Academic science clearly separates the concepts of "nation" and "ethnos." First of all, a nation is understood as a political community of fellow citizens of a certain state, as well as a single ethnic community - a form of cohabitation of one or several ethnic groups, which eventually developed a single language and self-identity.
In this understanding, the word "nation" is identical to the word "people". But we will not go deep into the jungle of scientific definitions, but consider what the largest nation in the world is.
1
Chinese
The largest people on earth are the Chinese. According to the latest statistics, currently their number is 1 billion 380 million people.
The Chinese themselves call the "Han", and, in addition to a large number, it is also one of the oldest nations on earth. For many millennia, China has cultivated respect for family values, which has led to an increase in population.
In addition, the Chinese nationality is one of the secluded on earth, both historically and at the present stage of development.
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2
Arabs
The group of peoples belongs to the Semitic language group. The Arabs inhabit the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Also live in Europe and North America.
Today, the total number of Arabs, according to various estimates, is from 430 to 450 million people. They communicate in Arabic. They mainly profess Islam, but there are also Christians. The ethnic term denoting the nomadic people of deserts and semi-deserts appeared back in the 9th century.
In the entire history of the existence of the Arabs created many cultural monuments, both spiritual and material. Amaze with the magnificence of the mosque, as well as literary monuments of the Arab world.
3
The Americans
You can argue for a long time whether the Americans are a separate nation, but in the narrow sense it is a group of different peoples who are US citizens. Today there are 309 million of them.
Representatives of different nationalities form a single culture and language of communication, because of which they can rightfully be distinguished into one nation.
In a broad sense, the term "Americans" means all the inhabitants of two American continents. The Indians, as the indigenous population of America, now have a double identity. Firstly, by nationality, and secondly, by tribal origin.
4
Bengalis
Among the largest ethnic groups, Bengalis should be singled out, the number of which is 261 million people. This ethnic group settled in some countries of Asia, as well as in Great Britain and the USA.
The majority of Bengalis live in rural areas, so the main occupations are farming and various crafts.
An interesting story is the origin of the Bengali language, which was formed as a result of the synthesis of Indo-Aryan dialects with local dialects.
5
Hindustanians
The hidno-speaking population settled in three states of Southeast Asia: India, Nepal and Pakistan.
The total number of this large nation is 255 million people, and their religious affiliation is Hinduism. The Dravidians and Gypsies are considered related peoples of the Hindustanis.
Historically, the main occupation of Hindi speakers is agriculture, but recently more and more representatives of this people are moving to the working class.
6
Brazilians
Like the American, Brazilian nationality was formed as a result of a mixture of different ethnic groups and peoples. Mostly live within Brazil, and according to the census, there are 195 million people.
The Brazilian nation began to take shape during the period of the colonial policy of Portugal, so the main language of communication of Brazilians is Portuguese, and religion is Catholicism.
Despite the large integration processes within the country, the remains of the original Native American national culture remain in the north of Brazil.
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7
Mexicans
This nation of the Western Hemisphere has a diverse ethnic and racial origin, but Mexicans are united by a common culture and a single, Spanish language.
About 112 million Mexicans live in Mexico proper and about 32 million in the United States.
Interestingly, one of the fastest growing nations on the planet, according to race, belongs to the Latin American peoples, and according to language - to the Romanesque group of languages.
8
Russians
The Eastern Slavic ethnic group, with about 133 million people, is the indigenous and state-forming people of Russia. Russians are the largest nation in Europe.
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the ethnonym "Great Russians" prevailed, eventually being supplanted, although today this term can be heard among some public national organizations or religious associations.
The Russian nation has gone a long and difficult path of historical development, but managed to preserve the original national culture and language. It is believed that the Russian people are one of the most fragmented in the world. Outside of Russia, approximately 28 million Russians live.
9
Japanese
One of the most conservative peoples on the planet has 126 million people. Most live in Japan, and approximately 3 million have settled in the countries of North and Latin America, as well as in Australia and Europe.
Korea and China had a great influence on the culture of the Japanese nation, but the most ancient ethnic group of the earth carried through centuries its own features unique to the Japanese.
Perhaps the most industrious nation, in the second half of the twentieth century created one of the leading manufacturing and technological economies in the world.
10
Punjabi
130 million Punjabis live in Pakistan and India. Large diasporas of this nation settled in Europe and Africa.
Like most peoples of the southeastern region, the Punjabis are engaged in agriculture, growing wheat in irrigated fields.
