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For a specific analysis of the population of Europe, see Demographics of Europe. For more detailed information on traditional and local diversities, see European ethnic groups. For the legal meaning of being an EU citizen, see Citizenship of the European Union.


European people
Total population
roughly 720,000,000 (in Europe)
Regions with significant populations
 European Union495,128,529[1]
 United States171,000,000[2]
 Russia103,806,000[3].
 Ukraine46,490,400
 Argentina38,000,000[4]
Languages
Language L1 Total
English 13% 51%
German 18% 32%
French 12% 26%
Italian 13% 16%
Spanish 9% 15%
Polish 9% 10%
Romanian 7% 7%
Dutch 5% 6%
Greek 3% 3%
Swedish 2% 3%
Czech 2% 3%
Portuguese 2% 2%
Hungarian 2% 2%
Minority Languages ~16%
Religion
Predominantly Christian with a significant secular minority
  1. ^ "Total population". Eurostat. Retrieved 2007-07-14. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Brittingham, Angela. Ancestry 2000:Census Brief. 2004. October 30, 2006. Cencus.gov
  3. ^ Russia's population minus the combinined stats of the Russian Far East, the Siberian Federal District and the Urals Federal District
  4. ^ cia.gov

The Europeans are the people of the continent of Europe. The wider meaning of the word can include people with ancestors in Europe and people who have moved from geographical Europe and vice versa. Since countries like Turkey and Cyprus, and the Asian part of Russia are considered to be European by many due to cultural, political or historical reasons, the definition of Europeans might also encompass the people of such countries and areas.

Definition of 'a European'

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The Europeans are the peoples of different nations and languages on the European Peninsula. The wider meaning of the word can include people with ancestors in Europe and people who have moved from geographical Europe and vice versa.

The European integration has made the term 'a European' more relevant. It has arguable also created a division within Europe about who is 'European', depending on whether or not one's country is a member of the European Union.

Diasporas

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Further information: Colonialism and List of diasporas

Eurasian questions

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  Europe
  Extention over Asia of the continuous terretory of European state
  Geographically in Asia. Considered European for historical and cultural reasons.

EU citizenship

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Main article: Citizenship of the European Union

The legal citizenship of the European Union (EU) is the only context in which the denonym 'European' has a legal meaning. It was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992. It exists alongside national citizenship and provides additional rights to nationals of EU member states, such as the right to vote in the European parliamentary elections and to travel freely across the Union.


Ethnic groups

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see Category:Ethnic groups in Europe
Further information: Demography of Europe, Languages of Europe, and Eurolinguistics
                         North Germanic                     West Germanic
                    Celtic
                         Western Romance      Italian / Southern Romance
     Eastern Romance      Basque
                         East Slavic                     West Slavic
               South Slavic
          Baltic
     Greek      Albanian      Armenian      Iranian
               Finno-Permic      Hungarian      Ob-Ugric
     Caucasian      Turkic      Kalmyk      Arabic / Maltese      Berber

Of the total population of Europe of some 730 million (as of 2005), some 85% or 630 million fall within three large ethno-linguistic super-groups, viz., Slavic, Latin (Romance) and Germanic. The largest groups that do not fall within either of these are the Greeks (about 13 million) and the Finno-Ugric peoples (about 23 million). About 20-25 million residents are members of diasporas of non-European origin. The population of the European Union with some 500 million accounts for two thirds of European population.

The largest ethnic group of Europe are probably the Russians with some 90 million settling in the European parts of Russia, followed by the Germans (76 million), Italians (58 million), French (49 million[1]), English (45 million), Spanish (42 million), Ukrainians (40 million) and the Poles (38 million).

Depending on what parts of the Caucasus are considered part of Europe, various peoples of the Caucasus may also be considered "European peoples":

"Indigenous" minorities

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Since most of Europe in historical times was never colonized by non-European powers with lasting effect (arguably except for Hungary, Turkish Thrace, Tatarstan, Kalmykia and islands such as Malta or Cyprus[3]), the vast majority of Europeans can be considered "indigenous". In a more narrow sense of "indigenous peoples", ethnic minorities marginalized by historical expansion of their neighbour populations, the following groups can be considered "indigenous peoples" of Europe:

Physical appearance and genetic origins

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Main article: Genetic history of Europe
Further information: White people and Caucasoid

