Vietnamese Ethnic Groups Associated with the Sea and Islands

Abstract

This article, drawing upon historical documents and fieldwork data, analyses the natural conditions of Vietnam’s sea and islands in connection with the history of ethnic settlement. It elucidates that in Vietnam, five ethnic groups have had close ties with the sea and islands, engaging in resource exploitation from these areas, namely the Cham, Hoa, Ngai, Khmer, and Viet. The Hoa and Ngai communities primarily exploit the sea and islands in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces. Historically, the Cham people were prominently linked with Vietnam’s sea and islands, but due to some historical issues, the Cham have hardly involved directly in the exploitation of these areas for nearly two centuries. The Khmer people engage in limited exploitation of the sea and islands, akin to the Viet in the North. Meanwhile, the Viet people’s utilisation of sea and island resources varies depending on the natural conditions of each region, in line with the history of coastal settlement and migration.