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71-538: Nias Island covers an area of 5,573.27 km (2,151.85 sq mi) (including the Batu Islands to the south and minor offshore islands). It is mostly a lowland area rising to around 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. There were 756,338 inhabitants on the island (including the Batu Islands and minor offshore islands) at the 2010 Census; at the 2015 Intermediate Census this had risen to 798,506 and

142-817: A considerable role in the economy of the Philippines and descendants of Sangley compose a considerable part of the Philippine population . Ferdinand Marcos, the former president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos was of Chinese descent, as were many others. Myanmar shares a long border with China so ethnic minorities of both countries have cross-border settlements. These include the Kachin, Shan, Wa, and Ta’ang. In Cambodia , between 1965 and 1993, people with Chinese names were prevented from finding governmental employment, leading to

213-578: A historical district of Manila, has become the world's oldest Chinatown. Under Spanish colonial policy of Christianization , assimilation and intermarriage , their colonial mixed descendants would eventually form the bulk of the middle class which would later rise to the Principalía and illustrado intelligentsia , which carried over and fueled the elite ruling classes of the American period and later independent Philippines. Chinese Filipinos play

284-517: A large number of people changing their names to a local, Cambodian name. Ethnic Chinese were one of the minority groups targeted by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge during the Cambodian genocide. Indonesia forced Chinese people to adopt Indonesian names after the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 . In Vietnam, all Chinese names can be pronounced by Sino-Vietnamese readings . For example, the name of

355-456: A low percent of population living overseas . Huáqiáo ( simplified Chinese : 华侨 ; traditional Chinese : 華僑 ) refers to people of Chinese citizenship residing outside of either the PRC or ROC (Taiwan) . The government of China realized that the overseas Chinese could be an asset, a source of foreign investment and a bridge to overseas knowledge; thus, it began to recognize the use of

426-840: A major role in the establishment of the Malaysian Chinese Association and their meeting hall at Sun Yat Sen Villa . There was evidence that some intended to reclaim mainland China from the CCP by funding the Kuomintang . After their defeat in the Chinese Civil War, parts of the Nationalist army retreated south and crossed the border into Burma as the People's Liberation Army entered Yunnan . The United States supported these Nationalist forces because

497-719: A reference to Tang dynasty China when it was ruling. This term is commonly used by the Cantonese , Hokchew , Hakka and Hokkien as a colloquial reference to the Chinese people and has little relevance to the ancient dynasty. For example, in the early 1850s when Chinese shops opened on Sacramento St. in San Francisco , California, United States, the Chinese emigrants, mainly from the Pearl River Delta west of Canton , called it Tang People Street ( 唐人街 ) and

568-886: A result of anti-Chinese racism on the excuse that Dipa "Amat" Aidit had brought the PKI closer to China. The anti-Chinese legislation was in the Indonesian constitution until 1998. The state of the Chinese Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge regime has been described as "the worst disaster ever to befall any ethnic Chinese community in Southeast Asia." At the beginning of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975, there were 425,000 ethnic Chinese in Cambodia ; by

639-560: A small dataset of 159 male labourers from Guangdong who were sent to the Dutch colony of Suriname to illustrate their point. They stated that the Chinese labourers were between 161 to 164 cm in height for males. Their study did not account for factors other than economic conditions and acknowledge the limitations of such a small sample. The Lanfang Republic in West Kalimantan was established by overseas Chinese. In 1909,

710-663: A system of discriminatory laws known as the ' White Australia Policy ' which was enshrined in the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 . The policy was formally abolished in 1973, and in recent years Australians of Chinese background have publicly called for an apology from the Australian Federal Government similar to that given to the 'stolen generations' of indigenous people in 2007 by the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. In South Korea,

781-722: Is Protestant Christianity . Six out of seven Niasans are Protestant; the remainder are about evenly divided between Muslims (mostly immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia) and Catholics. However, adherence to either Christian or Muslim religions is still largely symbolic; Nias continues into the current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression. The people of Nias build Omo Hada houses on massive ironwood pillars with towering roofs. Not only were they almost impregnable to attack in former tribal warfare, but their flexible nail-less construction provided proven earthquake durability. Nias

