No science has yet given an exact definition of such a concept as “people,” but everyone understands by this concept a large community of people living compactly in a certain territory.
The science of ethnography, which studies peoples and ethnic groups, including the most numerous peoples, identifies today from 2.4 to 2.7 thousand nationalities living on earth. But in such a delicate matter, ethnographers can rely on statistical data, which put the figure at 5 and a half thousand peoples on Earth.
No less interesting is ethnogenesis, which studies the emergence and development of various ethnic groups. Let us present in a small overview the largest nations that emerged in ancient times, and their total number exceeds 100 million people.
Chinese (1,320 million)
The generalized concept of “Chinese people” includes all residents of China, including people of other nationalities, as well as those who have Chinese citizenship but live abroad.
Nevertheless, the Chinese people are the largest, both in the concept of “nation” and in the concept of “nationality”. Today there are 1 billion 320 million Chinese living in the world, which is from total number of the planet's inhabitants is 19%. So, the list of the largest nations in the world, by all indicators, is rightfully headed by the Chinese.
Although in fact, those whom we call “Chinese” are ethnically representatives of the Han people. China is a multinational country.
The very name of the people is “Han”, which means “Milky Way”, and comes from the name of the country “Celestial Empire”. This is also the most ancient people A land whose roots go back to the distant past. The Han people in China make up the absolute majority, about 92% of the country's population.
Interesting facts:
- The Chinese Zhuang people, who are a national minority in the country, number about 18 million people, which is comparable to the population of Kazakhstan and larger than the population of the Netherlands.
- Another Chinese people, Huizu, has a population of about 10.5 million, which is earlier than the population of countries such as Belgium, Tunisia, the Czech Republic or Portugal.
Arabs (330-340 million)
The Arabs, who occupy second place, are defined in ethnographic science as a group of nationalities, but from the point of view of ethnogenesis, they are one people of the Semitic language group.
The nation developed in the Middle Ages, when the Arabs settled in the Middle East and northern Africa. All of them are united by a single Arabic language and a unique writing system - Arabic script. The people have long gone beyond the boundaries of their historical homeland, and modern stage, due to various circumstances, settled in other regions of the globe.
Today the number of Arabs is estimated at 330-340 million people. They mostly adhere to Islam, but there are also Christians.
Did you know that:
- There are more Arabs living in Brazil than in the United Arab Emirates.
- Arabs consider the gesture to be a sexually suggestive insult.
Americans (317 million)
Here shining example, when it is possible to accurately define a people, with the practically non-existent concept “ American nation" In a narrow sense, this is a group of different nationalities that make up the population of the United States and have American citizenship.
Over the course of 200 years of history, a single culture, mentality, common language, used in communication, which allows you to unite the population of the United States into one people.
Today there are 317 million US Americans. For the indigenous population of America, Indians, the name Americans may be used, but in terms of ethnic identification this is a completely different ethnic group.
Hindustani (265 million)
On at the moment Hindustanis settled compactly in three neighboring countries in the South-Eastern region of the planet - India, Nepal and Pakistan.
As for India, the largest number of them live in the northern part of the state. In total, ethnology numbers about 265 million Hindustanis, and their main language of communication is various dialects of the Hindi language.
It is interesting that of the related nationalities, the closest to them are the Gypsies and Dravidians who inhabit southern regions India.
Bengalis (over 250 million)
Among the numerous peoples, the Bengalis, numbering more than 250 million, also occupy a leading position. They mostly live in Asian countries, but there are small diasporas in the USA and Great Britain, and they also exist in other European countries.
Over the centuries-old history, the Bengalis have preserved their national culture, identity and language, as well as their main activities. In the Asian region, they live mainly in rural areas, as they have been engaged in agriculture since ancient times.
The Bengali language is one of the most complex on earth; it was formed as a result of the synthesis of the Indo-Aryan language and numerous local dialects.
Brazilians (197 million)
Group of different ethnic groups, living in Latin America, developed into a single Brazilian people. There are currently about 197 million Brazilians, most of whom live in Brazil itself.
The people went through a difficult path of ethnogenesis, which began to take shape as a result of the European conquest of the South American continent. Indian nationalities lived intermixed over vast territories, and with the arrival of Europeans, most of them were destroyed, the rest assimilated.
And so it happened that the religion of the Brazilians became Catholicism, and the language of communication became Portuguese.
Russians (about 150 million)
The name of the most numerous people of Russia occurred as a result of the transition of the adjective “Russian people”, “Russian people” into the generalizing noun “Russians”, in the concept of people.
Modern statistical studies indicate that there are about 150 million Russians on Earth, most of whom live in Russia. Most numerous people Russia belongs to the linguistic group of East Slavic languages, and today more than 180 million people consider Russian their native language.
