Karachays
Къарачайлыла | |
|---|---|
Karachay elders in the 19th century | |
| Total population | |
| approx. 250,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Russia | 226,271 205,578 |
| Turkey | 20,000 |
| Languages | |
| Karachay-Balkar | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
The Karachays or Karachais (Karachay-Balkar: къарачайлыла, romanized: qaraçaylıla or таулула, tawlula, 'mountaineers') are a North Caucasian-Turkic ethnic group primarily located in their ancestral lands in Karachay–Cherkess Republic, a republic of Russia in the North Caucasus. They and the Balkars share a common origin, culture, and language.