The Monpa are a major people of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India and one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China. Most Monpas live in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, with a population of 50,000, centered in the districts of Tawang and West Kameng. Of Monpas who live in Arunachal Pradesh, about 20,000 live in Tawang district, where they constitute about 97% of the district's population, and almost all of the remainder can be found in the West Kameng district, where they form about 77% of the district's population. A small number of them may be found in bordering areas of East Kameng and Bhutan (2,500). Monpas also share very close affinity with the Sharchops of Bhutan. The Monpa are sub-divided into six sub-groups based on the variations in their language.