Russians are practically homogeneous in anthropological terms, although they are spread over a large territory and are divided into several ethnographic groups. The ethnos emerged during the development of the Russian state from different ethnic groups of the Slavs.
Interesting Fact: Largest quantity Russians outside the borders of the Russian Federation and countries former USSR located in Germany (∼ 3.7 million) and in the USA (∼ 3 million).
Mexicans (148 million)
Mexicans, who number about 148 million people, are united by a common territory of residence, a single Spanish communication, as well as an amazing national culture that has developed on the basis of the heritage ancient civilizations Central America.
This people is also a vivid example of duality, since those Mexicans who live in the United States can simultaneously be considered Americans.
The people are also unique in that they are Latin Americans by ethnicity, but their language of communication classifies them as a Romance group. It is also the fastest growing nation on our planet.
Japanese (132 million)
There are 132 million conservative Japanese on Earth, and they live mainly in their historical homeland. After World War II, some Japanese settled around the world, and now only 3 million people live outside Japan.
The Japanese people are distinguished by isolation, high diligence, a special attitude towards the historical past and national culture. Over many centuries, the Japanese have managed to preserve and, most importantly, increase their heritage, both spiritual and material and technical.
The Japanese treat foreigners in a special way, with some suspicion, and are reluctant to allow them into their lives.
Punjabis (130 million)
Another one of largest nations lives compactly in the territories of India and Pakistan. Of the 130 million Punjabis in the Asian regions, a small portion settled in Europe and Africa.
For many centuries, the hardworking people created an extensive irrigation system for irrigated fields, and their main occupation has always been agriculture.
It was the Punjabis who were one of the first peoples on earth to create a highly developed and cultural civilization in the valleys of Indian rivers. But, as a result of cruel colonial policies, much of the heritage of this people was lost.
Biharis (115 million)
The amazing Bihari people, living mainly in the Indian state of Bihar, today number about 115 million people. A small part settled in other Indian states and neighboring countries.
Modern representatives of the people are direct descendants of those. Who created the first agricultural civilizations on Earth in the Indus and Ganges valleys.
Today, there is an active process of urbanization of Biharis, and, leaving their main occupations and ancient crafts and trades, they are moving en masse to cities.
Javanese (105 million)
The last major nation on earth, numbering more than 100 million people. According to the latest data from ethnology and statistics, there are about 105 million Javanese people on the planet.
IN XIX century Data on the origin were provided only by the Russian ethnographer and traveler Miklouho-Maclay, but today quite a lot is known about the ethnogenesis of the Javanese.
They settled mainly on the islands of Oceania, and are the indigenous population big island Java and the state of Indonesia. Over many centuries they have created a unique and inimitable culture.
Thais (over 90 million)
Just by the name of the ethnic group, it is clear that the Thais are the indigenous population of the kingdom of Thailand, and today there are more than 90 million of them.
The etymology of the origin of the word “tai” is interesting, which in local dialects means “ free man" Ethnographers and archaeologists, studying the culture of the Thais, have determined that it was formed during the early Middle Ages.
Among other nations, this nation is distinguished by its sincere love, sometimes bordering on fanaticism, for theatrical art.
Koreans (83 million)
The people formed many centuries ago and at one time populated the Korean Peninsula of Asia. They managed to create a highly developed culture, and carefully protect national traditions.
The total number of people is 83 million, but the confrontation led to the formation of two states with one ethnic group, which is an unresolved tragedy for the Koreans today.
More than 65 million Koreans live in South Korea, the rest in North Korea, and also settled in other Asian and European countries.
Marathi (83 million)
India, among all its uniqueness, is also the record holder for the number of numerous nationalities living on its territory. For example, the state of Maharashtra is home to the amazing Marakhti people.
A very talented people, people from whom occupy high positions in India, Indian cinema is filled with Marakhti.
In addition, the Marakhti are a very purposeful and united ethnic group, which in the 50s of the twentieth century achieved the creation of their own state, and today, numbering 83 million people, this is the main population of the Indian state.
European peoples
It is worth separately touching upon the largest peoples of Europe, among which the leaders are the descendants of the ancient Germans, the Germans, whose number, according to various sources, ranges from 80 to 95 million. Second place is firmly held by Italians, of whom there are 75 million on earth. But the French are firmly established in third place, with a population of about 65 million.
Large nations living on the globe, however, like small ones, have their own cultural and national traditions that have developed over a long historical process.
