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Punjabis

Punjabis
پنجابی
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
Total population
c. ~121 million
Regions with significant populations
 Pakistan 90,512,900
 India 29,102,477
 Canada 430,705
 United Kingdom 296,381
 United States 250,000
 Australia 71,228
 Malaysia 56,400
 Libya 54,000
 Norway 24,000
 Bangladesh 23,700
 New Zealand 19,752
   Nepal 808
Languages
Urdu,Hindi
Religion

Predominantly:
Islam in Pakistan
Sikhism and Hinduism in India

Minorities:

Predominantly:
Islam in Pakistan
Sikhism and Hinduism in India

The Punjabis (Punjabi: پنجابی, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ), or Punjabi people, are an ethnic group native to or associated with the Punjab, who speak the Punjabi language. Punjab literally means the land of five waters (Persian: panj ("five") āb ("waters"). The name of the region was introduced by the Turko-Persian conquerors of South Asia and more formally popularised during the Mughal Empire. Punjab is often referred to as the breadbasket in both Pakistan and India.

The coalescence of the various tribes, castes and the inhabitants of the Punjab into a broader common "Punjabi" identity initiated from the onset of the 18th century CE. Prior to that the sense and perception of a common "Punjabi" ethno-cultural identity and community did not exist, even though the majority of the various communities of the Punjab had long shared linguistic, cultural and racial commonalities.

Traditionally, Punjabi identity is primarily linguistic, geographical and cultural. Its identity is independent of historical origin or religion, and refers to those who reside in the Punjab region, or associate with its population, and those who consider the Punjabi language their mother tongue.Integration and assimilation are important parts of Punjabi culture, since Punjabi identity is not based solely on tribal connections. More or less all Punjabis share the same cultural background.


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Wikipedia

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