Tuvans
The Tuvans or Tyvans (Tuvan: тывалар, romanized: tıvalar; Russian: тувинцы, romanized: tuvintsy) are a Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Siberia who live in Russia (Tuva), Mongolia, and China. They speak Tuvan, a Siberian Turkic language. In Mongolia they are regarded as one of the Uriankhai people groups.
тывалар | |
|---|---|
Tuvans in Russia | |
| Total population | |
| c. 312,194 | |
| Russia | 295,384 (2021) |
| ∟ Tuva | 279,789 (7,189 Todjins) |
| ∟ Krasnoyarsk Krai | 2,719 |
| ∟ Khakassia | 2,051 |
| ∟ Novosibirsk Oblast | 1,308 |
| ∟ Buryatia | 1,124 |
| China | 14,456 (2021 est.) |
| Mongolia | 2,354 (2020 est.) |
| Languages | |
| Tuvan | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Tibetan Buddhism ("Lamaism"), Tengrism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Altaians, Chulyms, Kumandins, Shors, Teleuts, Tofalar, Dukha, Soyot and other Turkic peoples | |
| People | Tuvan / Tyvans Тывалар (Tıvalar) Тувинцы (Tuvintsy) |
|---|---|
| Language | Tuvan / Tyvan Тыва дыл (Tyva dyl) |
| Country | Tuva / Tyva Тува́ (Tuvá) Тыва (Tıva) |
Tuvans have historically been livestock-herding nomads, tending to herds of goats, sheep, camels, reindeer, cattle and yaks for the past thousands of years. They have traditionally lived in yurts covered by felt or chums, layered with birch bark or hide that they relocate seasonally as they move to newer pastures. Traditionally, the Tuvans were divided into nine regions called khoshuun, namely the Tozhu, Salchak, Oyunnar, Khemchik, Khaasuut, Shalyk, Nibazy, Daavan and Choodu, and Beezi. The first four were ruled by Uriankhai Mongol princes, while the rest were administered by Borjigin Mongol princes.