Ethnic groups in the Middle East
Ethnic groups in the Middle East, in the 'transcontinental' region which is commonly a geopolitical term designating the intercontinental region comprising West Asia (including Cyprus) without the South Caucasus,[1] and also comprising Egypt in North Africa. The region has historically been a crossroad of different cultures and languages.[2] Since the 1960s, the changes in political and economic factors (especially the enormous oil wealth in the region and conflicts) have significantly altered the ethnic composition of groups in the region. While some ethnic groups have been present in the region for millennia, others have arrived fairly recently through immigration. The largest socioethnic groups in the region are Arabs, Turks, Persians, Kurds, and Azerbaijanis[3] but there are dozens of other ethnic groups that have hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of members.

Other indigenous, religious, or minority ethnic groups include: Armenians, Assyrians, Arameans in the Qalamoun Mountains,[4][5][6][7][8][9] Baloch, Copts, Cypriots, Druze, Gilaks, Greeks, Jews, Kawliya, Kurds, Laz, Lurs, Mandaeans, Maronites, Mazanderanis, Mhallami, Nawar, Palestinians, Pontic Greeks, Rūm Christians, Samaritans, Shabaks, Talysh, Tats, Yazidis and Zazas.
Diaspora ethnic groups living in the region include: Albanians, Bengalis, Britons, Bosniaks, Chinese, Circassians, Crimean Tatars, Jews, Filipinos, French people, Georgians, Indians, Indonesians, Kawliya, Italians, Malays, Malayali, Pakistanis, Pashtuns, Punjabis, Romanians, Romani, Serbs, Sikhs, Sindhis, Somalis, Sri Lankans, Turkmens, and Sub-Saharan Africans.
Demographics
Countries | Demographics |
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Ethnic groups in Bahrain |
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Ethnic groups in Cyprus |
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Ethnic groups in Egypt |
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Ethnic groups in Iran |
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Ethnic groups in Iraq |
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Ethnic groups in Israel |
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Ethnic groups in Jordan |
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Ethnic groups in Kuwait |
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Ethnic groups in Lebanon |
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Ethnic groups in Oman |
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Ethnic groups in Palestine |
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Ethnic groups in Qatar |
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Ethnic groups in Saudi Arabia |
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Ethnic groups in Syria |
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Ethnic groups in Turkey |
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Ethnic groups in the United Arab Emirates |
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Ethnic groups in Yemen |
Middle East
- Nubians
- Afro-Iraqis
- Afro-Jordanians
- Sudanese in Israel
- Arameans
- Assyrians
- Assyrians in Armenia
- Assyrians in Georgia
- Assyrians in Iran
- Assyrians in Iraq
- Assyrians in Israel
- Assyrians in Jordan
- Assyrians in Lebanon
- Assyrians in Syria
- Assyrians in Turkey
- Mandaeans
- Albanians
- Albanians in Egypt
- Albanians in Syria
- Armenians
- Armenians in the Middle East
- Armenians in Egypt
- Armenians in Iran
- Armenians in Iraq
- Armenians in Israel
- Armenians in Lebanon
- Armenians in Syria
- Armenians in Turkey
- Greeks
- Greek Cypriots
- Greeks in Egypt
- Greeks in Israel
- Greeks in Lebanon
- Greeks in Syria
- Iranian peoples
- Kurds
- Italians
- Romani
- Azerbaijanis
- Iraqi Turkmen
- Syrian Turkmen
- Turks in Egypt
- Turks in Israel
- Turks in Jordan
- Turks in Lebanon
Anatolia

- Armenians in Turkey
- Greeks in Turkey
- Cappadocian Greeks
- Pontic Greeks
- Levantines
- Iranian peoples
- Kurds in Turkey
- Romani
- Zazas
- Georgians in Turkey
- Laz people in Turkey
- Azerbaijanis in Turkey
- Crimean Tatars in Turkey
- Turks
Iranian Plateau

- Arabs in Iran
- Assyrians in Iran
- Jews in Iran
- Mandaeans
- Peoples of the Caucasus in Iran
Diaspora populations
Because of the low population of many of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf and the demand for labor created by the large discoveries of oil in these countries there has been a steady stream of immigration to the region (mainly from South Asia). Ethnic groups which comprise the largest portions of this immigration include Afghans, Bengalis, Britons, Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Indonesians, Malays, Nepalis, Pakistanis, Punjabis, Sikhs, Sindhis, Somalis, Sri Lankans, and Sub-Saharan Africans. Many of these people are denied certain political and legal rights in the countries in which they live and frequently face mistreatment by the native-born citizens of the host countries.
See also
- Arab diaspora
- Arab world
- Armenian diaspora
- Assyrian diaspora
- Demographics of the Arab League
- Demographics of the Middle East
- Ethnic groups in Asia
- Ethnic groups in Europe
- Genetic history of the Middle East
- Iranian diaspora
- Iranian peoples
- Jewish diaspora
- Jews
- Peoples of the Caucasus
- Semitic people
- South Asian ethnic groups
- Turkic peoples
References
- "The Middle East", britannica.com, 21 September 2023
- "Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures", su.se
- Shoup, John A. (17 October 2011). Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Abc-Clio. ISBN 9781598843620. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
- اثرنا في الايقليم السوري (in Arabic). 1960. p. 56.
السريان في معلولا وجبعدين ولا يزال الأهلون فيها يتكلمون (The Syriacs in Maaloula and Jubb'adin still speak their language.…)
- Western Neo-Aramaic The Dialect of Jubaadin (in English and Arabic). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 2.
Jubaadinis are very proud of their language and their Aramean identity and they have no trouble at all balancing their religious and ethnic identities.…
- ”…The city of Jubaadin in Syria, which is close to Maaloula, is inhabited by Aramaic-speaking people who are Syriac Arameans…“, translated quote from the Arabic book (Atlas of Religions) معلولا السريان
- The Semitic Heritage of Northwest Syria, p. 271
- “…Maaloula Syriacs have maintained their Syriac identity since ancient times, and there is ample evidence of their Syriac heritage, especially in Maaloula, Ain Tineh, Bakhah, and Jubaadin…“, translated quote from the book إلياس أنطون نصر الله في معلولا, p. 45
- "Hilfe für das Aramäerdorf Maaloula e.V. | an aid project in Syria".