The ethnogenesis of the Punjabis goes back thousands of years. Ethnicity was formed in the difficult conditions of foreign invasions, and perceived many elements and signs of alien peoples. In the III millennium BC, this large nation was able to create one of the powerful states of the East.
11
Biharians
This group of peoples, united by a common culture, totals today 115 million people. They live mainly in the Indian state of Bihar, but the Biharians have settled in some other states of India, as well as in neighboring Nepal and Bangladesh.
Biharians became the founders of the most ancient civilizations in India.
At the present stage of development, an ethnos is subject to urbanization processes. The rural population is increasingly moving to large industrial centers, moving from the category of agricultural workers to skilled workers.
12
Javanese
The last people, whose number exceeds the mark of 100 million, are Javanese. There are about 105 million of them on Earth.
This indigenous population of the island of Java and Indonesia mainly professes Islam, but there are those who adhere to Hinduism. Among this ethnos, animism has survived.
Javanese, most likely due to the remoteness from the main trade routes, managed to create and maintain a peculiar culture. Culture is characterized by peculiar dances, music.
13
Koreans
This nation has settled on the Korean Peninsula, and today has 83 million people. Koreans belong to the Mongoloid race, and speak Korean.
Outside of Korea, they try to maintain national traditions, and in other countries they live compactly. The main problem of the Korean nation is the artificial, political division of the people into two states.
14
Marathi
A peculiar and unique people lives in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and has a little more than 80 million people.
In 1947, after India gained independence, the Marathi achieved the creation of their own state, but part of this nation lives in neighboring states.
Representatives of this eastern ethnos have done a lot for the development of the economy and culture of India, occupying high government posts and proving themselves in art.
15
Thais
The indigenous population of Thailand, professing Buddhism, has 90 million people.
Eastern nationality, whose name comes from the word "tai", which means "free." The first human settlement in this part of the globe dates back to the Paleolithic period.
In the Thai culture, a very interesting element is the love of theatrical art. Since ancient times, there are several types of theaters in Thailand.
16
Vietnamese
The inhabitants of Vietnam call themselves "viet" themselves, and today their number is 75 million people.
Ancient Vieta are an autochthonous population of the northern part of the modern state of Vietnam, and eventually settled throughout the Indochina peninsula.
Among the features of the national culture, a highly developed cult of the ancestors and the cults of the divine mothers Thanh Mau should be noted.
17
Germans
The European people are the ancestors of the ancient Germans and numbers, according to various estimates, from 80 to 100 million people.
In the early Middle Ages, disparate Germanic tribes settled the central part of Europe. From them came the modern Germans who settled, besides Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
In the political sense, the concept of "Germans" is much broader, and includes all German citizens of different nationalities.
18
French people
This Western European ethnos occurred as a result of a complex process of ethnogenesis, in which Celtic-Roman and Germanic ethnic communities were involved.
According to 2015 estimates, there are 95 million French people in the world, and they live not only in France, but also in Canada. It is in Canada that one of the most numerous French diasporas. About 67 million French people live in France itself.
In contrast to the ethnic state, the Constitution of the 5th French Republic defines the French as a political nation, not taking into account the origin.
19
Turks
The question of the origin of the Turkish nationality in modern science is still not fully defined. But the Turkic-speaking people, numbering from 72 to 77 million people, settled most of Asia Minor, and today it is one of the largest in this region.
It is interesting that in history the ethnonym “Turks” were not always correlated with the Turkish people, but, having traveled a difficult path, the Turks were able to maintain their identity and originality.
20
Italians
The people belonging to the Romance language group have about 130 million people. Actually, 60 million Italians live in Italy.
The Italian nationality has developed as a result of complex ethnic processes, the beginning of which was laid back in ancient Rome.
Catholicism played a large role in the development of Italians and the influence on the development of the state, since it is in Rome that the center of the Catholic Church - the Vatican is located.
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Conclusion
Global processes taking place in the world, as well as migration lead to a mixture of ethnic groups. On this basis, some nationalities acquire new features and characteristics. But large nations in modern conditions retain their originality and national identity, and most importantly, language.
For example, approximately 1 billion 300 million people communicate in Chinese in the world, and 200 million inhabitants of the Earth in Russian. It should also be noted that the resettlement of some peoples coincides with state borders, and such states are considered uninational. But there are also multinational states, such as Russia, the USA, and India.
In conclusion, we will tell the common truth that no matter what nation, large or small, they are all equal, and history knows tragic examples when one nation seeks to prove its superiority over the rest. Thebiggest editors are waiting for your comments on the topic.
Article author: Valery Skiba