Nogai man in national costume, 19th century | |
Total population | |
---|---|
128,000 (Estimate) | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Russia | 103,660 |
* Dagestan | 38,168 |
* Stavropol Krai | 20,680 |
* Karachay-Cherkessia | 14,873 |
* Astrakhan Oblast | 4,570 |
* Chechnya | 3,572 |
* Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug | 2,502 |
* Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug | 1708 |
Romania | 10,700 |
Bulgaria | 500 |
Kazakhstan | 400 |
Ukraine | 385 |
Uzbekistan | 200 |
Turkey | 90,000 |
Languages | |
Nogai, Russian, Turkish | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Only spoken by Nogais in Turkey |
The Nogais are a Turkic ethnic group, who live in southern European Russia, mainly in the North Caucasus region. Most are found in northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay–Cherkessia and the Astrakhan Oblast; and also live in Chechnya. They speak the Nogai language and are descendants of various Mongolic and Turkic tribes, who formed the Nogai Horde. There are two main groups of Nogais:
In the 1990s, 65,000 were still living in the Northern Caucasus, divided into Aq (White) Nogai and Qara (Black) Nogai tribal confederations. Nogais live in the territories of Dagestan, Chechnya, Stavropol district and Astrakhan Oblast. From 1928 there was a Nogaysky District, Republic of Dagestan and from 2007 a Nogaysky District, Karachay-Cherkess Republic.
A few thousand Nogais live in Dobruja (today in Romania), in the town of Mihail Kogălniceanu (Karamurat) and villages of Lumina (Kocali), Valea Dacilor (Hendekkarakuyusu), Cobadin (Kubadin).