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852-433: Is Sorake Bay , close to the town of Teluk Dalam , on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. As they wait for waves, surfers can often see sea turtles swimming below. There are also two consistent, world-class waves in the nearby Hinako Islands, Asu and Bawa. Many lesser-known, high-quality surf spots with low crowds await adventurous travelers. Nias

923-644: Is 海外華人 ; Hǎiwài Huárén or simply 華人 ; Huárén . It is often used by the Government of the People's Republic of China to refer to people of Chinese ethnicities who live outside the PRC, regardless of citizenship (they can become citizens of the country outside China by naturalization). Overseas Chinese who are ethnic Han Chinese , such as Cantonese , Hokchew , Hokkien , Hakka or Teochew refer to themselves as 唐人 (Tángrén). Literally, it means Tang people ,

994-431: Is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra. The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International . To reach Nias, there is a weekly ship from Jakarta to Gunungsitoli; there were ferries from Sibolga to Gunungsitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; before

1065-493: Is hotly debated, there is no doubt that Nias' relative geographic isolation has created a unique culture. Nias is best known for its diversity of festivals and celebrations. The most well-known events are War Dances, performed regularly for tourists, and Stone Jumping, a manhood ritual that sees young men leaping over two-meter stone towers to their fate. In the past, the top of the stone board is covered with spikes and sharp pointed bamboo. The music of Nias, performed mostly by women,

1136-571: Is included in the 2010 population of Hibala District. (c) Pulau Pulau Batu District now includes various small islands, including Tello, Batumakele and Sibele. (d) The 2010 populations of Simuk District (Simuk Island), Pulau Pulau Batu Barat District and Pulau Pulau Batu Utara District are included in the 2010 population of Pulau Pulau Batu District. (e) comprises numerous small islands including Sigata, Sipika, Pono, Sibaranu, Hayo and Bintuang. (f) comprises numerous small islands including Marit, Lorang, Memong and Lorang. The four new districts in

1207-576: Is noted worldwide for its haunting beauty. Gunungsitoli is home to Nias's only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias (Nias Heritage Foundation), which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias's cultural heritage. The museum had recently built a new building and had improved its storage and exhibitions when the 2004 earthquake and tsunami occurred. The museum suffered some damage to the grounds and collections, but museum staff are working to recover from this devastating event The predominant religion

1278-399: Is the biggest. The population in this area was 756,762 inhabitants at the 2010 Census, including Ono Niha (the indigenous inhabitants of the island), Malay , Batak , and Chinese ; by the 2020 Census the population had risen to 880,550, and the official estimate for mid-2023 was 930,294. Until 2003 Nias was a single administrative regency ( kabupaten ) covering the entire island, part of

1349-623: The Bandung declaration explicitly stated that overseas Chinese owed primary loyalty to their home nation. From the mid-20th century onward, emigration has been directed primarily to Western countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Brazil, The United Kingdom, New Zealand, Argentina and the nations of Western Europe; as well as to Peru, Panama, and to a lesser extent to Mexico. Many of these emigrants who entered Western countries were themselves overseas Chinese, particularly from

1420-501: The Indian Ocean , off the west coast of Sumatra , between Nias and Siberut . The three primary islands, of approximately equal size, are Pini , Tanahmasa , and Tanahbala . There are seventy-five smaller islands, of which the largest are Sipika, Tello and Sigata (all off the west coast of Tanahmasa), Simuk (considerably further to the west) and Bojo (to the south of Tanahbala); less than half are inhabited. The total land area of

1491-634: The Sangley , from Fujian and Guangdong were already migrating to the islands as early as 9th century, where many have largely intermarried with both native Filipinos and Spanish Filipinos ( Tornatrás ). Early presence of Chinatowns in overseas communities start to appear in Spanish colonial Philippines around 16th century in the form of Parians in Manila , where Chinese merchants were allowed to reside and flourish as commercial centers, thus Binondo ,

