- Demography of Central Asia
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Central Asia is a diverse land with many ethnic groups, languages, religions and tribes. This article discusses all of the above, and includes the demographics of the nations of the five former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, a group which has a total population of about 61 million. When Afghanistan, which is not always considered part of the region, is included, then Central Asia has a total population of about 90 million as of 2010.[1] Although most central Asians have belonged to religions which were introduced into the area within the last 1,500 years,[2] such as Sunni Islam, Ismaili Islam, Tengriism, and Syriac Christianity, Buddhism was introduced to Central Asia over 2,200 years ago, and Zoroastrianism, over 2,500 years ago.[3]
Ethnic groups in Central Asia [4]
Below is information on the demographics of ethnic groups in Central Asia
Ethnic Group Center of population in Central Asia Total roughly estimated population in Central Asia Uzbek Uzbekistan 27,000,000-30,000,000 Tajik Tajikistan and to a lesser extent Northern Afghanistan. It includes Pamiri people, who are officially categorized as Tajiks in Tajikistan. 6,000,000 Kazakh Kazakhstan 11,500,000 Kyrgyz Kyrgyzstan 4,100,000 Russians Northern Kazakhstan 5,500,000 Ukrainian Northern Kazakhstan 500,000 Turkmen Turkmenistan 6,500,000 Volga German Kazakhstan 200,000 Uyghur Eastern Kazakhstan 300,000 Dungan and or Hui Kyrgyzstan 100,000 Bukharian Arab Uzbekistan ? thousands Bukharian Jew Uzbekistan 1,000 British People[5] Afghanistan or perhaps Kazakhstan 1,500-2,000 Kurds Afghanistan 250,000-300,000 Tatar Uzbekistan 700,000 Karakalpaks North western Uzbekistan 500,000 Lakai sometimes considered to be Uzbeks Uzbekistan NA Bashkirs Kazakhstan 30,000 Meskhetian Turks Kazakhstan 200,000 Armenians Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan 100,000 Altai Northern Kazakhstan 10,000 Pashtun Southern Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan 12,500,000 Hazara Central Afghanistan 3,500,000 Baloch Southern Afghanistan and western Pakistan 600,000 Brahui Southern Afghanistan and western Pakistan 250,000 Aimak Central and Northwest Afghanistan 1,500,000 Nuristani Far eastern and northern Afghanistan 200,000+ Belorussians Northern Kazakhstan 100,000-200,000 Bulgarians Kazakhstan 10,000 Romanians Kazakhstan 20,000 Greeks Kazakhstan 30,000 Mordvins Kazakhstan 20,000 Moldovans Kazakhstan 25,000 Chechens Kazakhstan 40,000 Poles Northern Kazakhstan 50,000-100,000 Azeri Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan 100,000-200,000 Recent Iranians Turkmenistan? ? hundreds or thousands Recent Indian subcontinental Afghanistan 4,000 Pakistani Kirghistan 2,000 Koreans Uzbekistan 200,000-300,000 Chuvash's Northern Kazakhstan 35,000 Other native groups in central Asia NA NA Others (Various Eurasian groups) Kazakhstan? NA Religions in Central Asia [6]
Religion Total roughly estimated Population in Central Asia Center of Population in Central Asia Eastern Christianity 7,000,000 Northern Kazakhstan Western Christianity 510,000 Kazakhstan Judaism 27,500 Uzbekistan Shia Islam 4,000,000 Central Afghanistan Sunni Islam 28,000,000 Southern Central Asia (Most dense in Afghanistan) Atheism and Irreligion 2,500,000 -? Millions only in Kazakhstan Buddhism 260,000 Most common in Kazakhstan and Afghanistan Zoroastrianism 10,000 Historically Northern Afghanistan Works Cited
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
- ^ http://www.duke.edu/~jds17/zoroast.html
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/brits_abroad/html/asia.stm
- ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Categories:- Central Asian culture
- Turkic peoples
- Slavic people
- Iranian peoples
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