Earth is a truly unique planet, where many different people with different ethnicity, appearance, nationality, religion and perception of the world are gathered. The continents share the territory, but not the population living on them. Peoples that have existed side by side for more than one century, in most cases peacefully divide the territory, adopting useful knowledge from each other and forming a common cultural heritage.
Each nation is unique in its own way, it is the custodian of its culture, passing on national customs and traditions from generation to generation, and contributes its own to the creation of a common culture of all mankind.
Europe
The modern states of Europe were formed on the site of the former Roman Empire, then in its possessions there were vast lands, starting from the west, where the Germanic tribes ruled to the cities of North Africa. The wars that took place also influenced the formation of the ethnos, when the population of Europe migrated, the borders of countries were again modified due to martial law.
The largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe is the Slavs. The Slavs include: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats and nine other peoples.
The most numerous peoples living in Europe are Russians (more than 130 million), Germans (more than 80 million), French (more than 65 million), Italians (more than 59 million), British (58 million), Spaniards (46 million), Ukrainians (over 45 million) and Poles (over 44 million). Also in Europe, there are more than two million Jews belonging to several groups. There are also nomadic peoples - the gypsies, with a population of over four million people.
The main religious trends common among the peoples of Europe are Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Islam.
The cultural component of Europe stands on three pillars: personal culture, universalism and freedom of creative expression. This forms the basis of Christian norms, even in those countries where other forms of religion predominate, Christian roots can be traced. Here, the basis for the existence of society is freedom (of self-expression, creativity, worldview) and tolerance for others, the acceptance of another person with certain characteristics and views on the reality that is happening.
A characteristic feature for the European population has become mass culture, which implies both mass production and mass consumption. She received full coverage of all areas of activity, ranging from art, music and cinematography, ending with youth subcultural trends.
Asia
Asia is the largest part of the world, forming together with Europe the continent of Eurasia. Most of the population of Asia is made up of the peoples of China and India (about 40% of the total population), and the list of the largest states includes: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines. Each of these states has over 100 million inhabitants.
If we disassemble the cultural centers, then Asia can be divided into four conditional parts:
- Southeast Asia. There is a Buddhist worldview here.
- Near East. The birthplace of Islamic culture.
- East Asia. The epicenter of the Confucian worldview is China, which has a huge influence on Japan and Korea.
- South Asia. India and Hindu culture dominate here.
However, despite such fragmentation, all the peoples of Asia have similar features that can distinguish them from others.
One of these features is a respectful attitude to traditions and culture, in most countries they spend the same holidays for years, follow the established rules of behavior and communication in society, adhere to strict upbringing and honor elders. The latter came from tribal communities where the chief elder was held in high esteem; many Asian countries still observe this law.
Most of the ethnic group believes in the need for a centralized state. Many countries in Asia are essentially limited democracies, led by a charismatic and strong leader, or even authoritarian monarchies.
Of the large nationalities, a special place is occupied by:
Africa
If in Europe and Asia it is quite easy to draw up a picture of the ethnic composition and identify large peoples, then in Africa things are different. Up to 8,000 different peoples are recited here, most of them have two to three thousand people and are located in a small area. According to some estimates, more than 3,000 tribes live in Africa, speaking a thousand languages, some of which are poorly understood.
The largest ethnic groups found in Africa are: Arabs, Hausa, Yoruba, Algerian and Moroccan Arabs, Igbo, Fulbe, Aromo, Amhara.
The culture of local peoples is significantly different from European ones. North Africa is characterized as a more developed civilization, the South and Tropics have taken a different path of development, which is why they are so distinctive. Here, the vast majority of residents still live in tribes, where strict rules are established for family life, work and general society. For example, circumcision is a necessity dictated by strict rules, and women in most tribes do not have the right along with men.
Most of the peoples of Africa believe in the existence of magical influences, they make amulets from the evil eye, perform traditional rituals, create totems to protect against various natural disasters and the wrath of the gods, there is even a sacrifice to get a rich harvest, fertile soil, stable rains.
North America
In North America, the indigenous population was divided into three large groups, each of them lived on its own territory, had special traditions and customs that have survived to this day with some changes. The central part of North America was occupied by the Indians, the coasts and islands were inhabited by the Aleuts, and the northern regions went to the Eskimos.
If the Eskimos managed to save their people, then the Aleuts almost completely disappeared - their number was reduced by three times. After colonization, the Spaniards, Portuguese, British and French came to America. Most settled on this mainland, mixing with the Americans and the indigenous population. So there were Americans of English origin, and French-Canadians, and Barbadians (descendants of slaves brought from Africa).