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1562-704: The South China Sea and in the Indian Ocean . In the mid-1800s, outbound migration from China increased as a result of the European colonial powers opening up treaty ports . The British colonization of Hong Kong further created the opportunity for Chinese labor to be exported to plantations and mines. During the era of European colonialism, many overseas Chinese were coolie laborers. Chinese capitalists overseas often functioned as economic and political intermediaries between colonial rulers and colonial populations. The area of Taishan, Guangdong Province

1633-594: The bamboo network , has a prominent role in the region's private sectors. In Europe, North America and Oceania, occupations are diverse and impossible to generalize; ranging from catering to significant ranks in medicine , the arts and academia . Overseas Chinese often send remittances back home to family members to help better them financially and socioeconomically. China ranks second after India of top remittance-receiving countries in 2018 with over US$ 67 billion sent. Overseas Chinese communities vary widely as to their degree of assimilation , their interactions with

1704-552: The gold mining and railway construction. Widespread famine in Guangdong impelled many Cantonese to work in these countries to improve the living conditions of their relatives. From 1853 until the end of the 19th century, about 18,000 Chinese were brought as indentured workers to the British West Indies , mainly to British Guiana (now Guyana ), Trinidad and Jamaica . Their descendants today are found among

1775-557: The second most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Indonesia and among the top 10 most powerful recorded worldwide since 1900. At least 800 people were reported dead, with the possibility of more than 2,000 casualties. Hundreds of buildings were toppled and many thousands of people were made homeless. In 2007, almost two years after the earthquake, there were still tens of thousands of internally displaced persons living in camps throughout Nias. Nias's coastline has changed markedly with

1846-474: The 1950s to the 1980s, a period during which the PRC placed severe restrictions on the movement of its citizens. Due to the political dynamics of the Cold War , there was relatively little migration from the People's Republic of China to southeast Asia from the 1950s until the mid-1970s. In 1984, Britain agreed to transfer the sovereignty of Hong Kong to the PRC; this triggered another wave of migration to

1917-503: The 2020 Census documented a total of 880,550. The official estimate as of mid-2023 was 930,294. It is located in a chain of islands parallel to the west coast of Sumatra ; Simeulue is about 140 km (87 mi) northwest, and the Batu Islands (which are administered as part of Nias and have an ethnically similar population) are located about 80 km (50 mi) southeast. This chain, which resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in

1988-503: The Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, there was a daily flight from Medan to Gunungsitoli. This became less frequent following the crisis. Since the 1998 Reformation, however, transport links on and to the island have become poor. Internally, the road system is in very bad condition. Externally the air and ferry links are unreliable. There are two ferry terminals (Gunungsitoli and Teluk Dalam) and an airport ( Binaka , near Gunungsitoli) on

2059-490: The Austronesian people which ultimately originated from Taiwan . The name of the island derives from the word used by the islanders to refer to themselves, niha ("human"). In the local language ( Li Niha ), the island is called Tanö Niha (literally the land of humans). During World War II , Nias was briefly occupied by an unrecognized Nazi state proclaimed by a group of escaped German prisoners calling themselves

2130-450: The Batu Islands are Pulau Pulau Batu Barat (West Batu Islands), Pulau Pulau Batu Utara (North Batu Islands), Simuk (Simuk Island) and Tanah Masa (that part of Tanahmasa Island previously part of Hibala District). The people of the Batu Islands have had substantial interaction with the populations of Nias, to the north, whose language they share. The islands have occasionally been a destination for slaves who escaped from Nias, and in

2201-658: The Children Fund , World Vision , Surf Aid, Safe Harbor International, and Caritas International are some of the international NGOs represented in Nias. UN agencies represented include UNORC – Office of the UN Recovery Coordinator for Aceh and Nias, UNDP , UNICEF , UN-Habitat , WFP , IOM and UNIDO . Nias is the largest of the islands off Sumatra that are part of North Sumatra province. This archipelago consists of 131 islands, of which Nias Island

