Racial, ethnic and religious composition of the world population. Ethnic and religious composition of Russia

Ethnic, racial and religious characteristics of the population play a large role both in demography and in assessing the economic and geographical potential of a country. It may seem that the features discussed below are of an exclusively secondary nature in economic geography. Nevertheless, many years of practice have confirmed that these characteristics have a significant impact on the economies of countries.

2.2.1. Racial composition of the population

Historically, the entire population of the world differs in external characteristics - skin color, eyes, hair structure and color, head shape, etc. Depending on these characteristics, the following human races are distinguished:

Caucasoid (about 40% of the world's population);

Mongoloid (20%), including two branches - Asian and American;

Negroid (10%);

Australoid (0.3%).

The remaining 30% of the world's population cannot be directly attributed to any of these races, since they represent mixed and intermediate racial groups, such as Ethiopians, Malagasy (population of the island of Madagascar), Melanesians (dark-skinned population of Oceania). Mixed groups also include mestizos (European settlers who mixed with the Indian population of America), mulattoes (descendants of Europeans and Nephs), and Sambos (descendants of blacks and Indians).

Table 2.3 shows the anthropological characteristics of the main races.

Table 2.3

Anthropological features of races

2.2.2. Ethnic (ethnolinguistic) composition of the population Ethnicity- is a historically formed social group that has a combination of the following characteristics: unity of territory (in initial stages development), culture (based on a common language and economic and everyday characteristics), national identity (awareness of oneself as a people different from any other). In modern literature, the concepts of “people”, “nation”, “ethnic group” are used as synonyms. According to historians and geographers, in the modern world there are about 4 thousand peoples, or ethnic groups.

In the process of historical development, peoples go through three stages: tribe -> nationality -> nation. The tribe consists almost exclusively of relatives (close and distant). In some countries of the world, numerous tribes have survived, for example in Africa and Oceania. Nations arose already in the era of the formation of centralized states (for example, in Europe - in the Middle Ages). A nationality occupies an intermediate position between a tribe and a nation. The boundaries between the three categories of ethnic groups are very arbitrary.

In accordance with the nature of the ethnic (national) composition of the population, five types of states can be distinguished.

First type - mononational states. They are most numerous in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Second type - countries with a significant predominance of one nation, but in the presence of more or less significant national minorities (Great Britain, France, Spain, Romania, China, USA, Australia, New Zealand and etc.).

Third type - binational states - much less common; examples include Canada and Belgium.

Fourth type - countries with a more complex national composition, but relatively homogeneous ethnically (Asian countries - Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Laos and individual African states).

Fifth type - multinational countries with a complex and ethnically diverse composition (India, Russia, Switzerland, Indonesia, some countries of Western and Southern Africa).

IN last years In countries with a complex national composition, interethnic contradictions have intensified, based on various reasons: oppression of the indigenous population (for example, Aborigines in Australia), infringement of linguistic and cultural identity (French Canadians in Canada), and the influx of large numbers of foreign workers into many countries. Russia and other CIS countries have become the scene of acute ethnic conflicts.

Over time, a transition of a state from one type to another is possible. So, this may be due to a sharp influx of migrants into a country, who settle on its territory and eventually become its citizens, changing the national composition of the country. (This situation has already developed, for example, in Germany due to the influx of Turks, in France - due to the entry of representatives of North African countries - former French colonies.) Experience shows that often this situation develops as a result of imprudent state policies (simplifying the citizenship procedure, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for foreigners and citizens of the country when applying for a job). The problem of a sharp change in the national composition is one of the key ones for many states. Russia is no exception, where in the last 15 years the share of nationalities of the former USSR republics in the ethnic composition of the population has increased.

The main characteristic of any ethnic group is language. In this regard, the classification of peoples is based on linguistic proximity. The world is divided into language families, which, in turn, are divided into language groups. The following families and groups are distinguished.

1. Indo-European family(numbers about 2.5 billion people) includes a number of language groups:

Slavic (nationalities: Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Belarusians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, etc.);

Romanesque (French, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Romanians, Moldovans);

Germanic (Germans, Dutch, Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, English, US Americans - immigrants from countries of the Germanic language group);

Iranian (Persians, Tajiks, Afghans, Kurds);

Indo-Aryan (Hindustani, Bengalis, Nepalese).