The culture of North America is characterized by an enviable patriotism, and it is observed both among the natives and among visitors during the colonization of the United States. The modern culture of the local ethnic group is a combination of the values of the original population and the innovative reforms of the colonizers. Here, totem buildings still coexist with great skyscrapers, and in the remote corners of the country you can see yurts, bizarre drawings of disappeared tribes, and dwellings of indigenous settlers.
Population of North America:
South America
The modern population of South America is diverse - there are Americans, and immigrants from Europe, and descendants of slaves brought from Africa, and mixed groups (mestizos, mulattoes, sambos). The indigenous settlers are groups of Indian peoples, most of them still live in South America, for example, the Arawaks, Vayu, Vapishana, a smaller one has not survived to our times, for example, the Charrua. Some peoples have practically disappeared from America, their number today does not exceed 10 thousand people. At the ethnic level in South America, three main classes can be distinguished: Indians, representatives of the Negroid race and representatives of the Caucasian race.
The culture of South America is very colorful and original. South American countries have a rich musical heritage; it is here that such genres as cumbia and samba originate. South America has become the birthplace of the creation of new musical trends, the world-famous Argentine tango dance has also appeared here.
South America is an example of a successful borrowing of knowledge and skills among peoples, which generalizes various ethnic groups into a single system. The bulk of the population cannot even accurately infect this or that custom, they do not know where it originates and whose people were the primary source. Here traditions are passed down from generation to generation.
South American population:
Australia
Australian Aborigines are considered the indigenous people of Australia, they live apart from other peoples of the world and have their own language group. Now in Australia there are more than 55 thousand people who speak Australian languages, the most common of them is the language of the Western Desert, it is spoken by about 7000 people.
Australian aborigines are prominent representatives of the ancient inhabitants of the earth, the peoples have a similar way of life with the peoples that existed at the stage of the birth of world culture. Indigenous people prefer to stay in the deserts, hunt and farm, live in unity with nature.
After the arrival of the settlers, the ethnic groups on this mainland underwent significant changes. Now the largest group are Anglo-Australians (Australians of English origin), there are also Afghans, Hungarians, Indians, Chinese.
Although the majority of Australia's population is English-speaking, this country stands out from the list of other English-speaking countries. The first distinctive feature is egalitarianism, which implies the equality of all members of society. All the peoples of Australia, without exception, have the same legal, economic and political opportunities. The value of equality for men, women and children is fundamental to Australia.
Friendliness and good relations can be attributed to another feature; on the territory of this mainland, the natives peacefully coexist with visiting colonialists. The indigenous population even got back the territories they owned before the arrival of Europeans.
Not a single science has yet given an exact definition of such a concept as “people”, but everyone means 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, distinguishes today from 2.4 to 2.7 thousand nationalities living on earth. But ethnographers can rely on statistics in such a delicate matter, which give a figure of 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 short review the largest nations that developed 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 with Chinese citizenship, but living abroad.
Nevertheless, the Chinese people are the largest, both in the concept of "nation" and in the concept of "nationality". Today, 1 billion 320 million Chinese live in the world, which is 19% of the total number of inhabitants of the planet. So, the list of the largest nations in the world, in all respects, 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 "Han", which means "Milky Way", and comes from the name of the country "Celestial". This is also the most ancient people of the Earth, whose roots go back to the distant past. The Han Chinese in the PRC make up the absolute majority, about 92% of the country's population.
Interesting Facts:
- The Chinese people of Zhuang, who are a national minority in the country, have a population of about 18 million people, which is comparable to the population of Kazakhstan and exceeds the population of the Netherlands.
- Another Chinese people, Huizu, has a population of about 10.5 million people, which is early for the population of countries such as Belgium, Tunisia, the Czech Republic or Portugal.
Arabs (330-340 million)
The second-placed Arabs are defined in ethnographic science as a group of peoples, but from the point of view of ethnogenesis, they are one people of the Semitic language group.
The nationality 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 peculiar script - Arabic script. The people have long gone beyond the boundaries of their historical homeland, and at the present stage, due to various circumstances, settled in other regions of the globe.
Today, the number of Arabs is estimated at 330-340 million people. Mostly adhere to Islam, but there are also Christians.
Did you know that:
- There are more Arabs in Brazil than in the United Arab Emirates.
- Arabs consider the gesture of a figure to be an insult with sexual overtones.
Americans (317 million)
Here is a vivid example when it is possible to accurately define the people, with the practically non-existent concept of "American nation". In a narrow sense, this is a group of various nationalities that make up the population of the United States and have American citizenship.
