Komis
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (approx. 553,000 (2002)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Russia, largely located in the Komi Republic, Perm Krai, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Arkhangelsk Oblast, and Murmansk Oblast | |
 Russia
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 Ukraine
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 CIS
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 Estonia
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| Languages | |
| Russian, Komi | |
| Religion | |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
| Udmurts, other Uralic peoples | |
The Komi are a Uralic ethnic group whose homeland is in the north-east of European Russia around the basins of the Vychegda, Pechora and Kama rivers. They mostly live in the Komi Republic, Perm Krai, Murmansk Oblast, Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Federation. They belong to the Permian branch of the Finno-Ugric peoples. The Komis are divided into eight sub-groups. Their northernmost sub-group is also known as the Komi-Izhemtsy (from the name of the river Izhma) or Iz'vataz. This group numbers 15,607 (2002). This group is distinct for its more traditional, strongly subsistence based economy which includes reindeer husbandry. Komi-Permyaks (125,235 people) live in Perm Krai and Kirov Oblast of Russia.
There have been at least three names for the Komis: Permyaks, Zyrians (Russian: пермяки, зыряне) and Komi, the last being the self-designation of the people.
The name Permyaks firstly appeared in the 10th century in Russian sources and came from the ancient name of the land between the Mezen River and Pechora River – Perm – often called "Great Perm" (Russian: Пермь Великая). Several origins of the name have been proposed but the most accepted is from Veps Perämaa "back, outer or far-away land" from Veps perä "back, extreme" and maa "land". In Old Norse and Old English it was known as Bjarmaland and Beormas respectively but those Germanic names might designate some other place than the Russian Perm. Since the 20th century the name has been applied only to the southern Komi (Komi-Permyaks) in Perm Krai. In Russian permyak also means "an inhabitant of Perm or Perm Krai" independently from ethnicity.
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Wikipedia