2. Sino-Tibetan family(over 1 billion people) includes groups:

Chinese;

Tibeto-Burmese.

3. Other families (there are much fewer of them, so they are not combined into separate groups).

From the languages ​​of the Indo-European group greatest number people speak the following languages ​​(2005): Spanish - 325 million people, English - 312 million, Hindi - 182 million, Portuguese - 178 million, Bengali - 172 million, Russian - 146 million, German - 96 million. The most numerous language The world group is Chinese (882 million people). Chinese is spoken by Chinese people living mainly in the PRC and neighboring countries, i.e. in a relatively limited area (region).

In terms of prevalence in the world, the first place belongs to English - the main language of international communication. Almost the entire population of the Earth uses it. In a number of countries it is recognized as an official or second official language (mainly in the former colonial possessions of Great Britain - Australia, Canada, India, and some African countries). French is significantly inferior to English as a language of international communication, although in former French colonies it is also recognized as either an official or a second official language (Mali, Niger, Gabon, Democratic Republic Congo, etc.).

English in England is somewhat different from in English North America or Australia. The use of the language of the former metropolitan countries in some liberated countries is explained, in particular, by the large number of tribes and peoples inhabiting these countries and speaking different languages, which makes it difficult to choose any local language as the state language.

The ethnic composition of the world's population is the result of a long historical process. Ethnicity ( ethnic community) - stable social view groupings of people that arose historically and are represented by a tribe, nationality, nation.

The unity of an ethnic group is provided by such communities as:

language,

territory,

management,

culture and life,

religion,

race,

nationality,

historical fate.

It is clear that the development of civilization and the interaction of ethnic groups change these characteristics. Depending on the national composition of the population, countries are divided into single-national and multinational. Multinational countries predominate, among which the largest are India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, USA, Russia Complex ethnic structure most African countries have. Single-national countries include Poland, Hungary, Argentina, Japan, Arab countries Southwest Asia, Australia, etc. There are also binational states - Belgium, Canada.

There are about 3 thousand peoples (ethnic groups) in the world. Among them, 18 of the most numerous stand out, components most population of the Earth. These are peoples such as the Chinese, Hindustanis, US Americans, Bengalis, Russians, Brazilians, Japanese. In Europe the most numerous peoples are Germans, Italians, French, English, Ukrainians, Spaniards. In total, there are 2.5 thousand different languages ​​on the planet, and with varieties - 6 thousand. All languages ​​are united into 20 language families, which are divided into language groups. The most common among them are the Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Semitic-Hamitic, Niger-Kordofanian, Altai language families.

Languages Indo-European family 150 peoples communicate, living on all continents and making up the majority in Europe, North America, Australia.

In Europe, 9/10 of the population belongs to the three major linguistic

groups:

Germanic (Germans, Austrians, Swedes, English),

Romanesque (Italians, French, Spaniards, Romanians),

Slavic (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Poles).

Religion is an integral component of the spiritual life of people; another religious worldview is reflected in the elements of the material (religious buildings) and spiritual (songs, music, rituals, etc.) culture of each people, determines not only cultural and everyday differences and features of demographic processes, but also influences the political and socio-economic situation of countries and regions.

The three most widespread religions in the world, which through this are called world religions, are Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. In addition, a significant part of the population professes Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Christianity is widespread on all continents. It includes three branches - Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. It is professed by over 1/4 of humanity, of which 3/5 are Catholics, 1/3 are Protestants, 1/10 are Orthodox. Catholicism is widespread in countries Southern Europe, as well as in France, Poland, countries Latin America, in certain countries of western and southern Africa, in the Philippines. Protestantism - in Anglo-American countries and in Australia. Orthodoxy is adhered to by the Greeks and the peoples of the south Central Europe, CIS countries (Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, etc.) and Ethiopia.

Followers of Islam make up about 20% of the world's population. Islam is widespread mainly in the countries of Central and South-West Asia, Africa, and Indonesia.

Buddhism and Shintoism are professed by over 11% of humanity, slightly fewer adherents of Hinduism, Confucianism and Taoism - 7.5%. Buddhism is common in East, Southeast and South Asia. The peoples of South Asia also practice Hinduism. Confucianism and Taoism are prevalent mainly in China.

