Linda Wolf, age 14, of White Plains, N.Y., for her question:

WHAT ARE ABORIGINES?

Aborigines are the earliest known inhabitants of a country. The term is generally applied to the original or native inhabitants of a country, as opposed to an intrusive conquering race from another area or colonists and their descendants.

Most nations have instituted measures for the welfare of the aborigines within their territories. Such measures include those of the United States and Canada concerning Indians and Inuits and those of Australia concerning its aboriginal groups.

All aboriginal peoples have been affected by contact with contemporary civilization. In some cases, the introduction of disease, warfare, alcohol and drugs has demoralized and decimated peoples. In other cases, such as the Ainu of northern Japan, natives have become almost wholly assimilated.

The greatest degree of racial mixture has occurred among the native Polynesians of Hawaii. The Indian population of the U. S. has also extensively intermarried with whites.

Tribes in such comparatively inaccessible areas as the Amazon River Basin of South America still live largely according to their simple, traditional cultures.