population, the ethnic groups of China are:

Complications

Undistinguished ethnic groups (未识别民族: Wèi Shíbié Mínzú) are ethnic groups that have not been officially recognized or classified by the central government. The group numbers more than 730,000 people, and would constitute the 20th most populous ethnic group of China if taken as a single group (which it is not). The vast majority of this group is found in Guizhou province.

These "undistinguished ethnic groups" do not include groups that have been controversially classified into existing groups. For example, the Mosuo are officially classified as Naxi, and the Chuanqing are classified as Han Chinese, but they reject these classifications and view themselves as separate ethnic groups.

Citizens of mainland China (i.e., excluding the former European colonies of Hong Kong and Macau; see Macanese people) who are of foreign origin are classified using yet another separate label: "foreigners naturalized into the Chinese citizenship" (外国人入中国籍). However, if there is an existing group among the 56 ethnic groups that describes the citizen of foreign origin (e.g., Han Chinese, Korean, Russian, Gin, Kazakh, etc.), then he or she is classified into that ethnic group rather than the special label.

Religions

Note that some of these ethnic groups hold belief systems that cannot be distinctly classified based upon the following system (in alphabetical order).

Notes

See also

External links and references

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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