Racial and ethnic (national) composition of the population

In resolving issues related to the justification of the location of productive forces, great importance has the study of the racial and ethnic (national) composition of the population, i.e. the ratio of representatives of individual races and peoples, their distribution, legal status, labor skills, etc.

All of humanity characteristic features appearance People are usually divided into three large races: Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Equatorial.

Caucasians, making up 47% total number inhabitants of the Earth, to the great geographical discoveries lived in Europe, North Africa, the Near and Middle East and India, and later settled throughout the world. People Mongoloid races They make up 37% of the world's population, live mainly in Eastern and South-East Asia. The Mongoloid race also includes indigenous people America - Indians. Representatives of the equatorial, or Negro-Australoid, race (about 5% of the Earth's population) live mainly in Africa.

The rest of the planet's inhabitants (about 11-12%) belong to mixed and transitional racial groups, formed as a result of migrations and mixing of racial types.

Large races, in turn, are divided into so-called small races. For example, the Caucasian race is divided into northern, Baltic, Alpine and a number of other small races.

Human races-- a group of people connected by a common origin and external physical signs(skin color, hair type, facial features, etc.), formed in the distant past under the influence of the natural environment. These traits are mainly of an adaptive nature, acquired by humans as a result of adaptation to the conditions of the natural environment.

Nations(peoples, ethnic groups) were formed as society developed, usually from representatives of several small or large races.

The characteristic features of an established nation are: common territory, language, economic life, national culture, a sense of patriotism.

Thus, peoples (ethnic groups) are groups of people united by the historically established unity of language, territory, economic life and culture, national identity. There are about 4 thousand peoples in the world, which can be classified according to various criteria, including size and language.

The numerous peoples (from 100 million or more people) include: Chinese - Han (representatives of the Han ethnic group live mainly in China and make up more than 95% of the population of this country), Hindustani (residents of India, make up about a quarter of the population of this country), Americans (USA), Bengalis (the main population of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal), Punjabis (mainly residents of Pakistan and the Indian state of Punjab), Biharis (residents of the Indian state of Bihar, Bangladesh, Nepal), Russians, Brazilians, Japanese, Mexicans, Javanese.

The number of most peoples is small - less than 1 million people.

The classification of peoples by language is based on the principle of their kinship, i.e., taking into account the relatedness of the origin of the language. On this basis, all peoples are united into linguistic families. There are about 20 such families in total. The most common of them is the Indo-European family, its languages ​​are spoken by almost half of all humanity. The Indo-European family includes Slavic, Romance, Germanic, Celtic, Baltic and other language groups. Sino-Tibetan, Altai, Uralic, Caucasian, Niger-Kordofanian, Semitic-Hamitic families of languages ​​are also widely spoken.

In accordance with the national composition of the population, all countries of the world are divided into single-national and multinational. In general, the world is dominated by multinational states, some of them are home to dozens and even hundreds of peoples. Representatives of such states can be India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, the USA, and most African countries. Examples of single-national states are Poland, Hungary, Germany (in Europe), Chile (in Latin America), Japan, Korea, Bangladesh (in Asia), Australia.

. Racial composition The population of various regions of the world is given in table. 2.

About 70% of the inhabitants of our planet are representatives of pure races, the remaining 30% are representatives of mixed and transitional types. The share of mixed and transitional types is greatest in Overseas Asia and America. For the population Central Asia, part of the population of Latin America (mestizo, or Latinos) are characterized by characteristics of both the Caucasoid and Mongoloid races. Representatives of mixed and transitional types of Caucasoid and Negroid races they live in the eastern part of the Sahel in Africa, the Caucasoid and Australoid races - in South India, the Mongoloid and Australoid races - in Southeast Asia, Japan, the southern part of China and on the island of Madagascar.

Ethnic composition. Ethnicity (people)(from Greek etnos- tribe, people) - a historically established stable community of people in a certain territory, possessing a set of the following characteristics: unity of the territory at the initial stages of development, general features of culture, religion, psyche and economic and everyday relations, unity of language and the consciousness of its unity, expressed in the self-name - ethnonym. When determining ethnicity, the most important is the last sign.

