Ethnobotany of Karen

 KAREN

     The Karen people are an ethnic group living in South East-Asia. The Karen people are ethnically and linguistically diverse. Within the Karen there are different sub-groups with different languages, customs and religions. The Karen are unique in that it is not necessary to have Karen parents to be Karen. Many Karen say that to be Karen a person must identify as Karen; know Karen culture and customs; and speak a Karen language. 

The Karen people live mostly in the hills bordering the eastern mountainous region and Irrawaddy delta of Burma  primarily in Karen State, with some in Kayah State, southern Shan State, Ayeyarwady Region, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Division and in western Thailand.

Distribution
      The total number of Karen is difficult to estimate. The last reliable census of Burma was conducted in 1931. A 2006 VOA article cites an estimate of seven million in Burma. There are another 400,000  Karen in Thailand, where they are by far the largest of the hill tribes. Some Karen have left the refugee camps in Thailand to resettle elsewhere, including in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the Scandinavian countries. In 2011, the Karen diaspora population was estimated to be approximately 67,000. [1]

References