Arakanese language
ရခိုင်လူမျိုး (Burmese) | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Rakhine students in folk costume, 2018. | |
| Total population | |
| 5,800,000 (2020 est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Myanmar | 3,600,000 |
 India | 50,000 |
 Bangladesh | 16,000 |
| Languages | |
| Arakanese, Burmese | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Burman, Marma. Mog | |
The Rakhine people or Arakanese people (Burmese: ရခိုင်လူမျိုး, Rakhine pronunciation: [ɹəkʰàiɰ̃ lùmjó], Burmese pronunciation: [jəkʰàiɰ̃ lùmjó]) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group in Myanmar (Burma) forming the majority along the coastal region of present-day Rakhine State (formerly officially called Arakan). They possibly constitute 5.53% or more of Myanmar's total population, but no accurate census figures exist. Rakhine people also live in the southeastern parts of Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong Division and Barisal Division. A group of Rakhine descendants, living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh at least since the 16th century, are known as the Marma people or Mog people.
Arakanese descendants spread as far north as Tripura state in India, where their presence dates back to the ascent of the Arakanese kingdom when Tripura was ruled by Arakanese kings. In northeast India, these Arakanese people are referred to as the Mog, while in Indian history, the Marma (the ethnic Arakanese descendants in Bangladesh) and other Arakanese people are referred to as the Magh people.[source?]