Page 11 - Vietnam Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

THE PEOPLE An estimated 85% of the population is ethnic Vietnamese (Viet Kinh) who were Sinicized during the 1,000 years of Chinese rule but who have successfully maintained their cultural and ethnic identity. Ethno linguistic studies indicate that the Vietnamese are a mixture of migrants from southern China, Mon-Khmers, and Thais from the west, and Malayo-Indoensians who arrived over two millennia ago. Vietnam's 54 ethnic minority groups - called montagnards by the French - total roughly eight million people or about 13% of the national population. Most of these minorities dwell in the northern mountains near the China border and in the Central Highlands, which comprise about 75% of Vietnam's land area. Many people of European, North American, Australian, and Asian (non- Vietnamese) origin are temporary residents in Vietnam as expatriate workers, through marriage and some are permanently settled there. Included in permanent settlers are Europeans of French descent, who are Vietnam is a multi-ethnic descendants of the colonial settlers. Most of them left after its country with over fifty distinct independence. groups (54 are recognized by the Vietnamese government), each with its own language, lifestyle, and cultural heritage. Many of the local ethnic groups are known collectively in the West as Montagnard or Degar. The largest ethnic groups are: Kinh (Viet) 86.2%, Tay 1.9%, Tai Ethnic 1.7%, Mường 1.5%, Khmer Krom (Khơ Me Crộm) 1.4%, Hoa 1.1%, Nùng 1.1%, Hmong 1%, others 4.1% The Vietnamese term for ethnic group is người thiểu số or dân tộc thiểu số (literally "minority people").