The Persian world is made up of 145 million
people among 90+ ethnic groups in
3 Persian-majority nations
Here are profiles on a few of the largest ethnic groups in the region.
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Tajikistan
Tajiks
A Persian People
The Tajiks of Central Asia are the oldest surviving people group in the region. Their monger-day homeland, Tajikistan, is the mountainous center of Central Asia, surrounded by China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Yet, even though Tajikistan is seen as the home of Tajiks, more actually live in Afghanistan than anywhere else, where they number 11 million+ and just call themselves Afghans. Tajiks have a strong sense of identity, even if they are split among nations. They are proud of their heritage culture, which is a mix of Persian and Central Asian influences.
Language
Tajik
Faith
Islam
Population
19 million
IRAN
Irani Persians
A Persian people
The Persians of Iran are an ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of the Islamic Republic of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. The Iranian Persians descended from the ancient Iranian people who migrated to the Iranian plateau, possibly from the Caucasus or Central Asia. They were originally a nomadic people, but they eventually settled in the region of Persis (in the modern-day Iranian province of Fars) and founded the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest and most powerful empires in history.
Language
Farsi
Faith
Islam
Population
60 million
Afghanistan, Iran
Pashtuns
A Persian People
Pashtuns, also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Eastern Iranian ethnic group native to southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. The group’s native language is Pashto, an Indo-Iranian language.
The total population of the Pashtun people worldwide is estimated to be around 49 million, although this figure is disputed due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979. They are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second-largest ethnic group in Pakistan. Pashtuns are a warrior people with a strong sense of honor and hospitality. They are also known for their fierce independence and their love of freedom.
Language
Pashto
Faith
Islam
Population
49 million
Afghanistan, Tajikistan
Uzbeks
Turkic peoples
The term Uzbek, meaning “master of himself”, accurately describes this people group. The earliest ancestors of the Uzbeks – Central Asian Turks – aided Genghis Khan in his conquest of Eastern Europe in the 1300s. Eventually, as unity between the Turks and Mongols faded, there were numerous warring kingdoms that emerged. It was from several of these kingdoms that the Uzbeks descended. As time progressed, they developed their own language and culture, though it is like the others in Central Asia. Today, most Uzbeks live in Uzbekistan, with up to 15 million scattered throughout Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
Language
Uzbek
Faith
Islam
Population
32 million
Iran
Kurds of Iran
A Persian People
The Kurds are one of the indigenous peoples of the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands in what are now south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia. Between 25 and 35 million Kurds inhabit the mountainous regions straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.
Language
Kurdish
Faith
Islam
Population
20 million
Afghanistan, Iran
Hazara
Turk-Mongolic peoples
The Hazaras are one of the largest ethnic groups in Afghanistan. They live mainly in central Afghanistan, with half a million in Iran. Linguistically, the Hazara speak the Dari and Hazaragi dialects of the Persian language. Hazaragi is closely related to Dari, yet includes many Turkic and Mongolic words. The Hazara are mostly Shi’a Muslims, with some Sunni and Isma’ili. Hazaras make up 15% of Afghanistan’s population yet have faced much persecution and discrimination over the past century.
Language
Hazara
Faith
Islam
Population
5 million+
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