IN modern world There are about 5 thousand peoples. The number of ten of them exceeds 100 million people ( "giant nations" ): Chinese - 1,270 million people, Hindustani and US Americans - 275 million each, Bengalis - 230 million, Brazilians - 180 million, Russians - 140 million, Japanese - 127 million, Punjabis and Biharis - 120 million each, Mexicans - 105 million people. The total number of these peoples is 42.6% of the world population.

All countries of the world are divided into single-national (in them the share of one (titular) people exceeds 90%), binational (they have an approximately equal ratio between the two peoples) and multinational (they are home to a large number of both homogeneous and heterogeneous peoples, none of which clearly predominates in numbers). Single-national countries are most typical for Europe (here the national-territorial demarcation has already been completed), North Africa and the Middle East (the vast majority of the population of these countries are Arabs), Latin America, Australia and Oceania (after gaining independence here, on the basis of immigrants from the former metropolises, their own, very homogeneous nations emerged).

Typical examples binational countries are Belgium, 58% of the population of which are Flemings and 33% Walloons, and Canada, in which 40% of the population are English-Canadians and 28% are French-Canadians. Multinational countries predominate in Oceania, Asia and Africa. Among them, Papua stands out for its special ethnic diversity - New Guinea(representatives of approximately 750 nations and tribes live here), India (650), Sudan (about 600), Nigeria (434), DRC (about 300), Indonesia, Cameroon and Chad (each about 200) , Russia (176).

Language as a means of communication between people appeared approximately 50 thousand years ago. Currently, there are over 2 thousand languages ​​in the world, which are united in approximately 20 language families. The most numerous (in terms of the number of native speakers) are the Indo-European (3 billion people, or 45% of the world population) and Sino-Tibetan (1.5 billion people, or 22.5%) language families. They are followed by Niger-Kordofanian (7%), Afroasiatic (6%), Austronesian (5%) and Dravidian (4%) language families. Native speakers Indo-European language family make up the vast majority of the population of Europe, Northern and Latin America, Australia and Oceania, as well as a significant proportion of the population of Asia.

Among the members of this family stands out 11 language groups , of which five main : Indo-Aryan (16% of the world population), Romanesque (12%), Germanic (9%), Slavic and Iranian. Peoples speaking the languages ​​of the Sino-Tibetan, Austronesian and Dravidian language families live almost exclusively in Asia, and the languages ​​of the Niger-Kordofanian family live in Africa. Peoples belonging to the Afro-Asian language family, as its name suggests, live in both Africa and Asia.

In the world, there are the most speakers of Chinese (1,270 million people), English (510 million), Hindi and Urdu (490 million), Spanish (420 million), Russian (285 million), Arabic and Bengali (230 million each). million), Portuguese (190 million), German and French (130 million each). Hindi and Urdu are one language used in different countries different writing systems (Hindi in India - the ancient Indian script de-Vanagari, Urdu in Pakistan - Arabic script).

Geographically, the most widely spoken languages ​​are English (in 58 countries it is the only official language or one of the official languages), French (in 31), Arabic (in 24), Spanish (in 21) and Portuguese (in 8). This is because Great Britain, France, Spain and Portugal once owned vast colonial empires. Six most common languages ​​in the world - English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and French - are used as working languages UN.

Religious composition The world's population is also highly diverse. In total, there are twelve main religions in the world (from Lat. religion- binding, re-conversion): Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism and Judaism. They account for 95% of the total number of believers and 80% of the world population. The remaining believers profess various tribal cults; finally, approximately 1/5 of the planet's inhabitants are atheists.

Based on the number of followers (believers), three religions are distinguished:

Other religions: for example, Buddhism - 360 million people), Confucianism and Taoism - a total of 250 million, Shintoism - 100 million, Sikhism - 25 million people, etc. Geographically, Christianity is the most widespread, Islam and Buddhism. For this reason, these religions are generally considered "world"

Christianity represented in many countries in all regions of the world, Islam - mainly in Asia and Africa, Buddhism - in East, Southeast and South Asia. Christianity is divided into Catholicism (1.1 billion people), which is most widespread in the South, West and Eastern Europe, Latin and North America, Africa, Protestantism (about 700 million people), which has the largest number of followers in the Middle and Northern Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and Oceania, and Orthodoxy (200 million people), which almost does not extend beyond Eastern Europe.

