Monpa people
The Monba (also Monpa, Moinba or Menba ;门巴族Chinese, Pinyin Ménbāzú ) are an indigenous people in the People's Republic of China, India and Bhutan. In China, the Monba form one of the smaller of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. According to the last census in 2010 they numbered 10,561 people. They live in the Tibet Autonomous Region. In the southeast of Tibet, which is administered by India as a state of Arunachal Pradesh, but claimed by China, home to around 50,000 Monba. They settle there in the two westernmost districts of Tawang and West Kameng. In Bhutan live another 3,000 Monba.
Languages
: Two quite different languages spoken, although both belong to the Sino Tibetan - In the Monba China - depending on the settlement area
- Tshangla, also called Cangluo - Monba (仓 洛 门 巴 语) is one of the bodischen languages , a subunit of the Tibeto-Burman, which is the primary branch of the Sino Tibetan. Tshangla is also spoken by the Monba Bhutan.
- Cona - Monba (错 那 门 巴 语) belongs to the Eastern branch of kirantischen Mahakiranti languages, which also form a subunit of the Tibeto-Burman. Cona - Monba is also spoken by the Monba in Indian- controlled part of Tibet.
Religion
In addition to the traditional indigenous beliefs, there is also a growing influence of Tibetan Buddhism.
Distribution areas of China Monba at the county level (2000)
For the distribution areas only values greater than 0.10 % were considered.