Wed Oct 3, 2:33 PM ET

Myanmar's main ethnic groups:

BURMAN: A Buddhist group, also known as Myanmar, that accounts for two-thirds of the country's 54 million people. They live in most parts of the country, except for remote border regions.

KAREN: Tribal people who practice Buddhism, Christianity or a mix of both. They have fought for more autonomy for more than 60 years in a mountainous region bordering Thailand. Estimates of their population range from 3.5 million to 7 million, with about 400,000 more in Thailand.

SHAN: Buddhists ethnically related to Thais who live mostly in Shan state next to Thailand. Estimated to number 5 million or more, but like the Karen, their last official census was 70 years ago.

ARAKAN: Also called Rakhine, they are predominantly Buddhist people who live in hilly country in western Myanmar and number between 2.5 million and 4 million.

MON: Buddhists who once ruled kingdoms in the southern region bordering Thailand. They number more than 2 million in Myanmar and nearly 100,000 in Thailand.

KACHIN: Mostly Christian tribal people numbering more than 1.2 million. They live mostly in northern Myanmar, but also in China and India.

CHIN: Mostly Christian people of various tribes. More than 1 million strong, they speak different dialects and live in Chin state bordering India or in India itself.

ROHINGYA: Muslim group in northern Rakhine state. Many have fled across the border to Bangladesh and by sea to Thailand.