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2272-475: The Free Republic of Nias. On 26 December 2004, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck a few kilometers north of the island, creating tsunamis as high as 10 metres (33 ft). 122 people were killed and hundreds more were rendered homeless. On 28 March 2005, the island was again hit by the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake , initially presumed to be an aftershock of the 2004 quake, but now regarded as

2343-595: The Hoa population at some 823,000 individuals and ranked 6th in terms of its population size. 70% of the Hoa live in cities and towns, mostly in Ho Chi Minh city while the rests live in the southern provinces. On the other hand, in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei , the ethnic Chinese have maintained a distinct communal identity. In East Timor , a large fraction of Chinese are of Hakka descent . In Western countries,

2414-619: The PRC does not distinguish between Han and ethnic minority populations for official policy purposes. For example, members of the Tibetan people may travel to China on passes granted to certain people of Chinese descent. Various estimates of the Chinese emigrant minority population include 3.1 million (1993), 3.4 million (2004), 5.7 million (2001, 2010), or approximately one tenth of all Chinese emigrants (2006, 2011). Cross-border ethnic groups ( 跨境民族 ; kuàjìng mínzú ) are not considered Chinese emigrant minorities unless they left China after

2485-724: The People's Republic of China has built increasingly stronger ties with African nations. In 2014, author Howard French estimated that over one million Chinese have moved in the past 20 years to Africa. More recent Chinese presences have developed in Europe, where they number well over 1 million, and in Russia, they number over 200,000, concentrated in the Russian Far East . Russia's main Pacific port and naval base of Vladivostok , once closed to foreigners and belonged to China until

2556-461: The Philippine and Indonesian private economies. The book World on Fire , describing the Chinese as a "market- dominant minority ", notes that "Chinese market dominance and intense resentment amongst the indigenous majority is characteristic of virtually every country in Southeast Asia except Thailand and Singapore". This asymmetrical economic position has incited anti-Chinese sentiment among

2627-629: The Qing dynasty established the first Nationality Law of China. It granted Chinese citizenship to anyone born to a Chinese parent. It permitted dual citizenship . In the first half of the 20th Century, war and revolution accelerated the pace of migration out of China. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party competed for political support from overseas Chinese. Under the Republicans economic growth froze and many migrated outside

2698-595: The Republic of China, mostly through the coastal regions via the ports of Fujian , Guangdong , Hainan and Shanghai . These migrations are considered to be among the largest in China's history. Many nationals of the Republic of China fled and settled down overseas mainly between the years 1911–1949 before the Nationalist government led by Kuomintang lost the mainland to Communist revolutionaries and relocated. Most of

2769-513: The United Kingdom (mainly England), Australia, Canada, US, South America, Europe and other parts of the world. The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre further accelerated the migration. The wave calmed after Hong Kong's transfer of sovereignty in 1997. In addition, many citizens of Hong Kong hold citizenships or have current visas in other countries so if the need arises, they can leave Hong Kong at short notice. In recent years,

2840-519: The United States hoped they would harass the People's Republic of China from the southwest, thereby diverting Chinese resources from the Korean War . The Burmese government protested and international pressure increased. Beginning in 1953, several rounds of withdrawals of the Nationalist forces and their families were carried out. In 1960, joint military action by China and Burma expelled

2911-770: The United States. Although discriminatory laws have been repealed or are no longer enforced today, both countries had at one time introduced statutes that barred Chinese from entering the country, for example the United States Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (repealed 1943) or the Canadian Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 (repealed 1947). In both the United States and Canada, further acts were required to fully remove immigration restrictions (namely United States' Immigration and Nationality Acts of 1952 and 1965 , in addition to Canada's) In Australia, Chinese were targeted by

