Mongols
Монголчууд Mongolchuud ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯᠴᠤᠳ | |
|---|---|
Mongolian men and women in traditional dress | |
| Total population | |
| c. 10 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| China | 6,290,204 |
| Mongolia | 3,046,882 |
| Russia | 651,355 |
| South Korea | 37,963 |
| Japan | 20,416 |
| United States | 19,170 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 12,000 |
| Czech Republic | 10,236 |
| Canada | 9,090 |
| Kazakhstan | 7,218 |
| Sweden | 6,992 |
| Australia | 5,538 |
| Germany | 3,972 |
| France | 3,102 |
| Turkey | 2,716 |
| Austria | 2,658 |
| Languages | |
| Mongolian and other Mongolic languages Mandarin Chinese · Russian | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly: Tibetan Buddhism · Mongolian shamanism (Tengrism) Minorities: Russian Orthodox Christianity · Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Mongolic peoples | |
![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Men_and_Women_in_Traditional_Mongolian_Dress_Look_on_as_Secretary_Kerry_Attends_a_"Mini-Nadaam"_at_a_Field_Outside_of_Ulaanbaatar_(27506837976).jpg){kind=link}
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of Mongolic peoples. The Oirats and the Buryats are classified either as distinct ethno-linguistic groups or as subgroups of Mongols.
The Mongols are bound together by a common heritage and ethnic identity, descending from the Proto-Mongols. Their indigenous dialects are collectively known as the Mongolian language. The contiguous geographical area in which the Mongols primarily live is referred to as the Mongol heartland, especially in discussions of the Mongols' history under the Mongol Empire.