By Karen Pillar
The Arakan are a Buddhist ethnic group who are concentrated in Rakhine State. This is also known as Arakan State (see section on the Rohingyas). This is a geographically isolated area in western Burma, bordering Bangladesh. The Arakan are the most populous group in Rakhine State, followed by the Rohingyas and Arakanese Muslims. The Arakanese people are ethnically close to the Tibetan/Himalayan peoples, and are also known as the Rakhine, Mogh, Marma or Maghi peoples. Due to their close proximity, the Arakanese have been highly influenced by India.
Whilst it is difficult to estimate the exact number of Arakanese living in Burma due to the lack on accurate data, it is thought that approximately between 1.9 million Arakanese live in Burma, predominantly in Rakhine State. In addition, approximately 358,000 live in neighboring Bangladesh and 48,800 in India 1.
Their language, also known as Arakanese, has profound pronunciation and vocabulary differences from Burmese. The people wear Burmese dress.
Rakhine State has a cultivated area of over one million acres including over 850,000 acres of paddy farm, with rice, by far, being the dominant crop. In addition, there are fishing stations in Sittway and Kyaukpyu townships. Most of the catch (fish and prawns) is transported to Yangon, although some is exported. There is also a state-owned pearl culture station situated on Apawye Island near Thandwe.
End Note:
1. Source: The Joshua Project
Sources:
The Joshua Project - www.joshuaproject.net
Ethnologue.com - www.ethnologue.com