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2982-532: The archipelago at the 2010 Census formerly comprised the Pulau Pulau Batu (Batu Islands) and Hibala Districts of the same regency; however, both have been subsequently divided to form new Districts - Tanahmasa District has been formed from part of Hibala District, and three new districts have been formed from parts of Pulau Pulau Batu District - namely Pulau Pulau Batu Barat (West Batu Islands), Pulau Pulau Batu Utara (North Batu Islands, which lie to

3053-616: The controversial argument that the 13 May Incident was a pre-meditated attempt by sections of the ruling Malay elite to incite racial hostility in preparation for a coup. In 2006, rioters damaged shops owned by Chinese- Tongans in Nukuʻalofa . Chinese migrants were evacuated from the riot-torn Solomon Islands . Ethnic politics can be found to motivate both sides of the debate. In Malaysia, many " Bumiputra " ("native sons") Malays oppose equal or meritocratic treatment towards Chinese and Indians , fearing they would dominate too many aspects of

3124-552: The country. The question of to what extent ethnic Malays, Chinese, or others are "native" to Malaysia is a sensitive political one. It is currently a taboo for Chinese politicians to raise the issue of Bumiputra protections in parliament, as this would be deemed ethnic incitement. Many of the overseas Chinese emigrants who worked on railways in North America in the 19th century suffered from racial discrimination in Canada and

3195-647: The current populations of these countries, but also among the migrant communities with Anglo-Caribbean origins residing mainly in the United Kingdom , the United States and Canada . Some overseas Chinese were sold to South America during the Punti–Hakka Clan Wars (1855–1867) in the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong. Research conducted in 2008 by German researchers who wanted to show the correlation between economic development and height, used

3266-606: The designation of Gunungsitoli as an autonomous city independent of the four regencies. Gunungsitoli remains the center of the business affairs of the entire island. Teluk Dalam is the capital of Nias Selatan Regency, Lötu of Nias Utara Regency, Lahömi of Nias Barat Regency, and Gidö of Nias Regency. All parties in the North Sumatra Legislative Council have agreed to the formation of a Nias Province (comprising Nias, Nias Selatan, Nias Utara and Nias Barat regencies, and Gunungsitoli municipality). It

3337-468: The end of 1979 there were just 200,000. It is commonly held that a major point of friction is the apparent tendency of overseas Chinese to segregate themselves into a subculture. For example, the anti-Chinese Kuala Lumpur racial riots of 13 May 1969 and Jakarta riots of May 1998 were believed to have been motivated by these racially biased perceptions. This analysis has been questioned by some historians, notably Dr. Kua Kia Soong , who has put forward

3408-594: The establishment of an independent state on China's border. Some ethnic groups who have historic connections with China, such as the Hmong , may not or may identify themselves as Chinese. The Chinese people have a long history of migrating overseas, as far back as the 10th century. One of the migrations dates back to the Ming dynasty when Zheng He (1371–1435) became the envoy of Ming. He sent people – many of them Cantonese and Hokkien  – to explore and trade in

3479-463: The island, serviced mainly from Sibolga and Medan respectively. However, local ferry companies regularly go out of business (or their boats sink), so only one terminal may be active at any given time. Since the 2005 earthquake, transportation has improved to cope with the increase in travel needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Wings Air and Manunggal Air are the airlines that fly to Gunungsitoli. National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia

3550-615: The late 19th century, as of 2010 bristles with Chinese markets, restaurants and trade houses. A growing Chinese community in Germany consists of around 76,000 people as of 2010 . An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 Chinese live in Austria. Chinese emigrants are estimated to control US$ 2 trillion in liquid assets and have considerable amounts of wealth to stimulate economic power in China . The Chinese business community of Southeast Asia, known as

3621-612: The mountainous islands of Sumba and Timor , is the forearc of the South Sumatra Basin along the Sunda Trench subduction zone . At Nias, the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Sunda Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm (2.0 in) a year (Milsom). The first inhabitants of Nias were Australomelanesoid people which can be traced back as early as 10,000 BC. They were later superseded by

