Thepeoples of the Caucasus, orCaucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50ethnic groups throughout theCaucasus.[2]
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Caucasians who speak languages which have long been indigenous to the region are generally classified into three groups:Kartvelian peoples,Northeast Caucasian peoples andNorthwest Caucasian peoples.
The largest peoples speaking languages which belong to the Caucasian language families and who are currently resident in the Caucasus are theGeorgians (3,200,000), theChechens (2,000,000), theAvars (1,200,000), theLezgins (about 1,000,000) and theKabardians (600,000), while outside the Caucasus, the largest people of Caucasian origin, indiaspora in more than 40 countries (such asJordan,Turkey, the countries of Europe,Syria, and theUnited States) are theCircassians with about 3,000,000-5,000,000 speakers. Georgians are the only Caucasian people who have their own undisputedly independent state—Georgia.Abkhazia's status is disputed. Other Caucasian peoples have republics withinRussia: Adyghe (Adygea), Cherkess (Karachay-Cherkessia),Kabardians (Kabardino-Balkaria),Ingush (Ingushetia),Chechens (Chechnya), while other Northeast Caucasian peoples mostly live inDagestan.
Caucasians that speak languages belonging to theIndo-European language family:
†Mostly descended fromGenoeseCatholic settlers of theLate Middle Ages.[3]
Armenians number 3,215,800 in their nativeArmenia, though approximately 8 million live outside the republic, forming theArmenian diaspora. Elsewhere in the region, they reside inGeorgia (primarilySamtskhe–Javakheti,Tbilisi, andAbkhazia), and the RussianNorth Caucasus. TheOssetians live inNorth Ossetia–Alania (an autonomous republic within Russia) and inSouth Ossetia, which isde facto independent, but isde jure part of Georgia. TheYazidis reside in the western areas ofArmenia, mostly in theAragatsotn marz, and in the eastern areas of Georgia. Anautonomous Kurdish region was created in 1923 inSoviet Azerbaijan but was later abolished in 1929.Pontic Greeks reside inArmenia (Lori Province, especially inAlaverdi) andGeorgia (Kvemo Kartli,Adjara, theTsalka, andAbkhazia).Pontic Greeks had also made up a significant component of theSouth Caucasus region acquired from theOttoman Empire (following the 1878Treaty of San Stefano) that centred on the town ofKars (ceded back toTurkey in 1916).Russians mostly live in the RussianNorth Caucasus and their largest concentration is inStavropol Krai,Krasnodar Krai, andAdygea.Georgia and the former RussianSouth Caucasus province ofKars Oblast was also home to a significant minority of ethnic (Swabian)Germans, although their numbers have become depleted as a result of deportations (toKazakhstan followingWorld War II), immigration toGermany, and assimilation into indigenous communities.
Caucasians that speak languages belonging to theSemitic language family:
TheKalmyks is the name given to theOirats, westernMongols inRussia, whose ancestors migrated fromDzungaria in 1607. Today they form a majority in the autonomous republic ofKalmykia on the western shore of theCaspian Sea.Kalmykia has Europe's only Buddhist government.[7]
Caucasians that speak languages belonging to theTurkic language family:
The largest of the Turkic-speaking peoples in the Caucasus areAzerbaijanis who number 8,700,000 in the Republic ofAzerbaijan. In the Caucasus region, they live inGeorgia,Russia (Dagestan),Turkey and previously inArmenia (before 1990). The total number ofAzerbaijanis is around 35 million (15 million inIran). Other Turkic speakers live in their autonomous republics withinRussia:Karachays (Karachay-Cherkessia),Balkars (Kabardino-Balkaria), whileKumyks andNogais live inDagestan.