Today, the process of erasing ethnic and national boundaries is increasingly observed. There are practically no mono-national states left on Earth, it’s just that in each of them there is one dominant nation, and all the different national people are united under the general concept of “resident of the country.”
regional migration interethnic
By the beginning of the 20th century, the territory Russian Empire reached 22.4 million km2. Accordingly, with the increase in territory, the population also grew and during this period of time amounted to 128.2 million people. Thus, according to the 1897 census, the ethnic composition included 196 peoples, with the share of Russians being 44.3%.
In 1926, according to the USSR population census, about 160 ethnic groups were identified, including 30 with a population of less than 1 thousand people. Characteristic feature the peoples of the USSR there was a strong difference in their numbers. Twenty-two of them, numbering more than 1 million people each, accounted for 96% of the population of the entire country.
Regarding the population modern Russia, it is also very rich and varied. Today, more than 130 nations and nationalities live on the territory of the Russian Federation. Each nation has a different way of life, customs, historical traditions, culture, work skills.
According to the 1989 census, the majority of the population were Russians (more than 80%), further, from the numerous nationalities inhabiting Russia, the following should be noted: Tatars (over 5 million people), Ukrainians (over 4 million people), Chuvash, Bashkirs, Belarusians, Mordovians and others.
As for the national composition of the Chita region, the 1989 population census recorded the following data (as a percentage of the total population of the region): Russians - 88.4%, Buryats - 4.8%, Ukrainians - 2.8%, Tatars - 0.9%, Belarusians - 0.7%, Chuvash - 0.2%, Bashkirs - 0.2%, Mordovians - 0.1%, Evenks - about 0.1%, other nationalities - 1.9%.
Current statistics indicated an increase in the share of Russians to 90.9%, Buryats to 5.4%, Evenks to 0.2% and a decrease in the share of representatives of other nationalities.
The overwhelming majority of representatives of the peoples of the north, primarily the Evenks, live in the Kalarsky, Tungir-Olyokminsky and Tungokochensky regions.
Settlement of peoples across the territory of the Russian Federation
All the peoples inhabiting our country can be divided into three groups. The first is ethnic groups, most of which live in Russia, and outside its borders there are only small groups (Russians, Chuvash, Bashkirs, Tatars, Yakuts, Buryats, Kalmyks and others). They, as a rule, form national-state units within the Russian Federation.
The second group is those peoples of neighboring countries (that is, the republics of the former USSR), as well as some other countries, which are represented on the territory of Russia by significant groups, in some cases compact settlements (Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Armenians, Poles, Greeks and others ).
And finally, the third group is formed by small subdivisions of ethnic groups, in most cases living outside of Russia (Romanians, Hungarians, Abkhazians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Albanians, Croats and others).
Thus, about 100 peoples (the first group) live mainly on the territory of the Russian Federation, the rest - representatives of the second and third groups - mainly in neighboring countries or other countries of the world, but are still a significant element of the Russian population.
Russia is a multinational republic, in its own way state structure is a federation built on a national-territorial principle.
The federal structure of the Russian Federation is based on its state integrity, the unity of the system of power, the delimitation of jurisdiction and powers between bodies state power subjects of the Russian Federation, equality and self-determination of peoples in the Russian Federation (Constitution of the Russian Federation, 1993).
As of January 1, 2007, the Russian Federation includes 86 constituent entities, of which 21 are republics, 7 territories, 48 regions, 2 federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg), 1 autonomous region, 7 autonomous districts.
The total area of 29 national entities (republics, autonomous okrugs, autonomous regions) makes up 53% of the country's territory. At the same time, only about 26 million people live here (including almost 12 million Russians).
All national entities have a complex population composition. Moreover, the share of the main or “titular” nation in some cases is relatively small. Thus, out of 21 republics of the Russian Federation, only in six the main peoples make up the majority (Ingushetia, Chuvashia, Tuva, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, the Chechen Republic). In multi-ethnic Dagestan, ten local peoples (Avars, Dargins, Kumyks, Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans, Nogais, Rutuls, Aguls, Tsakhurs) form 80% of the total population. In nine republics, the peoples of the “titular” nation account for less than one-third of the population (including in Karelia and Kalmykia).
The picture of the settlement of peoples in the autonomous okrugs is significantly different. They are very sparsely populated and for many decades they attracted migrants from all the republics of the former USSR (Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Belarusians, Chechens and others) who came to work - to develop the richest mineral deposits, to build roads, industrial facilities and cities. As a result, the “titular” peoples in most autonomous okrugs and in the only autonomous region constitute only a small percentage of their total population. For example, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - 1.5%, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug - 6%, Chukotka - about 9%. Detailed national structure The population of the autonomous regions of Russia can be traced according to the data in Table 1.1 in the appendix of the work.
