List of ethnic groups in Cambodia
Encyclopedia
The largest ethnic group is the Khmers. Of the minority groups, the largest is Vietnamese. There are also a significant number of Chinese descendants who dominate the business community and indigenous minority groups of Hmong, Pong, and Tai amongst others who are collectively known as Khmer Loeu. Minority groups living in the lowlands, often among or adjacent to Khmers, include Chinese
, Vietnamese
and Cham.
The Khmers are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the area, having filtered into Southeast Asia shortly after the Mon
, displacing earlier Mon–Khmer arrivals and various Austronesian groups. They were the builders of the Khmer Empire
, and now form the mainstream of political, cultural, and economic Cambodia.
The Khmers see themselves as being one race, but divided into three subgroups based on national origin and language. The Khmer of Cambodia speak the Khmer language
. Khmer Surin
are ethnic Khmers whose lands once belonged to the Khmer Empire but have since become part of Thailand
. They have their own dialect and often also speak fluent Thai
. Maintaining close relations with the Khmer of Cambodia, many now reside in Cambodia as a result of marriage. Similarly, the Khmer Krom
are Khmers living in the regions of the former Khmer Empire that are now part of Vietnam
. Fluent in both their particular dialect of Khmer and in Vietnamese
, many have fled to Cambodia as a result of persecution and forced assimilation
by communist Vietnam.
. Most Chinese are descended from 18th–19th century settlers who came in search of trade and commerce opportunities. Most are urban dwellers, engaged primarily in commerce.
The Chinese in Cambodia belong to five major linguistic groups, the largest of which is the Teochiu accounting for about 60%, followed by the Cantonese
(20%), the Hokkien
(7%), and the Hakka
and the Hainanese (4% each).
Intermarriage between the Chinese and Khmers has been common, in which case they would often assimilate into mainstream Khmer society, retaining few Chinese customs. Much of the Chinese population dwindled under Pol Pot
during the Cambodian Civil War
. The Chinese were not specifically targets for extermination, but suffered the same brutal treatment faced by the ethnic Khmers during the period. The Chinese are the fastest growing ethnic group in Cambodia.
. Ethnic tensions between the two can be traced to the dark ages of Cambodia
(from the 15th to 19th centuries), during which time Vietnam
attempted to vassalize Cambodia. Control over Cambodia during this, its weakest point, fluctuated between Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam unlike Thailand, wanted Cambodia to adopt Vietnamese governmental practices, dress, and language. The Khmers resented and resisted until they became a French colony.
Modern Vietnamese in Cambodia are mainly descended from settlers who immigrated in the early 20th century. Most no longer speak Vietnamese
, creating a social dilemma. They have engaged primarily in aquaculture
on the southern banks of the Mekong Delta
. Many are assimilated into Khmer society, but there are still those who keep their separate social identity. This however, still doesn't stop the growing presence of the Vietnamese.
, Lao
, Shan, and the Kula. They remain in very small insignificant numbers scattered throughout the provinces of Cambodia. Thai minorities mainly live in Phnom Penh
while the Laotian people live in with the hill tribes to the north. Shan and Kula minorities are a remnant of the past, they reside on the Pailin Province. The local Khmer dialect has been noted to have been influenced by Burmese in tone and pronunciation from the ethnic minorities speaking it. The Shan and Kula have also been noted to have been involved in gem trading.
The Cham are descended from the Austronesian (Malay) people of Champa
, a former kingdom centered on the southern coast of present-day Vietnam and former rival to the Khmer Empire. At various times between the 7th and 15th centuries, the relationship between Champa and the Khmer ranged from that of allies to enemies. During friendly periods there was close contact and trade between the two Indianized kingdoms and intermarriage between the respective royal families. During wartime, many Chams were brought into Khmer lands as captives and slaves. As Champa waned, its territory and people were absorbed by both Cambodia and Vietnam until the last vestige of the kingdom was defeated by the Vietnamese in the late 15th century. Thousands of Cham captives were taken back to Vietnam and thousands more fled to adjacent areas that were loosely ruled by a weakened Khmer empire.
