Although the 55 ethnic minorities with a total population of 106.43 million account for only 8.41% of China's nearly 1.3 billion people, the areas they inhabit claim about64% of the country's land territory. The large gross population and wide spread of Although the 55 ethnic minorities with a total population of 106.43 million account for only 8.41% of China's nearly 1.3 billion people, the areas they inhabit claim about64% of the country's land territory. The large gross population and wide spread of