| Name | Total population | Region | Group | Languages | Subgroup | Religion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mingrelians | 288,000[citation needed] | Samegrelo | Kartvelians | Mingrelian | Zans | Orthodox Christianity |
| Lazs | 1,500,000[8] | Lazistan | Kartvelians | Laz | Zans | Sunni Islam |
| Svans | 30,000[9] | Svaneti | Kartvelians | Svan | Svans | Orthodox Christianity |
| Georgians | 5,000,000-10,000,000 | Georgia | Kartvelians | Georgian | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Ingiloys | 14,900[10] | Saingilo (Hereti) | Kartvelians | Ingiloan dialect | Georgians | Sunni Islam |
| Meskhetians | 77,498[11] | Samtskhe | Kartvelians | Meskhetian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Gurians | 104,338[11] | Guria | Kartvelians | Gurian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Tushs | 30,000[12] | Tusheti | Kartvelians | Tushetian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Rachians | 52,000 | Racha | Kartvelians | Racha dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Pshavs | 30,000 | Pshavia | Kartvelians | Pshavian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Mokhevians | 7,000 | Khevi | Kartvelians | Khevi dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Khevsurians | 10,000 | Khevsureti | Kartvelians | Khevsur dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Kakhetians | 500,000 | Kakheti | Kartvelians | Kakheti dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Imeretians | 400,000–600,000 | Imereti | Kartvelians | Imeretian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Javakhians | 5,000 | Javakheti | Kartvelians | Javakhian dialect | Georgians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Adjarians | 560.000-1.500.000 | Adjara | Kartvelians | Adjarian dialect | Georgians | Sunni Islam |
| Fereydani | 100,000 | Fereydan | Kartvelians | Pereidnuli dialect | Georgians | Shia Islam |
| Andis | 40,000 | Andia | Northeast caucasians | Andi | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Akhvakhs | 10,000 | Akhvakh district | Northeast caucasians | Akhvakh | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Avars | 1,200,000 | Avaria | Northeast caucasians | Avar | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Bagvalals | 5,000 | Tsumadinsky District | Northeast caucasians | Bagvalal | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Botlikhs | 3,788 | Botlikhsky District | Northeast caucasians | Botlikh | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Chamalals | 10,000 | Tsumadinsky District | Northeast caucasians | Chamalal | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Godoberi | 4,000 | Botlikhsky District | Northeast caucasians | Godoberi | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Karatas | 7,500 | Khasavyurtovsky District | Northeast caucasians | Karata | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Tindi | 10,000 | Andi-Koysu river | Northeast caucasians | Tindi | Avar–Andic people | Sunni Islam |
| Dargins | 700,000 | Darginia | Northeast caucasians | Dargwa | Dargins | Sunni Islam |
| Kaitag | 25,000–30,000 | Kaytagsky District | Northeast caucasians | Kaitag | Dargins | Sunni Islam |
| Kubachi | 7,000 | Kubachi | Northeast caucasians | Kubachin | Dargins | Sunni Islam |
| Itsaris | 2,000 | Itsari | Northeast caucasians | Itsari | Dargins | Sunni Islam |
| Chirags | 2,000 | Chirag | Northeast caucasians | Chirag | Dargins | Sunni Islam |
| Khinalugs | 2,233 | Shahdag | Northeast caucasians | Khinalug | Khinalugs | Sunni Islam |
| Laks | 200,000 | Lakia | Northeast caucasians | Lak | Laks | Sunni Islam |
| Lezgins | 1,000,000 | Lezgistan | Northeast caucasians | Lezgian | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Aghuls | 45,000 | Aguldere gorge | Northeast caucasians | Aghul | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Archin | 5,000 | Archib | Northeast caucasians | Archin | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Budukhs | 1,000 | Shahdag | Northeast caucasians | Budukh | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Tabasarans | 155,000 | Tabarstan | Northeast caucasians | Tabasaran | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Jeks | 11,000 | Shahdag | Northeast caucasianss | Jek | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Kryts | 10,000–15,000 | Shahdag | Northeast caucasians | Kryts | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Rutuls | 120,000 | Rutulsky District | Northeast caucasians | Rutul | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Tsakhurs | 30,000 | Tsakhur | Northeast caucasians | Tsakhur | Lezgic people | Sunni Islam |
| Udis | 10,000 | Utik | Northeast caucasians | Udi | Lezgic people | Albanian-Udi Church |
| Bats | 3,000 | Tusheti | Northeast caucasians | Bats | Nakh people | Orthodox Christianity |
| Chechens | 2,000,000 | Chechnya | Northeast caucasians | Chechen | Nakh people | Sunni Islam |