Language families and groups
A distinctive feature of a people is its language - the most important means of communication between people. Based on the similarity of languages, peoples are united into language groups, and close and related groups into language families. Based on language, all the peoples of Russia can be united into 4 language families:
1. Indo-European family (80% of all residents of the country). This family includes: - the Slavic group, the largest in Russia, including Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles and others.
Iranian group, including Tajiks, Ossetians, Kurds.
The Romanesque group, which includes Moldovans, Gypsies, and Romanians.
German group. It includes Germans and Jews.
2. Altai family (6.8% of all residents of the country). It includes the following groups: - Turkic group, which includes Tatars, Chuvash, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Yakuts, Tuvans, Karachais, Khakassians, Balkars, Altaians, Shors, Dolgans.
Mongolian group consisting of Buryats and Kalmyks.
Tungus-Manchu group. This group includes the Evens, Evenks, Nanais, Udeges and others.
Paleo-Asian group consisting of the Chukchi and Koryaks.
3. Ural family(2% of all residents of the country). They are divided into groups: - Finno-Ugric group, which includes Mordovians, Estonians, Udmurts, Mari, Komi, Komi-Permyaks, Karelians, Finns, Mansi, Hungarians, Sami.
Samoyed group, including Nenets, Selkups, Nganasans.
Yukaghir group (Yukaghirs).
4. North Caucasian family (2% of all residents of the country). Also includes several groups: - Nakh-Dagestan group. It includes Chechens, Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, and Ingush.
Kartvelian group · Georgians.
Adyghe-Abkhaz group, including Adygeis, Abkhazians, Circassians, Kabardians.
In addition to the above-mentioned families, representatives of the Chukchi-Kamchatka family (Chukchi, Koryaks, Itelmens) live in Russia; the Eskimo-Aleut family (Eskimos, Aleuts) and the peoples of other linguistic families and peoples (Chinese, Arabs, Vietnamese and others).
The languages of all the peoples of Russia have full rights, but the language of interethnic communication is Russian.
The multinational composition of the population of the Russian Federation is enshrined in the first lines of the Constitution and is determined by historical traditions remaining from previous historical eras.
The documents of the latest census enshrine the voluntary nature of the national definition of an individual, so the question “how many nationalities are there in Russia” can only be given a conditional answer.
Construction of a common house
Story Russian statehood, which began in ancient times, is the process of formation over a vast area of a social organism consisting of national formations very different in composition. The quantitative predominance of the Russian nation largely determined the qualitative composition of multinational education. The true Russian mentality is characterized by natural tolerance, which was formed from the habit of living in peace with neighbors. And how many nationalities are there in Russia - those who came with menacing intentions and became united people with the Russians?! How can one not recall the history of the Kazan Khanate or the nomadic peoples from the southern steppes.
Another reason for the increase in the number of nationalities gathered on one sixth of the land was the imperial policy of territorial expansion, which led to the unification under a single state entity of a huge number of “foreigners” with their own customs, languages and culture. The respectful attitude of the titular nation towards the way of life of other peoples was in many ways the basis of state unity, and how many nationalities there are in Russia can be understood by the huge variety of languages, costumes and traditions.
Belonging to an ethnic group
It is human nature to strive to understand one’s place in society, belonging to certain linguistic, cultural, professional, educational, and religious groups. Division along ethnic lines has always been one of the most important and familiar; nationality is one of the main categories of stratification. Calls to return to the roots, to search national roots characteristic of even the most advanced and educated layers of society.
Unfortunately, the desire for national identity often takes the form of a fad, a fashionable hobby, or, even worse, xenophobia and chauvinism, in favor of the political needs of the current moment. This has always been a serious danger, given how many nationalities live in Russia. But there remains hope for the intelligence of people, because a rare nation can consciously declare intolerance towards other people’s customs and call for the destruction of a culture born within the framework of another nation.
Fifth column
A mandatory item on nationality (in the sense of belonging to a specific ethnic group) was in the Soviet passport, which was in direct accordance with the beliefs of the founder of the communist state, Lenin. Even before the revolution, in the questionnaires of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party, at the direction of the leader, the column “nationality” was introduced.
Stalin became a faithful successor of the national policy, which aimed to hide interethnic problems, and to solve obvious and urgent ones with an iron hand, without taking into account the diversity, how many nationalities and nationalities there are in Russia, evicting entire peoples from their usual places or creating artificial formations type complex in composition autonomous republics. This approach gave rise to huge problems during the collapse of the USSR in the form of interethnic conflicts, often with the use of armed force.
Soviet document circulation made the state bureaucracy a powerful force. It was easier to take into account how many nationalities lived in Russia with such document flow, although some nationalities, in particular small Finno-Ugric groups, were considered non-existent because they were not on the list approved by the authorities.
