Tim Schon, age 15, of Gulfport, Miss., for his question:

WHAT ARE ABORIGINES?

Aborigines are the earliest known inhabitants of a country. The term is generally given 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 including those of Canada and the United States concerning Eskimos and Indians and those of Australia concerning its aboriginal groups.

All aboriginal peoples have been affected by contact with contemporary civilization. In many cases, the introduction of disease, warfare, alcohol and drugs has demoralized and decimated the aborigines of an area.

'In some cases, such as the Ainu of northern Japan, the aborigines have become almost wholly assimilated. The greatest degree of racial mixture has occurred among the native Polynesians of Hawaii. The Indian population of the United States has also extensively intermarried with whites.

In Central and South America and in the Caribbean region, many tribes have become extinct. In most cases, this was a result of the Spanish or Portuguese conquests.