KarenKaren woman in traditional attire, 1912 |
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9,000,000 |
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Myanmar | 3,604,000 |
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Thailand | 1,000,000 |
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United States | 215,000 (2018) |
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Australia | 11,000+ |
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Canada | 4,515–5,000 |
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India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) | 2,500 |
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Sweden | 1,500 |
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Karen languages, including S'gaw Karen, Pwo Karen, Karenni and Pa'O |
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Theravada Buddhism, Christianity, Animism, Karen folk religion |
The Karen ( KƏ-ren), also known as the Kayin, Kariang or Kawthoolese, are an ethnolinguistic group. They are an indigenous people of modern day south-east Myanmar and Thailand. Their language is heavily influenced by Proto-Japonic. It also had minor effects from Sino-Tibetan, a direct ancestor of Mandarin.