Finnic peoples
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (c. 7.4–8.2 million) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Finns | c. 6.2–7 million |
| Estonians | c. 1.1 million |
| Karelians | c. 100,000 |
| Vepsians | c. 6,000 |
| Izhorians | c. 1,000 |
| Livs | c. 200 |
| Votes | c. 100 |
| Languages | |
| Finnic languages | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity; minority Uralic Neopaganism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Balts, Volga Finns, Sami | |
The Baltic Finns or Finnic people consist of the peoples inhabiting the region around the Baltic Sea in Northeastern Europe who speak Finnic languages, including the Finns proper, Estonians (including Võros and Setos), Karelians (including Ludes and Olonets), Veps, Izhorians, Votes, and Livonians as well as their descendants worldwide. In some cases the Kvens, Ingrians, Tornedalians and speakers of Meänkieli are also included separately rather than being a part of Finns proper. The bulk of the Baltic Finns are ethnic Finns and Estonians (more than 98%), who reside in the only two independent Finnic nation states – Finland and Estonia. Baltic Finns are also significant minority groups in neighbouring countries of Sweden, Norway and Russia.
According to the Migration Theory that was based primarily on comparative linguistics, the proto-Finnic peoples migrated from an ancient homeland somewhere in northwestern Siberia or western Russia to the shores of the Baltic Sea around 1000 BC, at which time Finns and Estonians separated. The Migration Theory has been called into question since 1980, based on genealogy, craniometry and archaeology. Recently, a modified form of the Migration Theory has gained new support among the younger generation of linguists, who consider that archaeology, genes or craniometric data cannot supply evidence of prehistoric languages.
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