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List of ethnic groups in Myanmar

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List of ethnic groups in Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) is an ethnically diverse nation with 135 distinct ethnic groups officially recognised by the Burmese government. These are grouped into eight "major national ethnic races":

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Note: This map is based on 1972 Burmese census. Other ethnic groups like Rakhine, Kayah, Pa’O and Shanni might not appear on this map because government merge sub ethnic groups into a large single ethnic group. (i.e. Kayah and Pa’O are Karen sub groups so government merge them into a one single ethnic identity.)

The "major national ethnic races" are grouped primarily according to region rather than linguistic or ethnic affiliation, as for example the Shan Major National Ethnic Race includes 33 ethnic groups speaking languages in at least four widely differing language families.[1] Myanmar's contemporary politics around ethnicity surround treating ethnicity as a minoritising discourse, pitting a "pan-ethnic" national identity against minority groups. Often ethnicity identities in practice are flexible- sometimes as flexible as simply changing clothes- in part due to a lack of religious or caste stratification prior to British colonialism.[2]

The list has faced criticism for overcounting the number of ethnic groups. Specifically, it represents clans and people with dialectical differences as distinct ethnic groups, sometimes even repeating the same group under a different name.[3] According to Gamanii, a researcher who scrutinized the claim, only 59 out of the 135 ethnic groups mentioned can be verified as existing entities.[4]

Many unrecognised ethnic groups exist, the largest being the Burmese Chinese and Panthay (who together form 3% of the population), Burmese Indians (who form 2% of the population), Rohingya, Anglo-Burmese and Gurkha. There are no official statistics regarding the population of the latter two groups, although unofficial estimates place around 52,000 Anglo-Burmese in Burma with around 1.6 million outside the country.

Ethnic composition of Myanmar (2019 GAD township reports)[5][6]
  1. Bamar (68.5%)
  2. Kayin (6.6%)
  3. Shan (4.7%)
  4. Rakhine (4.3%)
  5. Mon (2.1%)
  6. Chin (2.1%)
  7. Pa-O (2.1%)
  8. Kachin (1.5%)
  9. Ta'ang (0.6%)
  10. Danu (0.6%)
  11. Lahu (0.5%)
  12. Kokang (0.4%)
  13. Karenni (0.4%)
  14. others (5.60%)


Officially recognized ethnic groups

Summarize
Perspective

Note: The list is very controversial. Many of the names and spelling variants are known only from this list.[4][7]

Kachin

Kachin comprises 12 different ethnic groups:

Kayah

Nine groups:[note 1][9]

  1. [N 1]
    The source of this list is the nine captions from an unscientific Italian book, using Italian spelling.

Kayin

11 groups:

  • Karen (Kayin)
  • Kayinpyu (Geba Karen)
  • Pa-Le-Chi, maybe Mobwa
  • Mon Kayin (Sarpyu), unknown[8]
  • Sgaw (Karen, S’gaw)
  • Ta-Lay-Pwa, maybe Thalebwa[8]
  • Paku (Karen, Paku)
  • Bwe (Bwe Karen)
  • Monnepwa (Karen, Paku)
  • Monpwa, unknown[8]
  • Shu (Pwo Kayin)

Chin

53 groups. This list was possibly originally a list of tax rate districts with the highest tax first.

  • Chin
  • Meithei (Meitei; Kathe)
  • Saline
  • Ka-Lin-Kaw people (Lushay)
  • Khumi (Khami)
  • Mro-Khimi people
  • Kaungso
  • Kaung Saing Chin
  • Kwelshin (Khualsim)
  • Kwangli (Sim)
  • Gunte people (Lyente; Falam)
  • Ngorn (Chin, Ngawn)
  • Sentang

Bamar

Nine groups:

Mon

Rakhine

Seven groups:

Shan

33 groups:

  • Shan (Tai)
  • Yun (Tai Yuan/Northern Thai)
  • Kwi
  • Pyin
  • Yao (Mien)
  • Danaw (Danau)
  • Pale
  • Eng (En)
  • Son
  • Khamu (Khmu)
  • Kaw (Akha- Kaw

Unrecognised ethnic groups

The government of Myanmar does not recognise several ethnic groups as being among the list of 135 officially recognised ethnic groups:

Thaungtha is similar with rabain

See also

References

External links

Books

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