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Ethnic groups
Viet
Nam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups coexisting peacefully, among
which the Kinh people account for 86% of the population. Among ethnic
minorities, the most populous are Tay, Thai, Muong, Hoa, Khmer, and Nung with a
population of around 1 million each, while the least populous are Brau and Odu
with several hundred people each. The Kinh people mainly inhabit in the low land
and deltas. The majority of the other 53 ethnic groups are scattered over
mountainous areas and the midland spreading from the North to the South. Most
ethnic groups coexist in the same regions, particularly the ethnic minorities in
Northern and Central Northern region.
The ethnic
minorities have uneven development levels. In the Northern midland and
mountainous regions, ethnic groups such as Muong, Thai, Tay, and Nung engage in
paddy farming techniques. They also grow upland rice and raise cattle and
poultry. Some go hunting, fishing and collecting while others make sophisticated
traditional handicrafts. Ethnic minorities living in the South are more
separated. Except for the Cham, Chinese and Khmer people living in the Central
coast and Southern Viet Nam which have high development level, most ethnic
minorities living in the Central Highlands reside in clusters of hamlets and
subsist mainly on nature. All ethnic groups have their own diverse and unique
cultures. Beliefs and religions of Vietnamese ethnic groups are also disparate.
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