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3692-529: The nationalist and neutral refugees fled mainland China to North America while others fled to Southeast Asia ( Singapore , Brunei , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia and Philippines ) as well as Taiwan (Republic of China). Those who fled during 1912–1949 and settled down in Singapore and Malaysia automatically gained citizenship in 1957 and 1963 as these countries gained independence. Kuomintang members who settled in Malaysia and Singapore played

3763-414: The north of Tanamasa) and Simuk Districts. The original districts remain with reduced areas and population, and thus the islands now form seven separate districts. Notes: (a) Hibala District now comprises 42 islands, chiefly Tanahbala Island but including Bojo Island to its south. (b) The 2010 population of Tanah Masa District (comprising that part of Tanahmasa Island previously part of Hibala District)

3834-570: The overseas Chinese generally use romanised versions of their Chinese names, and the use of local first names is also common. Overseas Chinese have often experienced hostility and discrimination . In countries with small ethnic Chinese minorities, the economic disparity can be remarkable. For example, in 1998, ethnic Chinese made up just 1% of the population of the Philippines and 4% of the population in Indonesia , but have wide influence in

3905-775: The past decade have become a destination for surfing boat charters from Padang , on the Sumatran mainland. The population at the 2010 Census was 28,468. The islands were visited by Simon Reeve during Equator , a 2006 BBC TV Series. A population of the Sunda clouded leopard had been recorded here. 0°12′S 98°30′E  /  0.200°S 98.500°E  / -0.200; 98.500 Overseas Chinese Overseas Chinese people are people of Chinese origin who reside outside Greater China ( mainland China , Hong Kong , Macau , and Taiwan ). As of 2011, there were over 40.3 million overseas Chinese. Overall, China has

3976-482: The poorer majorities. Sometimes the anti-Chinese attitudes turn violent, such as the 13 May Incident in Malaysia in 1969 and the Jakarta riots of May 1998 in Indonesia, in which more than 2,000 people died, mostly rioters burned to death in a shopping mall. During the Indonesian killings of 1965–66 , in which more than 500,000 people died, ethnic Chinese Hakkas were killed and their properties looted and burned as

4047-507: The previous paramount leader Hú Jǐntāo ( 胡錦濤 ) would be spelled as "Hồ Cẩm Đào" in Vietnamese. There are also great similarities between Vietnamese and Chinese traditions such as the use Lunar New Year, philosophy such as Confucianism , Taoism and ancestor worship; leads to some Hoa people adopt easily to Vietnamese culture, however many Hoa still prefer to maintain Chinese cultural background. The official census from 2009 accounted

4118-445: The province of North Sumatra . On 25 February 2003, it was split into two regencies, Nias Regency (covering the northern half of the island) and South Nias Regency ( Nias Selatan ), the latter including the Batu Islands further south. Subsequently, on 20 October 2008, the island was divided further, with the creation of two further regencies from parts of the former Nias Regency – Nias Barat (West Nias) and Nias Utara (North Nias) – and

4189-430: The relatively low social and economic statuses of ethnic Korean-Chinese have played a role in local hostility towards them. Such hatred had been formed since their early settlement years, where many Chinese–Koreans hailing from rural areas were accused of misbehaviour such as spitting on streets and littering . More recently, they have also been targets of hate speech for their association with violent crime, despite

4260-617: The remaining Nationalist forces from Burma, although some went on to settle in the Burma–Thailand borderlands . During the 1950s and 1960s, the ROC tended to seek the support of overseas Chinese communities through branches of the Kuomintang based on Sun Yat-sen 's use of expatriate Chinese communities to raise money for his revolution. During this period, the People's Republic of China tended to view overseas Chinese with suspicion as possible capitalist infiltrators and tended to value relationships with Southeast Asian nations as more important than gaining support of overseas Chinese, and in

4331-417: The settlement became known as Tang People Town ( 唐人埠 ) or Chinatown. The term shǎoshù mínzú ( 少数民族 ; 少數民族 ) is added to the various terms for the overseas Chinese to indicate those who would be considered ethnic minorities in China . The terms shǎoshù mínzú huáqiáo huárén and shǎoshù mínzú hǎiwài qiáobāo ( 少数民族海外侨胞 ; 少數民族海外僑胞 ) are all in usage. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of