Modern views on national identity are closer to a specific person, who himself makes conclusions about belonging to a specific ethnic group based on linguistic and cultural preferences.
Number of nations and nationalities
The census reports noted more than 800 answer options to the question on the census form about nationality, but after processing the numbers with the participation of ethnographers, it turned out that the names of many nations and nationalities differ only in pronunciation options in different dialects.
Thus, 193 ethnic formations of various scales were identified: 145 were separate ethnic groups, and 48 were their constituent parts in the process of historical and cultural evolution. This is one of the answer options to the question “how many nationalities are there in Russia.” That this is only an option is clear from an analysis of the results of censuses conducted in other years. It becomes clear that the allocation of ethnic groups into a separate category or their inclusion in another entity is done at the discretion of expert ethnographers based on their scientific developments.
Indigenous Peoples
There is another type of statistical data showing how many nationalities there are in Russia. They divide all the nationalities of Russia into three groups:
The first is large ethnic groups, most of which live within the borders Russian state, often forming national administrative units. A minority of such peoples live outside the Russian Federation. This group includes Russians, Tatars, Chuvash, Komi, Yakuts, Kalmyks and others - about 100 peoples in total.
The second group is peoples from neighboring countries (former Soviet republics). Namely: Ukrainians, Belarusians, Armenians, Kazakhs, etc.
In the third group are representatives of nations that are small in number, most of whom live outside of Russia: Romanians, Hungarians, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. The total number of ethnic groups of the second and third categories depends on the calculation method and ranges from 60 to 90. These statistics shows how many nationalities in Russia and nationalities whose representatives belong to a foreign ethnic group.
The majority of the Russian population consider themselves Russian - 81%, that’s 111 million people. In addition to them, there are six more nationalities that number more than 1 million people: Tatars - 5.3 million (3.72%), Ukrainians - 1.92 million (1.35%), Bashkirs 1.58 million (1.11%). ), Chuvash 1.43 (1.01%), Chechens - 1.41 million (1.0%) and Armenians - 1.1 million (0.83%).
Geographic ethnography
History of the Russian Empire, history Soviet Union, the current period is an endless process of interaction between large and small ethnic entities, resettlement of peoples, migration and re-emigration. How many nationalities are there in Russia that have experienced cataclysms of various scales in their history at the behest of the authorities?
As a result, there are no more or less vast areas left on the map of Russia inhabited by representatives of one nation; there are areas with a relatively homogeneous national composition and areas that represent a motley mixture of customs and languages. The latter can safely include the Middle Volga region and North Caucasus. Using their example, one can imagine how many nationalities live in Russia if, say, in small developed mountain areas, speakers of several dialects belonging to different language families coexist.
Tree of languages
It is the language, and not the typical way of life for a group of people or similar external signs, that is the defining category for a nationality. There are almost as many languages in Russia as there are nationalities! That is, no one knows a definite answer, and every linguist and ethnographer has his own opinion. This is as true as the fact that language is like a living organism: it changes, develops or withers. Science knows many dead languages.
The number of language families alone, to which scientists classify the dialects spoken by Russians, is striking; there are 14 of them. This is like the number of branches extending from a single trunk, and smaller branches extend from them, the number of languages is comparable to the number of leaves, and in the case of languages throughout Russia, according to a number of scientists, this figure is close to two hundred.
Conclusion
Even world-famous scientists, linguists, ethnographers, and sociologists consider the most reasonable answer to the question of how many nationalities and languages there are in Russia to be more than a hundred. And simply reasonable people add that it’s not a matter of quantity, but of common house enough space for happy life to all peoples, and the smallest of them would feel like part of a friendly family.
Great and varied. In its vastness there is nature, beautiful in its versatility, and other miracles created by man. In addition, the territories of the largest country in the world shelter dozens of different peoples. This is the most great wealth amazing hospitable state.
We know that many nationalities live in Russia - Russians, Udmurts, Ukrainians. What other peoples live in Russia? After all, in the far corners of the country, small and little-known people have lived for centuries, but interesting nationalities with its own unique culture.
National composition of the population of Russia
Let's say right away that Russians make up approximately 80% of the total population. A full one would be very large. According to some reports, more than 200 different nationalities are registered. This information corresponds to the state of 2010.
We will begin our acquaintance with the rest of the national composition of Russia with the most common ones. Large nationalities are those that are present on the territory of the state in numbers of more than 1 million.
Tatars
The ratio of the Tatar people among all others in the country is 3.8%. has its own language and regions of greatest distribution.
In addition, it includes several ethnic groups: Crimean Tatars, Volga-Urals, Siberians and Astrakhan. Most of them live in the Volga region.
