Chechens
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1.5 million to 2 million) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Russia
|
1,431,360 |
 Chechnya
|
1,031,647 |
 Ingushetia
|
95,403 |
 Dagestan
|
87,867 |
 Rostov Oblast
|
15,469 |
 Moscow Oblast
|
14,465 |
 Stavropol Krai
|
13,208 |
 Volgograd Oblast
|
12,256 |
 Tyumen Oblast
|
10,623 |
 Astrakhan Oblast
|
10,019 |
 European Union France Austria Belgium Germany |
130,000–200,000 30,000 25,000 17,000 12,000 |
 Turkey
|
100,000 |
 Kazakhstan
|
34,000 |
 Jordan
|
15,000 |
 Iraq
|
10,000+ |
 Georgia
|
10,000 (including Kist people) |
 Syria
|
5,000–6,000 |
 Azerbaijan
|
5,000 |
 Egypt
|
5,000 |
 Ukraine
|
2,877 |
 Spain
|
2,100 Data figures from 2001 to 2013; see also Chechen diaspora. |
| Languages | |
|
Chechen See Language section |
|
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Islam (Nondenominational Muslims and Shafi'i Sunni Muslim) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nakh peoples (Ingush people, Bats people, Kist people) and other Northeast Caucasian people) | |
2,100
Chechens (/ˈtʃɛtʃən/, Chechen: Нохчий Noxçiy; Old Chechen: Нахчой Naxçoy) are a Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples originating in the North Caucasus region of Eastern Europe. They refer to themselves as Vainakhs (which means "our people" in Chechen) or Nokhchiy (pronounced [no̞xtʃʼiː]; singular Nokhchi, Nakhchuo or Nakhtche. Chechen and Ingush peoples are collectively known as the Vainakh. The majority of Chechens today live in the Chechen Republic, a subdivision of the Russian Federation.
The isolated terrain of the Caucasus mountains and the strategic value outsiders have placed on the areas settled by Chechens has contributed much to the Chechen community ethos and helped shape its fiercely independent national character. Chechen society has traditionally been egalitarian and organized around many autonomous local clans, called teips.
The term "Chechen" first occurs in Arabic sources from the 8th century. According to popular tradition, the Russian term "Chechen" comes from the name of the village of Chechen-Aul. The word "Chechen", however, occurs in Russian sources as early as 1692 and the Russians probably derived it from the Kabardian "Shashan".
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Wikipedia