Ethnic groups in the Middle East

Ethnic groups in the Middle East are ethnolinguistic groupings in the "transcontinental" region that is commonly a geopolitical term designating the intercontinental region comprising West Asia (including Cyprus) without the South Caucasus, and also comprising Egypt in North Africa. The Middle East has historically been a crossroad of different cultures and languages.

Since the 1960s, the changes in political and economic factors, especially the enormous oil wealth in the region and conflicts, have significantly altered the ethnic composition of groups in the region. While some ethnic groups have been present in the region for millennia, others have arrived fairly recently through immigration. The largest ethnic groups in the region are Arabs, Turks, Persians, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis but there are dozens of other ethnic groups that have hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of members.

Other indigenous, religious, or minority ethnic groups include: Antiochians, Armenians, Assyrians, Arameans in the Qalamoun Mountains,"…The city of Jubaadin in Syria, which is close to Maaloula, is inhabited by Aramaic-speaking people who are Syriac Arameans…", translated quote from the Arabic book (Atlas of Religions) معلولا السريانThe Semitic Heritage of Northwest Syria, p. 271"…Maaloula Syriacs have maintained their Syriac identity since ancient times, and there is ample evidence of their Syriac heritage, especially in Maaloula, Ain Tineh, Bakhah, and Jubaadin…", translated quote from the book إلياس أنطون نصر الله في معلولا, p. 45 Baloch, Copts, Druze, Gilaks, Greeks (including Cypriots and Pontians) Hazaras, Jews, Kawliya, Laz, Lurs, Mandaeans, Maronites, Mazanderanis, Mhallami, Nawar, Pashtuns, Pamiris, Samaritans, Shabaks, Tajiks, Talysh, Tats, Turkmens, Yazidis, and Zazas.

Diaspora ethnic groups living in the region include: Albanians, Bengalis, Britons, Bosniaks, Chechens, Chinese, Circassians, Crimean Tatars, Filipinos, French people, Georgians, Indians, Indonesians, Italians, Malays, Malayali, Pakistanis, Punjabis, Romanians, Romani, Serbs, Sikhs, Sindhis, Somalis, Sri Lankans, and sub-Saharan Africans.

Demographics

Countries Demographics Ethnic groups in Bahrain Ethnic groups in Cyprus Ethnic groups in Egypt Ethnic groups in Iran Ethnic groups in Iraq Ethnic groups in Israel Ethnic groups in Jordan Ethnic groups in Kuwait Ethnic groups in Lebanon Ethnic groups in Oman Ethnic groups in Palestine Ethnic groups in Qatar Ethnic groups in Saudi Arabia Ethnic groups in Syria Ethnic groups in Turkey Ethnic groups in the United Arab Emirates Ethnic groups in Yemen

Middle East Egyptians

Copts Arabs

Arabs in Turkey Iranian Arabs Israeli Arabs Sub-Saharan Africans Afro-Arabs Ethiopian Jews Nubians Sudanese in Israel

Jews Israeli Jews Ashkenazi Jews Ethiopian Jews Mizrahi Jews Sephardi Jews Yemenite Jews

Samaritans

Aramaic-speaking peoples Arameans Arameans in Israel Assyrians Assyrians in Armenia Assyrians in Georgia Assyrians in Iran Assyrians in Iraq Assyrians in Israel Assyrians in Jordan Assyrians in Lebanon Assyrians in Syria Assyrians in Turkey Mandaeans Maronites

Indo-European speaking groups Albanians Albanians in Egypt Albanians in Syria Armenians Armenians in the Middle East Armenians in Egypt Armenians in Iran Armenians in Iraq Armenians in Israel Armenians in Lebanon Armenians in Syria Armenians in Turkey Greeks Greek Cypriots Greeks in Egypt Greeks in Israel Greeks in Lebanon Greeks in Syria Iranian peoples Ajam of Bahrain Ajam of Iraq Kurds Shabaks Yazidis Italians Levantines Italian Egyptians Italians in Lebanon Romani Dom Kawliya Nawar–Romani people in Syria Romani people in Egypt

Turkic peoples Azerbaijanis Iraqi Turkmen Syrian Turkmen Turks in Egypt Turks in Israel Turks in Jordan Turks in Lebanon

Anatolia

Armenians in Turkey

Bosniaks in Turkey

Greeks in Turkey

Cappadocian Greeks

Pontic Greeks

Levantines

Pomaks in Turkey

Iranian peoples

Kurds in Turkey

Romani Dom Romani people in Turkey

Zazas Kartvelian peoples Georgians in Turkey Laz people in Turkey

Arabs in Turkey

Assyrians in Turkey

Jews in Turkey Turkic peoples Azerbaijanis in Turkey Crimean Tatars in Turkey Gagauz people Turks Muhacir Muslims from the Caucasus (Peoples of the Caucasus in Turkey) Muslims from the Balkans (mainly Albanians, Bosniaks, and Pomaks)

Cyprus

Armenians in Cyprus Greek Cypriots Maronite Cypriots Turkish Cypriots

Iranian Plateau

Armenians in Iran

Iranian peoples

Persians

Baloch

Kurds in Iran Feylis Kaka'is Kurds of Khorasan Laks

Gilaks

Lurs

Mazanderanis

Pamiris

Pashtuns

Talysh

Tats Kartvelian peoples Georgians in Iran

Arabs in Iran

Assyrians in Iran

Jews in Iran Persian Jews

Mandaeans Turkic peoples Azerbaijanis in Iran Qashqai Turkmen in Iran

Diaspora populations

Because of the low population of many of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf and the demand for labor created by the large discoveries of oil in these countries there has been a steady stream of immigration to the region (mainly from South Asia). Ethnic groups which comprise the largest portions of this immigration include Afghans, Albanians, Armenians, Bengalis, Bosniaks, Britons, Chinese, Filipinos, Greeks, Indians, Indonesians, Italians, Malays, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Punjabis, Sikhs, Sindhis, Somalis, Sri Lankans, and Sub-Saharan Africans. Many of these people are denied certain political and legal rights in the countries in which they live and frequently face mistreatment by the native-born citizens of the host countries.

Ethnic groups in the Middle East

Bron en licentie