The Cham in Cambodia number under a million and often maintain separate villages in the southeast of the country although in many areas they live alongside ethnic Khmers. Primarily fishermen or farmers, many Khmer believe the Cham to be especially adept at certain spiritual practices and will sometimes come to them for healing or tattooing
. While the Cham in Vietnam still follow traditional Shivaite Hinduism
, most (an estimated 90 %) Cham in Cambodia are ostensibly followers of Sunni Islam
. Interaction between those who are Muslim and those who are Hindu is often taboo. However, intermarriage between Khmers and Chams has taken place for hundreds of years. Many have assimilated into mainstream Khmer society and practice Buddhism
.
, a term meaning "Highland Khmer".
They are descended from neolithic migrations of Mon–Khmer speakers via southern China and Austronesian speakers from insular Southeast Asia. Being isolated in the highlands, the various Khmer Loeu groups were not Indianized like their Khmer cousins and consequently are culturally distant from modern Khmers and often from each other, observing many pre-Indian-contact customs and beliefs. However, although diverse, they have many things in common. Most are matrileneal, tracing ancestry through maternal rather than paternal bloodlines. They grow rice and live in tribal villages.
Historically, as the Khmer Empire advanced, they were obliged to seek safety and independence in the highlands or become slaves and laborers for the empire. Zhou Daguan
remarked that the Khmers had captured hilltribes and made them laborers referring to them as the Tchouang or slave caste. Tchouang, from the Pear word juang, means people. Presently, they form the majority in the sparsely populated provinces of Ratanakiri
, Stung Treng
, and Mondulkiri
.
Their languages belong to two groups, Mon–Khmer and Austronesian. The Mon–Khmers are Samre, Phnong, Stieng, Kuy, Krung, and Tampuan
. The Austronesians are Rhade
and Jarai
. Once thought to be a mixed group, the Austronesians have been heavily influenced by the Mon–Khmer tribes.
, in statistically insignificant numbers. These investors, opportunity seekers, and NGO employees include Europeans, Americans, Koreans, Japanese, Thai, Lao and Russians.
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
and Cham.
Ethnic Khmer
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
, displacing earlier Mon–Khmer arrivals and various Austronesian groups. They were the builders of the Khmer Empire
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful empires in Southeast Asia. The empire, which grew out of the former kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalized parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, and Malaysia. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, the site of the capital city...
, and now form the mainstream of political, cultural, and economic Cambodia.
The Khmers see themselves as being one race, but divided into three subgroups based on national origin and language. The Khmer of Cambodia speak the Khmer language
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
. Khmer Surin
Northern Khmer people
Nothern Khmer people, also known in Thai as Thai-Khmer people , is the designation used to refer to ethnic Khmers native to the Isan region of Northeast Thailand. Khmers have had a presence in this area since at least the time of the Khmer Empire. With the fall of the Angkor, however, the Khmers of...
are ethnic Khmers whose lands once belonged to the Khmer Empire but have since become part of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. They have their own dialect and often also speak fluent Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
. Maintaining close relations with the Khmer of Cambodia, many now reside in Cambodia as a result of marriage. Similarly, the Khmer Krom
Khmer Krom
The Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
are Khmers living in the regions of the former Khmer Empire that are now part of Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Fluent in both their particular dialect of Khmer and in Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, many have fled to Cambodia as a result of persecution and forced assimilation
Forced assimilation
Forced assimilation is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community...
by communist Vietnam.
Chinese
The Chinese, approximately 9% of the population, are one of the largest and most visible ethnic minorities in Cambodia with about 1,180,000 living in CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Most Chinese are descended from 18th–19th century settlers who came in search of trade and commerce opportunities. Most are urban dwellers, engaged primarily in commerce.
The Chinese in Cambodia belong to five major linguistic groups, the largest of which is the Teochiu accounting for about 60%, followed by the Cantonese
Cantonese people
The Cantonese people are Han people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan for this narrower definition...
(20%), the Hokkien
Hoklo people
The Hoklo people are Han Chinese people whose traditional Ancestral homes are in southern Fujian of South China...
(7%), and the Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
and the Hainanese (4% each).