Ukrainians
Let's continue our short excursion on the topic of what peoples live in Russia and move on to the Ukrainians. Their number in Russia is 2% of general population. Based on materials from some historical information, the name of the nationality comes from the word “outskirts”, which served as the basis for the name of the country - Ukraine.
Ukrainians living in Russia continue to honor their traditions, celebrating holidays according to their customs, wearing folk clothes. A special feature of Ukrainian clothing is embroidery in a variety of colors. The main symbolic colors in the ornaments are red and black.
Bashkirs
The ratio of the Bashkirs to the entire population of the country is 1.2%. The territories where most of these people live are Altai, Tyumen, and other regions of Russia (Orenburg, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan and others).
Ethnologists to this day do not agree on where the name of the nationality came from and what it means. The most common interpretations are “main wolf”, “separate people”, “brother-in-law of the Ugrians”. In total there are about 40 different assumptions.
The culture of the Bashkirs is significant for their songs, fairy tales, and ditties.
Chuvash
Next we’ll talk about the Chuvash, answering the question about what peoples live in Russia. The Chuvash people make up 1.1% of the Russian population. Most Chuvash live in Tatarstan, Samara and many other regions of the country, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. And today their main occupation is handicrafts, animal husbandry and agriculture.
The Chuvash culture is amazingly beautiful and interesting. They have their own ancient, developed mythology. National clothing is extremely diverse, with many dozens of different cuts and color options.
Chechens
Chechens in Russia make up about 0.9% of the total population. This is one of the harshest people in the country. At the same time, they are distinguished by wit, they are characterized by courage and endurance.
The peculiarity of Chechen songs is a deep, incommensurable longing for home. Their poetry and songs contain many motifs of exile. Such poetry cannot be found anywhere else in folklore.
You can notice the similarity of the Chechen people with the Circassian and Lezgin people. The explanation for this is simple: all three nationalities belong to the same Caucasian nationality.
And we continue to reveal most interesting question about what peoples live in Russia.
Armenians
Armenians make up 0.8% of the Russian population. Their culture is very ancient. Its roots can be traced back to Greek culture. The special flavor of this nation is created by their irrepressible cheerfulness and hospitality.
Armenian music appeared before our era. And today we know many world singers with Armenian roots. Among them are the French singer David Tukhmanov, Dzhivad Gasparyan and many others.
Armenian clothing is luxurious and pretentious. And children's costumes are simply irresistible, something that has not been seen in other nations.
We now know what peoples inhabit Russia, but that’s not all. In the far corners of the vast country, there are still peoples who are not so numerous in number, but their culture is so diverse and interesting that we simply cannot help but remember them.
Small nations
Russians know quite a lot about peoples whose number exceeds 1 million. But there are also small peoples of Russia that you may not even hear about in your entire life.
Thus, in the Volga-Vyatka region, such nationalities as the Mari and Mordovians have lived for many centuries. The server region is native to the Karelians, Komi, Sami, and Nenets. Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts live in the Urals. Kazakhs and Kalmyks settled in the Volga region long ago.
Western Siberia is the homeland of the Selkups, Altaians, Mansi, Khanty, Shors, Eastern Siberia is the homeland of the Tuvans, Buryats, Khakassians, Dolgans, Evenks.
On Far East There live such nationalities as the Yakuts, Koryaks, Evens, Udeges, Nanais, Orochs and many other peoples, the number of which is very small.
The peculiarity of small nations is that they have preserved and still revere their ancient pagan beliefs. They are characterized by adherence to animism (animation of natural objects and animals) and shamanism (belief in shamans - people who speak with spirits).
How many peoples live in Russia in total?
A pan-European survey was carried out in 2002. The data collected also included information on the ethnic composition of the countries' populations. Then it was received interesting information about what peoples live in Russia and their numbers.
Census indicators in Russia demonstrated that representatives of 160 people live in the country different nationalities. This figure is simply huge compared to European countries. On average, they are home to people belonging to 9.5 nationalities. On a global scale, Russia's indicators are also high.
It is interesting that in 1989, when a similar census was carried out in Russia, a list of 129 nationalities was compiled. The reason for such a difference in indicators, according to experts, is the possibility of self-determination as belonging to one or another nationality. This opportunity arose in 1926. Previously different peoples Russia considered itself to be Russian based on the geopolitical factor.
Dynamics in the ratio of nationalities
According to demographic researchers, recent years the number of Ukrainians in Russia has decreased threefold. There are also much fewer Belarusians, as well as Mordovians.
The number of Armenians, Chechens, Azerbaijanis, and Tajiks has increased. Some of them were even among those who number more than a million in Russia.