Over the 200-year history, a single culture, mentality, and a common language used in communication have developed, which makes it possible to unite the population of the United States into one nation.
There are 317 million US Americans today. For the indigenous population of America, the Indians, the name Americans may be used, but according to ethnic identification, this is a completely different ethnic group.
By the way, read about the most interesting sights in the United States.
Hindustanis (265 million)
At the moment, Hindustanis have compactly settled in three neighboring countries of 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 has about 265 million Hindustanis, and the main language of their communication is various dialects of the Hindi language.
Interestingly, of the related peoples, the Gypsies and Dravidians, who inhabit the southern regions of India, are closest to them.
Bengalis (over 250 million)
Among the numerous peoples, the Bengalis, numbering more than 250 million, occupy their leading positions. They mostly live in Asian countries, but there are small diasporas in the USA and Great Britain, they also exist in other European countries.
Over the centuries, the Bengalis have retained their national culture, identity and language, as well as their main occupations. In the Asian region, they live mainly in rural areas, since they have been engaged in agriculture since ancient times.
The Bengali language is one of the most difficult on earth, so it developed as a result of the synthesis of the Indo-Aryan language and numerous local dialects.
Brazilians (197 million)
A group of different ethnic groups living in Latin America has developed into a single Brazilian people. There are currently about 197 million Brazilians, most of whom live in Brazil proper.
The people went through a difficult path of ethnogenesis, so it began to take shape as a result of the conquest of the South American continent by Europeans. Indian nationalities alternately lived in vast territories, and with the advent of Europeans, most of them were destroyed, the rest was assimilated.
And so it happened that Catholicism became the religion of the Brazilians, and the language of communication was Portuguese.
Russians (about 150 million)
The name of the most numerous people of Russia came about as a result of the transition of the adjective "Russian people", "Russian people" into the generalizing noun "Russians", in the concept of the people.
Modern statistical studies show that there are about 150 million Russians on Earth, most of whom live in Russia. The most numerous people of Russia belongs to the language group of the East Slavic languages, and today more than 180 million people consider Russian as their native language.
Russians are practically homogeneous in anthropological terms, although they are settled over a large territory and are divided into several ethnographic groups. The ethnos was formed during the development of the Russian state from different ethnic groups of the Slavs.
Interesting Fact: The largest number of Russians outside the Russian Federation and the countries of the former USSR is 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 language of communication, as well as an amazing national culture that has developed on the basis of the heritage of the ancient civilizations of Central America.
This people is also a vivid example of duality, since those Mexicans who live in the United States can be considered Americans at the same time.
The uniqueness of the people is also in the fact that by ethnicity they are Hispanics, but the language of communication refers them to the Romance group. It is also a nation on our planet, growing at the fastest pace.
Japanese (132 million)
There are 132 million conservative Japanese on Earth, and they live mainly in their historical homeland. After the Second World War, part of the Japanese settled around the world, and now only 3 million people live outside of Japan.
The Japanese people are distinguished by isolation, high diligence, a special attitude to the historical past and national culture. For many centuries, the Japanese have managed to preserve, and most importantly, increase their heritage, both spiritual and material and technical.
The Japanese have a special, somewhat suspicious attitude towards foreigners, and are reluctant to allow them into their lives.
Punjabis (130 million)
Another of the largest nations lives compactly in the territories of India and Pakistan. Of the 130 million Punjabis in the regions of Asia, a small part settled in Europe and Africa.
The hard-working people for many centuries created an extensive irrigation system of irrigated fields, and their main occupation has always been agriculture.
It was the Punjabis, one of the first peoples on earth, who created a highly developed and cultural civilization in the Indian river valleys. But, as a result of the cruel colonial policy, much of the heritage of this people was lost.
Biharis (115 million)
The amazing people of Biharis, who live mainly in the Indian state of Bihar, today number about 115 million people. A small part settled in other Indian states and in neighboring states.
Modern representatives of the people are direct descendants of those. Who in the Indus and Ganges valleys created the first agricultural civilizations on Earth.
Today, an active process of urbanization of Biharis is observed, and, leaving the main occupations and ancient crafts and crafts, they massively move to cities.
Javanese (105 million)
The last major nation of the earth, whose population is above 100 million people. According to the latest data of ethnology and statistics, there are about 105 million Javanese on the planet.
In the 19th century, only the Russian ethnographer and traveler Miklukho-Maclay cited data on the origin, and 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 of the large island of Java and the state of Indonesia. For many centuries they have created a unique and inimitable culture.