Intermarriage between the Chinese and Khmers has been common, in which case they would often assimilate into mainstream Khmer society, retaining few Chinese customs. Much of the Chinese population dwindled under Pol Pot
Pol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
during the Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian Civil War
The Cambodian Civil War was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their allies the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Viet Cong against the government forces of Cambodia , which were supported by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam The Cambodian...
. The Chinese were not specifically targets for extermination, but suffered the same brutal treatment faced by the ethnic Khmers during the period. The Chinese are the fastest growing ethnic group in Cambodia.
Vietnamese
The Vietnamese is the largest ethnic minority in Cambodia, with an estimated 2 million immigrants living in many areas. Distantly related to the Khmers, both speak a Mon–Khmer language. However, there are very few cultural connections between the two peoples because the early Khmers were influenced by the Indian cultural sphere while the Vietnamese belong to the Chinese cultural sphereSinosphere
In areal linguistics, Sinosphere refers to a grouping of countries and regions that are currently inhabited with a majority of Chinese population or were historically under Chinese cultural influence...
. Ethnic tensions between the two can be traced to the dark ages of Cambodia
Dark ages of Cambodia
The Dark Ages of Cambodia, covers the history of Cambodia from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, a period of continued decline and territorial loss. Cambodia enjoyed a brief period of prosperity during the sixteenth century because its kings, who built their capitals in the region southeast...
(from the 15th to 19th centuries), during which time Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
attempted to vassalize Cambodia. Control over Cambodia during this, its weakest point, fluctuated between Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnam unlike Thailand, wanted Cambodia to adopt Vietnamese governmental practices, dress, and language. The Khmers resented and resisted until they became a French colony.
Modern Vietnamese in Cambodia are mainly descended from settlers who immigrated in the early 20th century. Most no longer speak Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, creating a social dilemma. They have engaged primarily in aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
on the southern banks of the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
. Many are assimilated into Khmer society, but there are still those who keep their separate social identity. This however, still doesn't stop the growing presence of the Vietnamese.
Tai
The Tai ethnic minorities include the ThaiThai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
, Lao
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
, Shan, and the Kula. They remain in very small insignificant numbers scattered throughout the provinces of Cambodia. Thai minorities mainly live in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
while the Laotian people live in with the hill tribes to the north. Shan and Kula minorities are a remnant of the past, they reside on the Pailin Province. The local Khmer dialect has been noted to have been influenced by Burmese in tone and pronunciation from the ethnic minorities speaking it. The Shan and Kula have also been noted to have been involved in gem trading.
Cham
Champa
The kingdom of Champa was an Indianized kingdom that controlled what is now southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.The Cham people are remnants...
, a former kingdom centered on the southern coast of present-day Vietnam and former rival to the Khmer Empire. At various times between the 7th and 15th centuries, the relationship between Champa and the Khmer ranged from that of allies to enemies. During friendly periods there was close contact and trade between the two Indianized kingdoms and intermarriage between the respective royal families. During wartime, many Chams were brought into Khmer lands as captives and slaves. As Champa waned, its territory and people were absorbed by both Cambodia and Vietnam until the last vestige of the kingdom was defeated by the Vietnamese in the late 15th century. Thousands of Cham captives were taken back to Vietnam and thousands more fled to adjacent areas that were loosely ruled by a weakened Khmer empire.
The Cham in Cambodia number under a million and often maintain separate villages in the southeast of the country although in many areas they live alongside ethnic Khmers. Primarily fishermen or farmers, many Khmer believe the Cham to be especially adept at certain spiritual practices and will sometimes come to them for healing or tattooing
Sak Yant
Yantra tattooing, also called sak yant , is a form of tattooing practiced in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The practice has also began to grow in popularity among Chinese Buddhists in Singapore...
. While the Cham in Vietnam still follow traditional Shivaite Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, most (an estimated 90 %) Cham in Cambodia are ostensibly followers of Sunni Islam
Islam in Cambodia
Islam is the religion of a majority of the Cham and Malay minorities in Cambodia. According to Po Dharma, there were 150,000 to 200,000 Muslims in Cambodia as late as 1975. Persecution under the Khmer Rouge eroded their numbers, however, and by the late 1980s they probably had not regained their...