The dynamics in the ratio of nationalities are believed to be influenced by several factors. One of them is the decline in the birth rate, which has affected the entire country. The other is emigration.
Jews left Russia. Russian Germans also emigrated from the country.
Positive dynamics are observed among small indigenous peoples. On the contrary, they are for last decades became more. Thus, we see that the question of what peoples inhabit Russia is always relevant for study due to its dynamics.
Do only Russians live somewhere?
We learned that many different nationalities live in Russia, in addition to Russians. Many who have discovered it may wonder if there is an area where only Russians live.
The answer is clear: there is no region with a completely homogeneous composition of the Russian population. Only the Central, Central Chernozem, and Northwestern regions are close to this. All other territories of the country are replete with different nationalities.
Conclusions
In the article, we looked at what peoples live on the territory of Russia, found out what they are called and where they are most common. We have once again seen how rich the country is not only natural resources, but also human, and this is many times more important.
In addition, we learned that the national composition of the Russian population is not somewhat static. It changes over the years under the influence various factors(migration, possibility of self-determination, etc.).
We hope that the article was interesting for you: it helped you take a mental journey across the expanses of Russia and introduced you to its different, but so hospitable and interesting inhabitants. Now we can tell anyone without hesitation, if they are interested, what peoples live in Russia.
Russia is rich not only in amazing natural monuments, beautiful architectural structures and other wonderful sights. She also has multinational composition indigenous population. At the beginning of this decade, more than two hundred diverse nationalities were officially attested. The country has about 145 million residents who live there permanently, of which the largest group is Russians, there are 116 million of them in Russia, which is 80% of the total population.
It is worth adding that the national composition of our country is not some kind of static indicator; it is constantly changing under the influence of various processes (migration, wars, relocation, etc.).
Russia ranks 7th in the world in terms of population and 2nd in density, second only to the United States of America. 1/5 of our country's population lives in 13 largest cities countries. 7 peoples living in Russia have a population exceeding a million people.
Indo-European group
This extensive group includes two subgroups: the Slavic, which is the most numerous, and the group of other peoples. IN Slavic group includes Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles. The peoples of other groups include Jews, Ossetians, Armenians and Germans.
From time immemorial, the Central regions of the country, the North-West and the European North have been considered Russian regions, but Russians live everywhere.
The Ukrainian people in Russia make up a little more than 2% of the total population (4 million 360 thousand people). Ukrainians take their origins from the Circassians. The main thing in the diet of this nationality is flour (dumplings, dumplings, dumplings) and vegetable (borscht, cabbage soup) foods, as well as porridge (favorites are buckwheat and wheat). The most common meat products are pork and lard. On all holidays, Ukrainians dress up in national sundresses and embroidered shirts.
Belarusians make up about 1% of the population of our country. This nationality is the descendants of the ancient Vends, who settled in the territory of what is now Smolensk, Vitebsk, Pskov, Minsk and Mogilev regions. The Belarusian table has long consisted of milk, cabbage, cottage cheese, eggs, peas, beans, rye bread, in general, everything that can be prepared from products household. Indigenous Belarusians are distinguished by their short stature, sunken eyes, thick build, and round face framed by light brown hair.
The number of Poles in Russia is about 70 thousand people. This nationality is characterized by short representatives. Traditionally, on great holidays, Poles wear their national clothes: striped skirts, aprons, men's trousers made of white cloth, plain shirts and leather belts. National dishes are kvasnitsa, zhur, barshch with the addition of sour cream, lard or butter. Potatoes, mushrooms, apples, homemade sausage, cheese, cottage cheese and milk are often consumed. The Poles have well-developed folk crafts: carving, embroidery, painting on glass surfaces, ceramics, basketry, sculpture and weaving.
Jews in Russia make up about 0.5% of the country's total population. “Russian Jews” are distinguished by their low religiosity compared to the indigenous population of Israel. Jews have an elongated nose with a curved tip, which indicates their belonging to this nation. They are distinguished by a cheerful disposition, resistance to stress, and good intelligence.
There are about 515 thousand Ossetians living in our country, which is 1.8% of the country's population. They are mainly located in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. This nationality is considered to be the descendants of the Alans. Ossetians for the most part have dark eyes and hair, dark skin tone, and tall stature. These people are quite moderate in food, the diet mainly consists of wheat, barley, corn, cheese, millet and milk; on holidays they eat meat. 
Armenians make up more than 4% of the total population of the Russian Federation, which is approximately 1 million 150 thousand people. The Armenian family is characterized by a large number with a clear definition of the rights and responsibilities of its members. Traditional food is grain crops, from which they bake lavash, butter cookies, make noodles, make porridge and pilaf. Among dairy products, the most popular are various cheeses, buttermilk, milk, and matsun.
