Sunuwar people
The Sunuwar or Koinch are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group, a Kirati tribe native to Nepal, parts of India and southern Bhutan. They speak the Sunuwar language. According to the 2001 census of Nepal, 17% of the tribe follow the Kirant religion and adopt the Mundhum culture.
The Kõinchs number 82,705 in total. The term ‘Kõinchs’ is also the name of the mother tongue. Other terms like Mukhiya or Mukhia are exonyms of the tribe. Sunuwar have a distinct language, religion, culture and social customs.
Demographics
The Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal classifies the Sunuwar as a subgroup within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati. At the time of the Nepal census of 2011, 55,712 people were Sunuwar. The frequency of Sunuwar by province was as follows:- Bagmati Province
- Koshi Province
- Madhesh Province
- Gandaki Province
- Lumbini Province
- Sudurpashchim Province
- Karnali Province
- Ramechhap
- Okhaldhunga
- Sindhuli
- Ilam
- Taplejung
- Dolakha
- Panchthar
- Udayapur
- Jhapa
- Khotang
- Lalitpur
- Solukhumbu
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