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Source: http://www.travelchi...ality/index.htm
China is a large country noted for its dense population and vast territory. There are 55 minority ethnic groups in addition to the Han who represent 92% of the population. The defining elements of an ethnic group are language, homeland, and social values. 53 minority ethnic groups use spoken languages of their own; 23 minority ethnic groups have their own written languages.
Most of the 7 percent of the minority ethnic groups live in the vast areas of the West, Southwest and Northwest. The largest is the 12 million-strong Zhuang in southwestern China. Although minority ethnic groups account for about 7% of the population, they are distributed over some 50% of Chinese territory, mostly in the border regions. Equality, unity and common prosperity are the fundamental objectives of the government in handling the relations between minority ethnic groups. China exercises a policy of regional autonomy for various minority ethnic groups, allowing minority group people living in compact communities to establish self-government and direct their own affairs.
Han Chinese
Han Chinese makes up 93 percent of the total population. According to the 1995 sample survey of 1 percent of China's population, there were 1.09932 billion Han people (an increase of 56.84 million since the Fourth National Population Census of 1990), accounting for 91.02 percent of China's total population. Han people are found in all parts of the country, but mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River (Huanghe), Yangtze River (Changjiang), Pearl River (Zhujiang) and the Northeast Plain.
The Han people has its own spoken and written language, known as the Chinese language, which is commonly used throughout China and is the working language of the United Nations. The Hui and Manchu minority ethnic groups also use the Han (Chinese) language.
Minority Ethnic Groups
Most of these 7 percent live in the vast areas of the West, Southwest and Northwest. The largest is the 12 million-strong Zhuang in southwestern China. Although minority ethnic groups account for about 7% of the population, they are distributed over some 50% of Chinese-controlled territory, mostly in border regions.
Self-government of Minority Ethnic Groups
Self-government in ethnic group autonomous areas is affected through the local people's congress and people's government at the particular level. There are currently five autonomous regions in China. They are Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region founded on May 1, 1947, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region founded on October 25, 1958, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region founded on October 1, 1955, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region founded on March 5, 1958 and Tibet Autonomous Region founded on September 9, 1965. In addition, China also has 30 autonomous prefectures and 121 autonomous counties (or in some cases, banners). The committee of the People's Congress and the head of the government of an autonomous region, autonomous prefecture or autonomous county belong to the area's designated ethnic group.
Organs of self-government in regional autonomous areas enjoy extensive self-government rights beyond those held by other state organs at the same level. These include enacting regulations for self-government and specialized regulations corresponding to local political, economic and cultural conditions; making independent use of local revenue, and independently arranging and managing construction, education, science, culture, public health and other local undertakings. The Central Government has greatly assisted in the training of ethnic group cadres and technicians through the establishment of institutes and cadre schools for minority ethnic groups to supplement regular colleges and universities. It has, in addition, supplied the ethnic group autonomous areas with large quantities of financial aid and material resources in order to promote their economic and cultural development.
China's 56 Recognised Nationalities
For information on the population and a list of 56 'official' nationalities in China, refer to
http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Minorities/C...ionalities.html
China has some other unclassified or unspecified Nationalities numbering some 1,072,642 people. In the 1953 census 41 minority nationalities were specified. In the 1964 census, there were 183 nationalities registered, among which the government recognized only 54. Of the remaining 129 nationalities, 74 were considered to be part of the officially recognized 54, while 23 were classified as "other nationalities" and the remaining 32 were classified as "indeterminate."
Foreign Nationals who have become Chinese citizens --- 3,421
China's Official Minority Policy
Source: http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Minorities/C...min-policy.html
General
These fifty-six are extremely diverse. Some of the minorities, including the Hui and the Zhuang, are very similar to the Han; others are very different, for instance, the Turkic peoples of the west such as the Uygurs or Kazakhs, or the Iranian Tajiks. The Minority nationalities occupy about 60 per cent of China's territory, including, above all, the vast western areas.
Policy
Chinese policy officially opposes forced assimilation and allows autonomy to the minority nationalities, so that they can retain their own characteristics. Under this policy, the government has set up numerous autonomous areas throughout China. The policy's real effect, however, can best be described as integration.
Policy on Secession
Both policy and reality are fiercely opposed to outright secession, which the government has suppressed brutally on several occasions. Such occasions occurred in the years of 1959, 1987, and 1989. Most of the minorities have succeeded in integrating reasonably well with the Han, but independence or secessionist and wishes have remained strong among a few, particularly the Tibetans. Ethnic dissent among some nationalities could easily develop as an issue in the coming years.
Census Situation
In the 1953 census 41 minority nationalities were specified. In the 1964 census, there were 183 nationalities registered, among which the government recognized only 54. Of the remaining 129 nationalities, 74 were considered to be part of the officially recognized 54, 23 were classified as "other nationalities" and the remaining 32 were classified as "indeterminate." The numbers of population has some suspect due to the re-registration of significant numbers of Han people as members of minority nationalities, an action which brought with it personal benefits. Also some did so as it relates to the substantial (though not total) exemption of members of minority nationalities from the family planning policy of "one family one child".
China's Official Minority Definition
Source: http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Minorities/C...definition.html
Officially, China still adopts Stalin's definition of a Nationality:
Official Definition
A historically constituted community of people having a common territory, a common language, a common economic life and a common psychological makeup which expresses itself in a common culture. In the 1980s the Chinese government recognized fifty-six nationalities in China, the majority Han grouping and fifty-five minority nationalities.
Different Names, Spellings, and Numbers
The Chinese have a number of different names and spellings for a single minority. There are variations of the spelling. Also the Chinese government does not always list the same number of minorities. Be aware that there are 1,072,642 people belonging to unspecified and unclassified minorities. Note also that China's neighbors do not always have the same name for their minorities, as does China for the same people.
Others Seek Recognition
Also some groups still actively fight for recognition as a minority group. In the 1964 census, there were 183 nationalities registered, among which the government recognized only 54. Of the remaining 129 nationalities, 74 were considered to be part of the officially recognized 54, 23 were classified as "other nationalities" and the remaining 32 were classified as "indeterminate.
Other Information about Chinese Minority Ethnic Groups:
China's Minority Uprising
Some Alternate Minority Spellings
Alphabetical List of Minorities
56 Minority Miniature Clay Figures
Posted 24 October 2007 - 12:32 AM
