Chuvash people

The Chuvash people (UK: /ˈtʃuːvɑːʃ/ CHOO-vahsh,^[15] US: /tʃʊˈvɑːʃ/ chuu-VAHSH;^[16] Chuvash: чӑваш [tɕəˈʋaʃ]; Russian: чуваши [tɕʊˈvaʂɨ]) are a Turkic ethnic group, a branch of Oghurs, native to an area from the Volga-Ural region to Siberia. Most of them live in Chuvashia and nearby areas. They speak Chuvash, a unique Turkic language that split from other Turkic languages over a millennium ago.

Chuvash

Чӑваш, Çăvaš, Чӑвашсем, Çăvašsem
Total population
1.5 million[1]
Regions with significant populations
Russia	1,435,872[2][3]
Kazakhstan	22,305[4]
Ukraine	10,593[5]
Uzbekistan	10,074[6]
Turkmenistan	2,281[7]
Belarus	2,242[8]
Moldova	1,204[9]
United States	900[source?]
Kyrgyzstan	848[10]
Georgia	542[11]
Latvia	534[12]
Azerbaijan	489[13]
Estonia	373[14]
Languages
Chuvash Russian
Religion
Predominantly Orthodox Christianity Minority Vattisen Yaly, Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Volga Tatars, Mari, Besermyan

Subgroups

The division of the Chuvash people are as below:

• Virjal or Turi (Chuvash: вирьял, тури, 'upper')
• Anat jenchi (анат енчи, 'mid-lower')
• Anatri (анатри, 'lower')
  • Hirti (хирти, 'steppe') (this is a sub-group that is recognized by some researchers)

Language

Main article: Chuvash language

Gallery

• 
  Chuvash woman in traditional attire. Mid-to-late 19th century
• 
  Married Chuvash woman in matchmaking costume. Early 20th century
• 
  Married Chuvash women. Early 20th century
• 
  Chuvash linguist and philologist Atner Khuzangai
• 
  Pioneer of Chuvash syllabotonic poetry Mišši Śeśpĕl
• 
  Middle Chuvash group XIX с
• 
  Chuvash children. Middle group XIX century

Related articles

• List of Chuvashes
• Chuvash National Congress
• Chuvash National Museum
• Chuvash national symbols
• Chuvash State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble
• Chuvash Wikipedia
• ChuvashTet
• Society for the study of the native land