Who are the Aborigines?
The aborigines came to Taiwan in prehistoric times. Currently most live in the mountains, although originally two separate groups cound be identified: mountain and lowland aborigines. There are a number of different aboriginal tribes, but there are only seven major ones. Although the aborigines speak languages that resemble Malay, rather than Chinese, they do not have a common language other than Japanese or Chinese. Many still live by hunting and fishing, but aborigines are also now working in other occupations especially those associated with tourism. They are poorer than the rest of the population, and their birthrate is lower.
