中语 Many Languages of China

Chinese Language Map

Did you know that China has fifty six recognized ethnic groups? In order of population, this is the list of the 56 ethnic groups in China that are officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China. Members of several ethnic groups reside in Hong Kong and Macau, but due to the long separation from China, many of these ethnic groups are generally unknown to the Special Administrative Regions (of People's Republic of China) of Hong Kong and of Macau.

Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication containing statistics for 6,909 languages in the 16th edition, released in 2009. It gives the number of speakers, location, dialects, linguistic affiliations, availability of the Bible in the language, and so forth. According to Ethnologue, China has 292 living languages and 1 extinct language (Jurchen).

漢語（英语：the Chinese language(s)），又称中文（單指文字）、汉文、华文，其他名稱有唐文、中國語，唐話、中國話等^[1]，是属汉藏语系的分析语，具有声调。汉语的文字系统——汉字是一种意音文字，表意的同時也具一定的表音功能。漢語包含書面語以及口語兩部分，古代書面汉语称为文言文，现代书面汉语一般指使用現代標準漢語語法，詞彙的中文通行文体。目前全球有五分一人口使用漢語作為母語。現代漢語書面語高度統一，口語則有官話、粵語、吳語、湘語、贛語、客家語、閩語等七種主要漢語言。

The languages of China are collectively known as Zhongyu (simplified Chinese: 中语; traditional Chinese: 中語; pinyin: Zhōngyǔ), and their study is considered a distinct academic discipline in China. So far I know of only one person who has embrked on that distinct academic discipline, and that is Mike Campbell, aka Glossika.

Zhongyu span eight primary language families, are diverse morphologically and phonetically, and may be mutually unintelligible with each other. The languages most studied and supported by the state include Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uyghur and Zhuang.

I have been learning standard Chinese (known in China as Putonghua). It is the official national spoken language for the mainland. Several other autonomous regions have additional official languages. Language laws of China do not apply to either Hong Kong or Macauand hence have different official languages (Cantonese) than the mainland. 

English Name	Standard Romanization	CodeA	Pinyin	Simplified Chinese	Traditional Chinese	PopulationB
Han	Han	HA	Hàn Zú	汉族	漢族	1,225,932,641 (2000)
Zhuang	Zhuang	ZH	Zhuàng Zú	壮族	壯族	16,178,811
Manchu	Man	MA	Mǎn Zú	满族	滿族	10,682,263
Hui1	Hui	HU	Huí Zú	回族	回族	9,816,802
Miao2	Miao	MH	Miáo Zú	苗族	苗族	8,940,116
Uyghur	Uyghur	UG	Wéiwú'ěr Zú	维吾尔族	維吾爾族	8,399,393
Tujia	Tujia	TJ	Tǔjiā Zú	土家族	土家族	8,028,133
Yi	Yi	YI	Yí Zú	彝族	彝族	7,762,286
Mongol	Mongol	MG	Měnggǔ Zú	蒙古族	蒙古族	5,813,947
Tibetan3	Zang	ZA	Zàng Zú	藏族	藏族	5,416,021
Buyei	Buyei	BY	Bùyī Zú	布依族	布依族	2,971,460
Dong	Dong	DO	Dòng Zú	侗族	侗族	2,960,293
Yao	Yao	YA	Yáo Zú	瑶族	瑤族	2,637,421
Korean	Chaoxian	CS	Cháoxiān Zú	朝鲜族	朝鮮族	1,923,842
Bai	Bai	BA	Bái Zú	白族	白族	1,858,063
Hani	Hani	HN	Hāní Zú	哈尼族	哈尼族	1,439,673
Kazakh	Kazak	KZ	Hāsàkè Zú	哈萨克族	哈薩克族	1,420,458
Li	Li	LI	Lí Zú	黎族	黎族	1,247,814
Dai4	Dai	DA	Dǎi Zú	傣族	傣族	1,158,989
She	She	SH	Shē Zú	畲族	畲族	709,592
Lisu	Lisu	LS	Lìsù Zú	傈僳族	傈僳族	634,912
Gelao	Gelao	GL	Gēlǎo Zú	仡佬族	仡佬族	579,357
Dongxiang	Dongxiang	DX	Dōngxiāng Zú	东乡族	東鄉族	513,805
Gaoshan5	Gaoshan	GS	Gāoshān Zú	高山族	高山族	458,000
Lahu	Lahu	LH	Lāhù Zú	拉祜族	拉祜族	453,705
Sui	Sui	SU	Shuǐ Zú	水族	水族	406,902
Va	Va	VA	Wǎ Zú	佤族	佤族	396,610
Nakhi6	Naxi	NX	Nàxī Zú	纳西族	納西族	308,839
Qiang	Qiang	QI	Qiāng Zú	羌族	羌族	306,072
Tu	Tu	TU	Tǔ Zú	土族	土族	241,198
Mulao	Mulao	ML	Mùlǎo Zú	仫佬族	仫佬族	207,352
Xibe	Xibe	XB	Xībó Zú	锡伯族	錫伯族	188,824
Kyrgyz	Kirgiz	KG	Kē'ěrkèzī Zú	柯尔克孜族	柯爾克孜族	160,823
Daur	Daur	DU	Dáwò'ěr Zú	达斡尔族	達斡爾族	132,394
Jingpo7	Jingpo	JP	Jǐngpō Zú	景颇族	景頗族	132,143
Maonan	Maonan	MN	Máonán Zú	毛南族	毛南族	107,166
Salar	Salar	SL	Sālā Zú	撒拉族	撒拉族	104,503
Blang	Blang	BL	Bùlǎng Zú	布朗族	布朗族	91,882
Tajik	Tajik	TA	Tǎjíkè Zú	塔吉克族	塔吉克族	41,028
Achang	Achang	AC	Āchāng Zú	阿昌族	阿昌族	33,936
Pumi	Pumi	PM	Pǔmǐ Zú	普米族	普米族	33,600
Ewenki	Ewenki	EW	Èwēnkè Zú	鄂温克族	鄂温克族	30,505
Nu	Nu	NU	Nù Zú	怒族	怒族	28,759
Gin8	Gin	GI	Jīng Zú	京族	京族	22,517
Jino	Jino	JN	Jīnuò Zú	基诺族	基諾族	20,899
De'ang	Deang	DE	Dé'áng Zú	德昂族	德昂族	17,935
Bonan	Bonan	BO	Bǎo'ān Zú	保安族	保安族	16,505
Russian	Russ	RS	Éluósī Zú	俄罗斯族	俄羅斯族	15,609
Yugur	Yugur	YG	Yùgù Zú	裕固族	裕固族	13,719
Uzbek	Uzbek	UZ	Wūzībiékè Zú	乌孜别克族	烏孜别克族	12,370
Monba	Monba	MB	Ménbā Zú	门巴族	門巴族	8,923
Oroqen	Oroqen	OR	Èlúnchūn Zú	鄂伦春族	鄂倫春族	8,196
Derung	Derung	DR	Dúlóng Zú	独龙族	獨龍族	7,426
Chinese Tatars	Tatar	TT	Tǎtǎ'ěr Zú	塔塔尔族	塔塔爾族	4,890
Hezhen9	Hezhen	HZ	Hèzhé Zú	赫哲族	赫哲族	4,640
Lhoba	Lhoba	LB	Luòbā Zú	珞巴族	珞巴族	2,965
Undistinguished	Undistinguished	none	Wèi Shìbié Mínzú	未识别民族	未識別民族	734,438