| Ingush | 700,000 | Ingushetia | Northeast caucasians | Ingush | Nakh people | Sunni Islam |
| Tsez | 30,000 | Tsunta district | Northeast caucasians | Tsez | Tsezic (Didoic) people | Sunni Islam |
| Bezhta | 13,000 | Tsunta district | Northeast caucasians | Bezhta | Tsezic (Didoic) people | Sunni Islam |
| Hinukh | 4,000 | Tsunta district | Northeast caucasians | Hinukh | Tsezic (Didoic) people | Sunni Islam |
| Hunzib | 6,200 | Tsunta district | Northeast caucasians | Hunzib | Tsezic (Didoic) people | Sunni Islam |
| Khwarshis | 8,500 | Tsumadinsky district | Northeast caucasians | Khwarshi | Tsezic (Didoic) people | Sunni Islam |
| Abaza | 150,000 | Abasgia | Northwest caucasians | Abazin | Abazins | Sunni Islam |
| Abkhazians | 185,000–600,000 | Abkhazia | Northwest caucasians | Abkhaz | Abkhazians | Orthodox Christianity inAbkhazia Sunni Islam inTurkey |
| Circassians | 5,300,000 | Circassia | Northwest caucasians | Circassian | Circassians | Sunni Islam |
| Kabardians | 1,628,500 | Kabardia | Northwest caucasians | Kabardian dialect | Circassians | Sunni Islam |
| Ubykhs | 20,000 | Ubykhia | Northwest caucasians | Ubykh | Circassians | Sunni Islam |
| Armenians | 8,000,000–16,000,000 | Armenia | Indo-Europeans | Armenian | Armenians | Armenian Apostolic |
| Cherkesogai | 100,000–350,000 | Circassia | Indo-Europeans | Circassian, Armenian | Armenians | Armenian Apostolic |
| Zoks | few | Goghtn | Indo-Europeans | Zok dialect | Armenians | Armenian Apostolic |
| Hemshins | 150,000–200,000 | Hemshin | Indo-Europeans | Homshetsi dialect | Armenians | Armenian Apostolic in Georgia, Russia Sunni Islam in Turkey |
| Pontic Greeks | 2,000,000–2,500,000 | Pontus | Indo-Europeans | Pontic Greek | Greeks | Orthodox Christianity in Greece Sunni Islam in Turkey |
| Urums | 192,700 | Caucasus | Indo-Europeans | Urum | Greeks | Orthodox Christianity |
| Ossetians | 700,000 | Ossetia | Indo-Europeans | Ossetian | Iranians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Digors | 100,000 | Ossetia | Indo-Europeans | Digor dialect | Iranians | Sunni Islam |
| Irons | 200,000 | Ossetia | Indo-Europeans | Iron dialect | Iranians | Orthodox Christianity |
| Talyshs | 1,200,000–2,000,000 | Talyshistan | Indo-Europeans | Talysh | Iranians | Sunni Islam in Iran Shia Islam in Azerbaijan |
| Tats | 100,000 | Shirvan | Indo-Europeans | Tat | Iranians | Shia Islam |
| Caucasian | 162,742 | Predominantly | Indo-Europeans | Kurdish | Iranians | Shia Islam |
| Caucasian | 43,000 | Ararat plain | Indo-Europeans | Kurdish | Iranians | Yazidism |
| Assyrians | 35,000 | Armenia andGeorgia | Afroasiatic people | Eastern Aramaic | Semites | Assyrian Church of the East |
| Georgian Jews | 65,000–80,000 | Georgia | Afroasiatic people | Judaeo-Georgian | Semites | Judaism |
| Mountain Jews | 150,000–270,000 | Eastern and Northern Caucasus | Afroasiatic people | Judeo-Tat | Semites | Judaism |
| Kalmyks | 195,000 | Kalmykia | Mongolic people | Kalmyk | Oirat | Buddhism |
| Kumyks | 600,000 | Kumykia | Turkic people | Kumyk | Kipchaks | Sunni Islam |
| Balkars | 135,000 | Balkaria | Turkic people | Balkar dialect | Kipchaks | Sunni Islam |
| Karachays | 250,000 | Karachay-Cherkessia | Turkic people | Karachay dialect | Kipchaks | Sunni Islam |
| Nogais | 120,000 | Nogai Horde | Turkic people | Nogai | Kipchaks | Sunni Islam |
| Ahiska Turks | 500,000–600,000 | Samtskhe | Turkic people | Meskhetian Turkish dialect | Kipchaks | Sunni Islam |
| Azerbaijanis | 30,000,000–35,000,000 | Azerbaijan | Turkic people | Azerbaijani | Oghuz Turks | Shia Islam |
| Karapapakhs | 100,000 | Eastern Turkey | Turkic people | Karapapakh | Oghuz Turks | Sunni and Shia Islam |
This gives ethnic locations about 1775 before the Russians came.[13] NECLS means 'Northeast Caucasian Language Speakers' and NWCLS means 'Northwest Caucasian Language Speakers'. The linguistic nationalities that we now recognise are somewhat artificial. Two hundred years, ago a person's loyalty was to their friends, kin, village and chief and not primarily to their language group. The difference between steppe, mountain and plain was far more important than difference of language. Only the southern half (and the southernmost part of Dagestan) had organized states, usually Persian or Turkish vassals and few, if any, of these states corresponded well to language groups.
Northern Lowlands: The Turkic-speakingNogai nomads occupied almost all of the steppe north of the Caucasus. In the nineteenth century they were pushed far southeast to their present location. Formerly part of the eastern steppe was occupied byKalmyks – Buddhist Mongols who migrated fromDzungaria about 1618. In 1771 many returned to their original homeland and they contracted to their present location in the far northeast, Nogais temporarily taking their place. In the southeast were the isolatedTerek Cossacks. Their settlements later grew into the North Caucasus Line. There were a fewTurkmens in the center of the steppe.