Thais (over 90 million)
Already by the name of the ethnic group, it becomes 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", which in local dialects means "free man", is interesting. Ethnographers and archaeologists, studying the culture of the Thais, determined that it was formed in the early Middle Ages.
Among other nations, this nationality is distinguished by sincere love, sometimes bordering on fanaticism, for theatrical art.
Koreans (83 million)
The people formed many centuries ago and at one time settled 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 today an unresolved tragedy of the Koreans.
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 amazing Marahti people live in the state of Maharashtra.
A very talented people whose origins hold high positions in India, Indian cinema is filled with marahti.
In addition, Marahti is a very purposeful and close-knit ethnic group, which in the 50s of the twentieth century achieved the creation of its own state, and today, numbering 83 million people, this is the main population of the Indian state.
European peoples
It is worth separately touching on the largest peoples of Europe, among which the descendants of the ancient Germans, the Germans, are in the lead, the number of which, according to various sources, ranges from 80 to 95 million. The second place is firmly held by the Italians, of whom there are 75 million on earth. But the French firmly settled in third place, with a population of about 65 million.
Summarize
In the photo: Fountain of Friendship of Peoples in Moscow.
Large peoples living on the globe, however, like small ones, have their own cultural, 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-ethnic states left on Earth, it’s just that in each of them, there is some one predominant nation, and all the multi-ethnic people are united under the generalized concept of “resident of the country”.
There are several hundred peoples on our planet. Everyone has different customs and language. Some do not have a written language. There are nations whose civilization has reached unprecedented heights. And there are some very primitive ones. The same gesture can have opposite meanings in different cultures. The science that studies peoples is called ethnography.
In addition to Russia, which has more than 190 nationalities, including 150 million Russians, about four hundred more peoples live on the globe. And if you count the small nationalities and ethnic groups, you get about five and a half thousand. Among the most numerous are fourteen nations.
- The list is headed by the Chinese, there are 1320 million of them. Among them, 92% are Han, the rest are Zhuang and Huizu.
- The second largest are the Arabs. There are 330 million of them.
- The third place is occupied by Americans, that is, residents of the United States. There are 317 million of them. Although they all come from other countries, the characteristics of the nation allow us to consider them an ethnic group.
- Hindustanis are fourth in number with 265 million. Their language is Hindi and they live in India, Nepal and Pakistan.
- Bengalis - 250.
- Brazilians (multi-ethnic people living in Brazil) - 197.
- Mexicans (by and large, these are the peoples of Mexico) - 148.
- Japanese - 132.
- Punjabis living in the state of Punjab in India - 130.
- Biharis, residents of the Indian state of Bihar - 115.
- Javanese living on the island of Java and in Indonesia - 105.
- Thais - 90.
- Koreans - 83.
- Marathas (another people of India) - 83.
Who lives in Europe
Speaking of the peoples of other countries of the world, let's not forget about Europe. It is not customary to have large families here, so the numbers will be more modest. But in terms of cultural traditions, customs and literature, all nationalities are of great interest. And now we list the most numerous nations of foreign Europe (in millions of people):
- Germans - 82.
- French - 65.
- Italians - 59.
- British - 58.
- Poles - 47.
- Spaniards - 46.
- Ukrainians - 45.
- Gypsies - 5.
- Jews - 2.
Many Europeans do not live in Europe, they are not included in this list. Also, there are no migrants in it - mostly Asian peoples who settled here, but are not indigenous people. As a result of mixed marriages and cultures, new nationalities are gradually formed.
Families of peoples
Many peoples have a similar language, due to their kinship. To define a group of people who differ in linguistic terms, the term "language family" was introduced. There are several of them, and the most common is Indo-European. Its languages are spoken by half of the globe. It consists of several groups.
Romance, Germanic and Slavic are the most numerous. All peoples of Europe, as well as Mexicans, Brazilians and other Latin Americans, belong to this family. Greeks, Armenians and descendants of Persians are also included in it.
There are also Chinese, Semitic-Hamitic, Niger-Kordofanian, Austronesian, Uralic and Caucasian families. For our country, the most interesting are the Ural, Altai and Caucasian. The fact is that the peoples included in them are considered Russian in other countries. In America, for example, they say this: Russian Mari, Abkhazian, Tatar. And besides, these nationalities know Russian well.
Peoples of the Caucasus
The Bible's message that the ark settled in the Ararat mountains after the Flood is of interest not only to scientists. Armenians have long considered themselves the descendants of Noah and are descended from Japheth, his son. Now the Caucasus is inhabited by dozens of peoples. According to various sources, there are from 50 to 62 of them. Caucasians differ from the peoples of other countries of the world in hospitality, songs, dances and cuisine.