The German nation in Russia makes up 2.1% (843 thousand). It is typical for Germans to have a small family with one or two children. There is quite a lot of severity in the appearance of representatives of this nationality; they are silent and inhospitable, but at the same time neat, friendly and practical.
Altai group
This group is divided into two subgroups: Turkic, which numbers about 11 million people in our country, and Mongolian, whose representatives in Russia are about 800 thousand. The Turkic group is represented by such peoples as: Tatars, Kazakhs, Chuvashs, Azerbaijanis, Bashkirs, Yakuts and Tuvans. The Mongolian group includes Kalmyks and Buryats.
The Tatars are the most numerous nationality in the Russian Federation, after the Russians, they make up 3.8% of the entire population of the country, that is, approximately 5.5 million people. Tatars are distinguished by their bright appearance: brown eyes, dark hair, well-defined cheekbones, wide nose, narrowed eyes. These people are hospitable, hardworking and clean, but they are also characterized by stubbornness and indifference.
There are more than 655 thousand Kazakhs. They live mainly in Western Siberia, Lower Volga region and the south of the Urals. Traditionally, Kazakhs are engaged in livestock breeding (cattle, sheep, goats, camels). It is customary for women to work with wool, and for men to work with jewelry, leather, wood and metal.
The number of Chuvash in our country is 1.2%. The Chuvash are traditionally employed in the agricultural sector, but now many representatives of this nation are employed in the services, culture and trade sectors. 
Azerbaijanis live in the Republic of Dagestan; they account for 4.5% of the total number of residents of this republic. The traditional occupation of Azerbaijanis is gardening, farming and viticulture; common crafts are leather working, jewelry making, and making copper objects.
Bashkirs live mainly in the Republic of Bashkortostan, which is part of the Russian Federation. There are approximately 1 million 670 thousand people. They have a memorable appearance: a straight, wide nose, a protruding chin, a large head, and short stature.
The Yakuts number 444 thousand people and live primarily in the Republic of Sakha. Here the share of the urban population is low, since the traditional occupation of the Yakuts is farming and other agricultural activities. Residents live in small villages.
The nationality of Tuvans in our country is about 223 thousand inhabitants, living mostly in the Republic of Tyva.
The Buryats number about 460 thousand people, they are settled in the Republic of Buryatia. Folk crafts - fishing, hunting, livestock breeding, farming.
Kalmyks settled in the Republic of Kalmykia, Rostov, Astrakhan, Orenburg and Volgograd regions, there are 147 thousand of them.
Ural group
This family includes Finnish and Ugric groups. Finnish consists of representatives of the Mordovians, Komi, Mari, Karelians, and Udmurts. And Ugric - Mansi and Khanty.
Mordva lives in the Republics of Mordovia, Chuvashia, Bashkiria, in the Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg and Penza regions, the population is 1 million 720 thousand people. The occupations of the Mordovians are not very different from the Russians; preference is given to agriculture. 
There are almost 605 thousand Mari people in the population of Russia. Since ancient times they have been engaged in the cultivation of oats, hemp, rye, barley, buckwheat, carrots, onions, flax, turnips, hops and potatoes.
The number of Karelians in the Russian Federation is approximately 100 thousand people. The traditional crafts of the Karelians are weaving, hunting, fishing, embroidery, and reindeer herding. The national drink is turnip kvass.
There are 637 thousand Udmurts in our country. The national clothes of this people are very bright and painted. However, on holidays, Udmurts wear exclusively white outfits. The territory where the Udmurts live is perfect for growing all types of grains, so this activity is a priority here.
The Khanty and Mansi are representatives of the peoples of the North. The first nationality consists of 21 thousand representatives, and the second - of only 7.6 thousand.
Caucasian group
This group included representatives of the peoples of Dagestan, Ingush, Chechens, Georgians, and Kabardians.
The Ingush number 411 thousand people, whose main occupation is agriculture, growing grapes, tea, honey production, and gardening. In addition, horse and cattle breeding is common.
The number of Chechens is more than 1 million 300 thousand people. They live in villages and eat wheat stew, home-made bread, corn porridge, urek and shish kebab. They are engaged in the production of carpets, shoes and clothing, cloth and felt. 
More than half a million Kabardians live in our country. The etiquette of communication between older and younger generations, women and men is preserved here. From time immemorial, Kabardian men have been considered excellent warriors; national clothing contains many devices for carrying weapons and ammunition. Women's clothing distinguished by long, closed dresses and high headdresses.
There are 131 thousand Georgians in the Russian Federation. Positive traits Their character is hospitality, friendliness, tact and tolerance.
Welcome to Russia!!!