North Slope: The western two thirds was occupied byCircassians – NWCLS divided into twelve or so tribes. They long resisted the Russians and in 1864 several hundred thousand of them were expelled to the Ottoman Empire. To their east were theKabardians – NWCLS similar to the Circassians but with a different political organization. The term Lesser Kabardia refers to the eastern area. South of the eastern Circassian-Kabardians were three groups that seem to have been driven into the high mountains about 500 years previously. TheKarachays andBalkars spoke similar Turkic languages. East of the Balkars were theOssetians – Iranian speakers descended from the ancient Alans who controlled the futureGeorgian Military Road and had a growing Christian minority. East of the future highway was a north-south band ofIngush – NECLS similar to the Chechens. The numerousChechens to the east were later to wage the longMurid War against the Russians. For the small groups south of the Ingush-Chechens see South Slope below. To the east along the coast were the TurkicKumyks.
Mountain Dagestan: All the peoples of mountain Dagestan were NECLS except theTats. In the northwest were a number of small language groups (Tsez people (Dido) andAndi people), similar to the Avars. To their southeast were the numerousAvars with a khanate atKhunzakh who fought in the Murid War. Southeast were theDargins and west of them theLaks who held the Kumukh Khanate. Southeast along theSamur were theLezgins with many subgroups and then the Iranian-speakingTats down to Baku.
Caspian Coast: From Astrakhan to the Terek River there were the BuddhistKalmyk nomads. Along the Terek were the isolatedTerek Cossacks. From the Terek toDerbent were the Turkic-speakingKumyks with a state atTarki. The town of Derbent itself had a majorityPersian (Russian:персы) population, as it had for many centuries, until the late 19th century.[14] On the coastal plain south of Derbent was a mixed population, mostly Azeri ("Transcaucasian Tatar"), and further south to Baku were the Iranian-speakingTats. When Baku became a boom town the Tats retained a majority only in the mountains. TheMountain Jews, who had a number of villages inland from the coast, spoke a form of Tat calledJudeo-Tat. The lowlands south of Baku were held byAzerbaijanis, Turkic-speaking Shiites. On both sides of the current Iranian border were the Iranian-speakingTalysh. Based on genetic studies theGilaki andMazanderani ethnic groups in northern Iran (near the Caspian Sea) have been proven to be genetically similar to Armenians, Georgians and Azeris. This indicates that theGilaki and Mazanderani ethnic groups are people that immigrated from the Caucasus region to what is now northern Iran.[15]
South Slope: Black Sea coast: In the northwest the mountains came down to the sea and the population was Circassian. Southward the coastal plain broadened and the population wasAbkhazians – similar to the Circassians but under Georgian influence.
South Slope proper: On the south side of the Caucasus the mountains fall quickly to the plains and there is only a small transition zone. The inhabitants were either Georgians with mountain customs or northern mountaineers who had moved south. TheSvans were Georgian mountaineers. In the center the IranianOssets had moved south and were surrounded on three sides by Georgians. East of the Ossets and south of the Ingush-Chechens were three groups of Georgian mountaineers on both sides of the mountain crest:Khevi,Khevsurs, andTushetians. TheBats were NECLS entangled with the Tushetians and theKists were Chechens south of the mountains. Near the Georgian-Azeri linguistic border there were some Avars andTsakhurs (Lezgians) who had crossed the mountains. Associated with the Tsakhurs were theIngiloy or Georgian-speaking Muslims. In the north Azeri area were a fewUdis or southern Lezgians and Lakhij or southern Tats.
Southern Lowlands: The western two thirds were occupied byGeorgians – an ancient Christian people with a unique language. The eastern third wasAzerbaijanis – a group of Turkic-speaking Shiites under Persian influence. On the fringe of the Georgian area were Georgian speakers who had either adopted Islam or mountain customs.
Armenian Highlands: Further South, the land becomes higher. In the west were theLaz people or Georgian Muslims. In Kars province there were Turks, Kurds and Armenians. TheArmenians, which gave the plateau its namesake, were somewhat concentrated in the present-dayArmenia but were mostly spread out as a minority all over Asia Minor. There were groups of Azeris west of their main area who tended to blend with the Turks. TheKurds were semi-nomadic shepherds with small groups in various places and concentrations in Kars province and Nakhchivan. In the far southeast were the Iranian Talysh.
Language groups in the Caucasus are closely correlated to genetic ancestry.[16]
According to a 2021 study,Caucasian hunter-gatherer ancestry (CHG) significantly contributed to the genetic makeup of modern Caucasian populations but the proportion of CHG alleles are highest in modern peoples that live close to the archaeological sites in western Georgia, where the bones of CHG were discovered. The proportion gradually decreases away from this region, being replaced by ancient Anatolian and European alleles. Ancient Anatolian alleles are common in the genomes of modern peoples in Georgia and east Turkey (i.e. Georgians from Meskheti province, Laz and Armenians). But for peoples from north Caucasus, ancient Balkan alleles were common. Intensified immigration to the Caucasus during the early post-Last Glacial Maximum period explains the presence of these alleles.[17]
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