Islam It is widespread in more than 30 countries of the world and is the fastest growing religion. In Islam, Sunnism stands out (84% total number Muslims) and Shiism (16%), which became widespread in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Bahrain and some other countries. Albanians are the only European Muslims (indigenous).

Buddhism divided into followers of Mahayana (with Lamaism) (2/3 of the total number of Buddhists), widespread in East Asia and Vietnam, and Hinayana (1/3), represented in the rest of the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. In Russia, only Kalmyks are Buddhists - the only European Buddhists!

Other religions are considered "national": Hinduism is widespread only in India and Nepal, Sikhism, Jai-nism and Zoroastrianism- only in India, Judaism - in Israel, Baha'ism - in Iran and some other Muslim countries. In China, close weaving ritual traditions Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism contributed to the formation of the new Chinese national religion, San Jiao. A similar situation has developed in Japan, North and South Korea. Cultural traditions population of Northern and South Korea combined elements of Buddhism and local Korean beliefs, Japan - three religions at once: Buddhism, Confucianism and local Shintoism.

Description of the presentation Ethnic and religious composition of the Russian population On slides

More than 160 peoples live on the territory of our country, the largest of which are Russians (115 million people or 80% of the country’s population), Tatars (5.5 million people), Ukrainians (about 3 million people), Bashkirs, Chuvashs, Chechens and Armenians, whose number exceeds 1 million people.

A homogeneous composition of the population with a complete predominance of the Russian population is typical in Russia only for the Central, Central Black Earth and North-Western regions, while all other regions, especially the North Caucasus, have a complex national composition of the population.

in the Northern region - Russians, Karelians, Komi, Nenets and Sami; in the Urals - Russians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Udmurts, Komi-Permyaks; in the Volga region - Russians, Tatars, Kalmyks, Kazakhs; V Western Siberia- Russians, Altaians, Nenets, Selkups, Khanty, Mansi, Shors, Kazakhs, Germans; V Eastern Siberia- Russians, Buryats, Tuvans, Khakass, Nenets, Dolgans, Evenks; in the Far East - Russians, Yakuts, Chukchi, Koryaks, Jews, Evenks, Evens, Nanais, Udeges, Orochs, Nivkhs and others small peoples. The territory of the Volga-Vyatka region is inhabited by Russians, Maris, Chuvashs and Mordovians;

These processes are accompanied by a decrease in the qualification potential of these regions, and the shortage of labor resources on European North, Eastern Siberia and the Far East, the crime situation is intensifying in almost all regions of Russia, interethnic and interreligious contradictions pose an increasing danger. Modern tendencies V national composition Russia As a result of migrations, the age and ethnocultural composition of the population of Russian regions is changing. The number of immigrants from national republics North Caucasus, the share of Muslims in the European part of the country is increasing, and in the Far East - citizens of the PRC.

Russia is a unique country in terms of the religious composition of its population: representatives of all three world religions live on its territory - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. At the same time, many peoples of our country adhere to national and traditional beliefs. Main religions common in Russia

Christianity in Russia is mainly represented by Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest Orthodox Church in the world. Its head is the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' - Alexy II, whose residence is located in Moscow in the St. Daniel Monastery. Russian Orthodox Church

Orthodoxy Russian Influence Orthodox Church noticeable throughout Russia. Orthodoxy is widespread among Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts, Ossetians, Karelians, Komi, Yakuts and other peoples. Specific place In Orthodoxy, the Old Believers occupy a place.

Protestant teachings - Baptism, Adventism, Jehovahism, Lutheranism - are much less widespread in Russia. Catholicism is increasingly penetrating our country Christianity in Russia

Islam in Russia is represented primarily by Sunnism, which is professed by the Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs and all the mountain peoples of the North Caucasus, except the Ossetians. The main spiritual center of Russian Muslims is in Ufa. Islam

Lamaistic Buddhism is practiced in Russia by Buryats, Tuvans and Kalmyks. The spiritual center of Russian Buddhists is located near Ulan-Ude. Buddhism

The national religion of Jews is Judaism. For the small peoples of Siberia (Altaians, Shors, Nenets, Selkups, Dolgans, Evenks) and Far East(Chukchi, Evens, Koryaks, Itelmens, Udeges, Nanais, etc.) are characterized by traditional pagan beliefs in the form of animism and shamanism