Total population | |
---|---|
c. 2.6million | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Myanmar | c. 1.8 million[a][1] |
Thailand | 500,000[b] |
Laos | 9000[b] |
Languages | |
Mon, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Isan, Lanna | |
Religion | |
Theravada Buddhism, Mon folk religion, Mon Christian | |
Related ethnic groups | |
|
The Mon (Mon: ဂကူမန်ⓘ; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; Burmese: မွန်လူမျိုး, pronounced [mʊ̀ɰ̃ lù mjó]; Thai: มอญ, pronounced [mɔ̄ːn] ⓘ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's[2] Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State,[3] Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Thani province, Phra Pradaeng and Nong Ya Plong).[4][5][6] The native language is Mon, which belongs to the Monic branch of the Austroasiatic language family and shares a common origin with the Nyah Kur language, which is spoken by the people of the same name that live in Northeastern Thailand. A number of languages in Mainland Southeast Asia are influenced by the Mon language, which is also in turn influenced by those languages.[7][8][9]
The Mon were one of the earliest to reside in Southeast Asia, and were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Mainland Southeast Asia.[10][11] The civilizations founded by the Mon were some of the earliest in Thailand as well as Myanmar and Laos. The Mon are regarded as a large exporter of Southeast Asian culture.[12] Historically, many cities in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos today, including Yangon, Pathum Thani, Lamphun, Lampang and Vientiane were founded either by the Mon people or Mon rulers.
Nowadays, the Mon are a major ethnic group in Myanmar and a minor ethnic group in Thailand.[6] The Mons from Myanmar are called Burmese Mon or Myanmar Mon. The Mons from Thailand are referred as Thai Raman or Thai Mon.[13][14] The Mon dialects of Thailand and Myanmar are mutually intelligible.[15]
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