Georgians and Adjarians represent the Georgian group. Georgian wines can be used to study the geography of this country: grape varieties are named according to the growing areas. Georgians sing beautifully in different voices. Every Caucasian has a lezginka in his blood, and all nationalities have their own. Abkhazians, neighbors of Georgians, live by the sea. Kabardians, Circassians and Circassians are in the mountains. Next to them are Chechens and Ingush.
Some small peoples no longer exist, the last bearer of the language and culture dies, and the memory of the people remains only in books. Therefore, it is important to get acquainted with the culture of the Caucasian inhabitants.
Turkic peoples
One of the groups of the Altaic language family is Turkic. It includes the Tatar people. A dozen and a half nationalities related to him make up a fairly large number. In addition to the Bashkirs and Chuvashs, who live next to the Tatar people, this group includes residents of the former southern Soviet republics. These are Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Turkmens and Azerbaijanis. Moreover, the Turks are also members of this family.
Some phrases expressing greetings, wishes for peace, family health, well-being for children sound very similar in these peoples. It is customary for Turkic peoples to have large families, women are largely dependent on men. Children are polite to adults.
Gestures that are innocent in one part of the world become unacceptable in another.
- The figu gesture can be shown in Brazil - they consider it a wish of good luck. But the same thing in Arab countries is a serious insult.
- Head movements, which in Russia mean no, and a nod - yes, are exactly the opposite in Bulgaria and Greece.
- In Buddhist culture, the crown of the head is considered to be an important place on the body, and stroking a child on the head can be perceived as aggression.
- The thumbs-up gesture, which is voted on the road in Europe and America, is better not to do in Iran - this is a sexual insult.
- Scratching the chin is a hurtful gesture in France.
- Almost everywhere in Asia and Africa, eating with the left hand or passing objects and money is unacceptable. It is believed that Satan was left-handed.
Tourists should get acquainted with the customs of the peoples before going on vacation. How not to make a mistake:
- In Kenya, it is customary for a man to dress in women's clothes after marriage and do housework for a month. It is believed that in this way he will appreciate his wife more.
- The Chinese love when they are given not real, but artificial flowers. And the living are considered a symbol of death.
- In Thailand, they use a fork in an original way. She puts food in a spoon, and not in her mouth.
- In Japan, don't leave chopsticks in a bowl of rice, especially while standing: it's a funeral ritual.
The peoples of other countries of the world are interesting to study. It's good that everyone is different. Indeed, collective creativity is manifested in customs.
The peoples of other countries of the world and their customs on the site.
Our life consists of everyday little things that in one way or another affect our well-being, mood and productivity. I didn’t get enough sleep - my head hurts; drank coffee to improve the situation and cheer up - he became irritable. I really want to foresee everything, but it just doesn't work. Moreover, everyone around, as usual, gives advice: gluten in bread - do not come close, it will kill; a chocolate bar in your pocket is a direct path to tooth loss. We collect the most popular questions about health, nutrition, diseases and give answers to them, which will allow you to better understand what is good for health.
I recently asked myself this question and tried to find the answer. Surprisingly, despite the level of science in our time, scientists cannot clearly determine the exact number. However, the topic is quite interesting, and therefore I will share the information found.
How many peoples on earth
Even scientists find it difficult to answer precisely - there is simply no definitive answer.. Every time this topic is raised, a new figure sounds, however, official science believes that our planet is home to from 2 to 4 thousand nationalities and peoples. Agree, the spread is very large. The thing is that it is almost impossible to give an exact definition of the term "people" - everyone has their own understanding of this word. For example, there are states whose inhabitants communicate using the same language, but in fact they are different peoples, and sometimes vice versa.
If you try to find definition of the term in the dictionary, you can find that the term is used both in a political sense and in a cultural one. There are several meanings for this:
- a certain set of consumers of art, in other words - the public;
- the population of a state;
- congestion of people in a certain place;
- working population:
- an ethnic group with distinct common characteristics.
The last definition is generally accepted, as for the mentioned signs, it is:
- culture;
- traditions;
- language.
How are nations different
The main feature is language, so its unity is considered paramount. Exist about 4000 languages, which are separated by scientists into separate groups. There are about 20 such groups. Half of humanity speaks the languages included in the largest - Indo-European group. What else could be the difference? Of course, by number. Research suggests that most of the peoples are not particularly numerous - no more than 1 million people. However, there are also quite numerous, for example, the Chinese and Indians.
Culture is one of the characteristic differences. Allocate both spiritual and material. The first group includes giving, songs, dances etc. The second group includes the type of housing, clothing, cuisine etc.
