Nationalities of China
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The People's Republic of China officially describes itself as a multinational unitary state and as such officially recognizes 56 nationalities or Mínzú (民族), within China: the Han being the majority (>92%), and the remaining 55 nationalities being the national minorities. In addition to the 56 official nationalities, there are some Chinese who classify themselves as members of unrecognized nationalities. Also, foreign nationals who have become Chinese citizens form yet another separate group.
The official PRC point of view is that all of these nationalities are part of a broader nationality known as Zhonghua Minzu.
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Nationalities
Although most of the nationalities can be seen as ethnic groups, the correspondence is not one to one. 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 members of the Han nationality.
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 racial differences between persons within that group.
The multi-national nature of China results in part by territories incorporated by the Qing dynasty, whose emperors were themselves Manchu and not members of the majority Han. Chinese nationalities theory is heavily influenced by that of the Soviet Union. Official policy claims to be against assimilation and maintains that each nationality should have the right to develop its own culture and language.
The degree of integration of minority nationality with the national community varies widely from group to group. With some groups, such as the Tibetans and the Uyghurs there is a great deal of resentment against the majority. Other groups such as the Zhuang, Hui Chinese, and ethnic Koreans are well integrated into the national community.
See List of China administrative regions by ethnic group for the ethnic composition of each province-level division of China.
In order of population, the nationalities of China are:
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- Han (汉族 : Hàn Zú)
- Zhuang (壮族 : Zhuàng Zú)
- Manchu (满族 : Mǎn Zú)
- Hui (回族 : Huí Zú)
- Miao (苗族 : Miáo Zú) (Hmong)
- Uygur (维吾尔族 : Wéiwúěr Zú)
- Yi (彝族 : Yí Zú)
- Tujia (土家族 : Tǔjiā Zú)
- Mongol (蒙古族 : Měnggǔ Zú)
- Tibetan (藏族 : Zàng Zú)
- Buyei (布依族 : Bùyī Zú)
- Dong (侗族 : Dòng Zú)
- Yao (瑶族 : Yáo Zú)
- Chosen (朝鲜族 : Cháoxiǎn Zú) (Koreans)
- Bai (白族 : Bái Zú)
- Hani (哈尼族 : Hāní Zú)
- Li (黎族 : Lí Zú)
- Kazak (哈萨克族 : Hāsàkè Zú)
- Dai (傣族 : Dǎi Zú, also called Dai Lue, one of the Thai ethnic groups)
- She (畲族 : Shē Zú)
- Lisu (傈僳族 : Lìsù Zú)
- Gelao (仡佬族 : Gēlǎo Zú)
- Lahu (拉祜族 : Lāhù Zú)
- Dongxiang (东乡族 : Dōngxiāng Zú)
- Va (佤族 : Wǎ Zú) (Va)
- Sui (水族 : Shuǐ Zú)
- Naxi (纳西族 : Nàxī Zú) (includes the Mosuo (摩梭 : Mósuō))
- Qiang (羌族 : Qiāng Zú)
- Tu (土族 : Tǔ Zú)
- Xibe (锡伯族 : Xíbó Zú)
- Mulao (仫佬族 : Mùlǎo Zú)
- Kirgiz (柯尔克孜族 : Kēěrkèzī Zú)
- Daur (达斡尔族 : Dáwòěr Zú)
- Jingpo (景颇族 : Jǐngpō Zú)
- Salar (撒拉族 : Sǎlá Zú)
- Blang (布朗族 : Bùlǎng Zú)
- Maonan (毛南族 : Màonán Zú)
- Tajik (塔吉克族 : Tǎjíkè Zú)
- Pumi (普米族 : Pǔmǐ Zú)
- Achang (阿昌族 : Āchāng Zú)
- Nu (怒族 : Nù Zú)
- Ewenki (鄂温克族 : Èwēnkè Zú)
- Gin (京族 : Jīng Zú)
- Jino (基诺族 : Jīnuò Zú)
- De'ang (德昂族 : Déáng Zú)
- Uzbek (乌孜别克族 : Wūzībiékè Zú)
- Russ (俄罗斯族 : Éluōsī Zú)
- Yugur (裕固族 : Yùgù Zú)
- Bonan (保安族 : Bǎoān Zú)
- Monba (门巴族 : Ménbā Zú)
- Oroqen (鄂伦春族 : Èlúnchūn Zú)
- Derung (独龙族 : Dúlóng Zú)
- Tatar (塔塔尔族 : Tǎtǎěr Zú)
- Hezhen (赫哲族 : Hèzhé Zú)
- Lhoba (珞巴族 : Luòbā Zú)
- Gaoshan (高山族 : Gāoshān Zú)
Religions
Note that some of these ethnic groups hold belief systems that cannot be distinctly classified based upon the following system (in alphabetical order).
- Buddhism: the Dai, Mongolian, Naxi (including Mosuo), Tibetan and Yugun.
- Islam: the Bonan, Dongxiang, Hui, Kazak, Kirgiz, Salar, Tajik, Tatar, Uygur and Uzbek.
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity: the Russians
- Shamanism: the Daurs, Ewenkis, and Oroqens.
See also
- Chinese citizenship law
- Demographics of China
- Languages of China
- Chinese ethnic groups of the past
- Zhonghua minzu
- List of ethnic groups
- Central University for Nationalities
External links
- Chinese National Minorities (http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Minorities/index.html)
- The Ethnic Publishing House (http://www.e56.com.cn): on customs and autonomous places (in Simplified Chinese)de:Völker Chinas
fi:Kiinan etniset ryhmät ja:中国の少数民族の一覧 sv:Kinas nationaliteter zh:中华民族