Altai people
The Altai people (Altay: Алтай-кижи, romanized: Altay-kiji), also the Altaians (Altay: Алтайлар, romanized: Altaylar), are a Turkic ethnic group of indigenous peoples of Siberia mainly living in the Altai Republic, Russia. Several thousand of the Altaians also live in Mongolia (Altai Mountains) and China (Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang) but are not officially recognized as a distinct group and listed under the name "Oirats" as a part of the Mongols, as well as in Kazakhstan where they number around 200. For alternative ethnonyms see also Tele, Black Tatar, and Oirats. During the Northern Yuan dynasty, they were ruled in the administrative area known as Telengid Province.
Алтайлар (Altailar) Алтай-кижи (Altai-kiji) | |
|---|---|
Top: Flag of the Altai Republic, Russia Bottom: Altai people in the Altai Republic and neighboring areas | |
| Total population | |
| c. 80,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Russia | 78,125 |
| Mongolia and China | several thousand |
| Kazakhstan | 201 |
| Languages | |
| Southern Altai, Northern Altai, Russian | |
| Religion | |
| up to 86.77% "Altai Faith" (modern synthesis of Burkhanism, Shamanism, other native cults), 10.7% Russian Orthodox, 2.2% Tibetan Buddhist, and 0.33% Baptist | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Turkic peoples, especially other Siberian Turkic peoples | |
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