. Interaction between those who are Muslim and those who are Hindu is often taboo. However, intermarriage between Khmers and Chams has taken place for hundreds of years. Many have assimilated into mainstream Khmer society and practice Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
Khmer Loeu
The indigenous ethnic groups of the mountains are known collectively as "Montagnards" or Khmer LoeuKhmer Loeu
The Khmer Loeu are the Mon–Khmer highland tribes in Cambodia. Although the origins of this group are not clear, some believe that the Mon–Khmer-speaking tribes were part of the long migration of these people from the northwest. The Austronesian-speaking groups, Rade and Jarai, apparently came to...
, a term meaning "Highland Khmer".
They are descended from neolithic migrations of Mon–Khmer speakers via southern China and Austronesian speakers from insular Southeast Asia. Being isolated in the highlands, the various Khmer Loeu groups were not Indianized like their Khmer cousins and consequently are culturally distant from modern Khmers and often from each other, observing many pre-Indian-contact customs and beliefs. However, although diverse, they have many things in common. Most are matrileneal, tracing ancestry through maternal rather than paternal bloodlines. They grow rice and live in tribal villages.
Historically, as the Khmer Empire advanced, they were obliged to seek safety and independence in the highlands or become slaves and laborers for the empire. Zhou Daguan
Zhou Daguan
Zhou Daguan was a Chinese diplomat under the Temür Khan, Emperor Chengzong of Yuan. He is most well known for his accounts of the customs of Cambodia and the Angkor temple complexes during his visit there. He arrived at Angkor in August 1296, and remained at the court of King Indravarman III...
remarked that the Khmers had captured hilltribes and made them laborers referring to them as the Tchouang or slave caste. Tchouang, from the Pear word juang, means people. Presently, they form the majority in the sparsely populated provinces of Ratanakiri
Ratanakiri
Ratanakiri is a province in northeastern Cambodia that borders Laos to the north, Vietnam to the east, Mondulkiri Province to the south, and Stung Treng Province to the west. The province extends from the mountains of the Annamite Range in the north, across a hilly plateau between the Tonle San...
, Stung Treng
Stung Treng Province
Stung Treng is a northern province of Cambodia.-Description:The Cambodia/Lao border is located in the north of Stung Treng Province. The Mekong river crosses the province roughly in its midst.-History of stung treng:...
, and Mondulkiri
Mondulkiri
- References :...
.
Their languages belong to two groups, Mon–Khmer and Austronesian. The Mon–Khmers are Samre, Phnong, Stieng, Kuy, Krung, and Tampuan
Tampuan
The Tampuan are an indigenous ethnic group living in northeast Cambodia. Numbering about 25,000, the Tampuan people live in the mountainous Southern and Western portions of the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri. They have their own language of the Mon–Khmer language family...
. The Austronesians are Rhade
E De people
The E De are an ethnic group of southern Vietnam .-Language:The E De language is a member of the Chamic group of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
and Jarai
Jarai
The Jarai is an ethnic group based primarily in Vietnam's Central Highlands. The Jarai language is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
. Once thought to be a mixed group, the Austronesians have been heavily influenced by the Mon–Khmer tribes.
Recent arrivals
Due to its status as a developing nation and the relatively recent peace, many other ethnic groups can be found, particularly in Phnom PenhPhnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, in statistically insignificant numbers. These investors, opportunity seekers, and NGO employees include Europeans, Americans, Koreans, Japanese, Thai, Lao and Russians.
Ethnic Groups of Cambodia
- Cham – Descendants of Cham refugees who fled to Cambodia after the fall of Champa. 333,000 (est.)
- ChineseChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
– Descendants of Chinese settlers in Cambodia. 1,180,000 (est.)- Cambodian HokkienCambodian HokkienCambodian Hokkien（柬埔寨福建人） commonly known as Khmer Hokkien is the term used to described the descendants of Hokkien Chinese who settled in Cambodia since the earlier part of 12th century...
- Cambodian Hokkien
- KhmerKhmer peopleKhmer people are the predominant ethnic group in Cambodia, accounting for approximately 90% of the 14.8 million people in the country. They speak the Khmer language, which is part of the larger Mon–Khmer language family found throughout Southeast Asia...