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4402-441: The seven administrative districts is 1,201.1 km . The islands are governed as a part of South Nias regency within North Sumatra province. In Indonesian and Malay , batu means rock or stone . The equator passes through the archipelago, north of Tanahmasa and south of Pini. Administratively, Pini (with offshore islets) forms the Pulau Pulau Batu Timur (East Batu Islands) District of South Nias Regency . The rest of

4473-438: The south, lying between Nias and Siberut ; the Batu Islands form seven administrative districts within South Nias Regency. Religion in Nias (2023) The isolated Nias Island chain has been trading since prehistory with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia. Some historians and archaeologists have cited the local culture as one of the few remaining Megalithic cultures in existence today. While this point of view

4544-403: The surrounding communities (see Chinatown ), and their relationship with China. Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese community and is also the most successful case of assimilation , with many claiming Thai identity . For over 400 years, descendants of Thai Chinese have largely intermarried and/or assimilated with their compatriots. The present royal house of Thailand, the Chakri dynasty ,

4615-574: The term Huaqiao. Ching-Sue Kuik renders huáqiáo in English as "the Chinese sojourner " and writes that the term is "used to disseminate, reinforce, and perpetuate a monolithic and essentialist Chinese identity" by both the PRC and the ROC. The modern informal internet term haigui ( 海归 ; 海歸 ) refers to returned overseas Chinese and guīqiáo qiáojuàn ( 归侨侨眷 ; 歸僑僑眷 ) to their returning relatives. Huáyì ( 华裔 ; 華裔 ) refers to people of Chinese descent or ancestry residing outside of China, regardless of citizenship. Another often-used term

4686-436: The tsunami and earthquake. In some areas, the coast moved over 50 m (160 ft) inland. In other areas, as much as a further 100 m (330 ft) of land has been exposed. Uplift of land as much as 2.9 m (9.5 ft) has been recorded. Following the earthquake, many international aid agencies moved in to assist in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Oxfam , International Aid, Giving Children Hope , Save

4757-406: Was approved at a regional plenary session on 2 May 2011 but still awaits approval from the Central government, which has not yet enacted the grand design for additional provinces. The new province will thus cover an area identical to the original Nias Regency before the latter's division in 2003. Apart from Nias Island itself, the province will include the smaller Batu Islands (Pulau-Pulau Batu) to

4828-403: Was founded by King Rama I who himself was partly of Chinese ancestry. His predecessor, King Taksin of the Thonburi Kingdom , was the son of a Chinese immigrant from Guangdong Province and was born with a Chinese name. His mother, Lady Nok-iang (Thai: นกเอี้ยง), was Thai (and was later awarded the noble title of Somdet Krom Phra Phithak Thephamat). In the Philippines, the Chinese, known as

4899-594: Was part of the famous Hippie trail of the 1960s, particularly traveled by surfers, which led to Bali . It has been the site of several international surfing competitions in the past, particularly before the 1998 Indonesian Reformation Movement . Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the earthquakes of December 2004 and January 2005 . The situation has since been gradually improving, however. Batu Islands The Batu Islands are an archipelago of Indonesia located in

4970-415: Was set to operate a new service from Jakarta to Nias in North Sumatra starting 15 November 2018. This direct flight allows travelers to visit the regency's capital Gunungsitoli. Using the CRJ Bombardier 1000 Next-Gen that can accommodate 96 passengers, the route operates three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Nias is an internationally famous surfing destination. The best-known surfing area

5041-475: Was the source for many of economic migrants. In the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong in China, there was a surge in emigration as a result of the poverty and village ruin. San Francisco and California was an early American destination in the mid-1800s because of the California Gold Rush. Many settled in San Francisco forming one of the earliest Chinatowns. For the countries in North America and Australia saw great numbers of Chinese gold diggers finding gold in

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