The Manchus (Manchu: ????? Möllendorff: manju; Chinese: ??; pinyin: Manzú; Wade–Giles: Man3-tsu2)A are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Qing (1636–1912) dynasties of China were established and ruled by the Manchus who are descended from the Jurchen people who earlier established the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in northern China.Manchus form the largest branch of the Tungusic peoples and are distributed throughout China forming the fourth largest ethnic group in the country. They can be found in 31 Chinese provincial regions. Among them Liaoning has the largest population and Hebei Heilongjiang Jilin Inner Mongolia and Beijing have over 100000 Manchu residents. About half of the population live in Liaoning and one-fifth in Hebei. There are a number of Manchu autonomous counties in China such as Xinbin Xiuyan Qinglong Fengning Yitong Qingyuan Weichang Kuancheng Benxi Kuandian Huanren Fengcheng BeizhenB and over 300 Manchu towns and townships. Manchus are the largest minority group in China without an autonomous region.