- Khmer Kandal – "Central Khmers" Ethnic Khmers indigenous to Cambodia
- Khmer KromKhmer KromThe Khmer Krom are Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta and the Lower Mekong River area. Under the Khmer Rouge regime- according to the conservative estimates are that 150,000. Under the rule of Vietnam from 1979-93, Cambodia may have lost 20,000 Khmer Krom...
– Ethnic Khmers located in Southeastern Cambodia and Southern Vietnam. - Khmer Surin – Ethnic Khmer located in Northwestern Cambodia and Surin, Buriram and Sisaket provinces in Thailand.
- Khmer LoeuKhmer LoeuThe Khmer Loeu are the Mon–Khmer highland tribes in Cambodia. Although the origins of this group are not clear, some believe that the Mon–Khmer-speaking tribes were part of the long migration of these people from the northwest. The Austronesian-speaking groups, Rade and Jarai, apparently came to...
– Umbrella term use to designate all hilltribes in Cambodia.- Mon–Khmer speakers
- Kachok
- Krung – There are three distinct dialects of Krung. All are mutually intelligible.
- Krung
- Brao
- Kavet
- Kraol - 2,000 (est.)
- Mel- 3,100 (est.)
- Kuy – A small group of people mostly located in the highlands of Cambodia.
- Phnong
- TampuanTampuanThe Tampuan are an indigenous ethnic group living in northeast Cambodia. Numbering about 25,000, the Tampuan people live in the mountainous Southern and Western portions of the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri. They have their own language of the Mon–Khmer language family...
– Ethnic group located in the Northeastern province of Ratanakiri. - StiengStieng peopleThe Stieng people are an ethnic group of Vietnam and Cambodia. They speak a language in the Bahnaric group of the Mon–Khmer languages.Most Stieng live in the Binh Duong Province and Dong Nai Province of southeastern Vietnam...
– Often confused with ethnic Degar (Montagnard)DegarThe Degar are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard means "mountain people" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they are known by the term thượng - this term can also be applied to other minority ethnic... - Mnong - Ethnic group located on the eastern province of Mondulkiri.
- SamrePear peopleThe Pear people are an indigenous group living a sparse existence after years of conflict in Cambodia and Thailand.-Ethnography:Pears call themselves: Samré in Pursat Province; Samray in Battambang; Chong and Chong-Samré in the Trat Province of eastern Thailand; and Chong la and Chong heap, in...
- ChongChong languageChong, or more specifically Western Chong , is an endangered language spoken in Cambodia and southeastern Thailand. It is a Western Pearic language in the Eastern Mon–Khmer language family branch. Chong is currently the focus of a language revitalization project in Thailand.The Chong language is...
- Sa'och
- Somray
- Suoy
- Chong
- Austronesian speakers
- JaraiJaraiThe Jarai is an ethnic group based primarily in Vietnam's Central Highlands. The Jarai language is a member of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family...
– Mostly located in Vietnam, the Jarai extend into Cambodia's Ratanakiri Province. - Rhade – The majority of Rhade are located in Vietnam. They share close cultural ties with the Jarai and other tribes.
- Jarai
- Mon–Khmer speakers
- Tai
- ThaiThai peopleThe Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
- 43,000 (est.)- Lao - Living mainly in the Ratanakiri Province. 95,000 (est.)
- Shan
- Kula
- Thai
- VietnameseVietnamese peopleThe Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
– Live mostly in southern Cambodia next to the Vietnamese border. 2 million (est.) - Hmong–Mien - The Miao and Hmong are hill tribes that live in urban and rural areas.
- MiaoMiao peopleThe Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
- HmongHmong peopleThe Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
- Hmong
- YaoYao peopleThe Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south...
- Miao
- Tibeto-BurmanTibeto-Burman languagesThe Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
- BurmeseBamarThe Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
- 4,700 (est.)
- Burmese
- JapaneseJapanese peopleThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
- KoreansKorean peopleThe Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
Further reading
- Center for Advanced Study (ed): Ethnic Groups in Cambodia. Phnom Penh: Center for Advanced Study, 2009. ISBN 978-9995097707.
- Recent article on the status of some minority villages http://www.indigenousportal.com/Heritage/Cambodia-State-grants-three-groups-ethnic-status.html