The vast majority of Europeans are of the "Caucasoid" (White) typological race, most characterized by lightly pigmented skin and variability in eye and hair colour [4], although typological division into races has now largely been discredited. [5][6][7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] There has been human habitation in Europe for over a million years,[13] [14] but human remains with a recognisably modern anatomy have only been dated back to 40,000 years ago, with the Cro magnon settlement. Over the prehistoric period there was continual immigration to Europe, notably with the neolithic revolution.[15] It is probable that the origins of Cro Magnon man can be traced back ultimately to ancestors in East Africa. [16]

European diasporas

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Further information: History of colonialism and Greater Europe

Nations and regions outside of Europe with significant populations of European ancestry [17]:

National diasporas:

Further information: List of diasporas

Diasporas in Europe

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Further information: Islam in Europe, Muslims in Western Europe, Hinduism in Europe, and Buddhism in Europe

Populations of non-European origin in Europe (approx. 25 - 30+ million, or approx. 3.42 - 4.11+% [depending on definition of non-European origin], out of a total population of approx. 730 million):

  • Turks: approx. 5 million, mostly in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden
  • North Africans (Arabs and Berbers): approx. 5 million, mostly in France, the Netherlands and Sweden
  • Horn Africans: approx. 200,000 Somalis,[57] mostly in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the UK
  • Sub-Saharan Africans (many ethnicities including Afro-Caribbeans and others by descent): approx. 5 million, mostly in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Germany [58]
  • Latin Americans (mainly Mestizos): approx. 2.2 million, with the largest groups in Spain and Italy[59]
    • Plus Latin American Britons number around 1 million and are of European, African, Native South American and many other races
  • South Asians (many ethnicities): approx. 3 million, mostly in the UK
  • Armenians (sometimes considered European, see above): approx. 1.5 million
  • Kurds: approx. 1.5 million, mostly in Germany and Sweden
  • Chinese: approx. 1 million, mostly in France, the UK and the Netherlands
  • Filipinos: approx. 500,000, mostly in the UK, France, Germany and Italy
  • Syriacs: approx. 130,000, mostly in Sweden
  • Japanese: ca. 100,000, mostly in the UK
  • Lebanese diaspora: especially in France and the UK.

Identity and culture

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Main articles: European culture, Western world, Christendom, and Pan-European identity

The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. Whether it is a question of West as opposed to East; Christianity as opposed to Islam; many have claimed to identify cultural fault lines across the continent.

European culture also has a broad influence beyond the continent of Europe due to the legacy of colonialism. In this broader sense it is sometimes referred to as Western Civilization. Nearly all of the Americas and all of Africa were ruled by European powers at one time or another, and some parts of the New World, such as French Guiana, still are. The vast majority of the population of the Americas speak European languages, specifically Spanish, English, Portuguese, French and to a much lesser extent Dutch. Additionally the cultures of the European colonial powers (Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium and France) exert a strong influence.

Pan-European identity refers to both the sense of personal identification with Europe, and to the identity possessed by 'Europe' as a whole. 'Europe' is widely used as a synonym for the European Union even though there are millions of people living on the European continent in non-EU Member States. The prefix "pan" implies that the identity applies throughout Europe, and especially in an EU context, 'pan-European' is often contrasted with national.

Religion

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Main article: Religion in Europe

Since the High Middle Ages, most of Europe has been dominated by Christianity. There are three major denominations, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox, with Protestantism restricted mostly to Germanic regions, and Orthodoxy to Slavic regions, Greece and Georgia. Catholicism, while centered in the Latin parts, has a significant following also in Germanic, Slavic and Celtic regions.

Islam has some tradition in the Balkans (the European dominions of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th to 19th centuries), in Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkish East Thrace. European Russia has the largest Muslim community, including the Tatars of the Middle Volga and multiple groups in the Caucasus, including Chechens, Avars, Ingush and others. With 20th century migrations, Muslims in Western Europe have become a noticeable minority.

Judaism has a long history in Europe, but is a small minority religion, with France (1%) the only European country with a Jewish population in excess of 0.5%. The Jewish population of Europe is comprised primarily of two groups, the Ashkenazi and the Sephardi. Ashkenazi Jews migrated to Europe as early as the 8th century, while Sephardi Jews established themselves in Spain and Portugal at least one thousand years before that. Jewish European history was notably affected by the Holocaust and resulting emigration in the 20th century.

In modern times, significant secularization has taken place, notably in laicist France in the 19th century and in Communist Eastern Europe in the 20th century. Currently, distribution of theism in Europe is very heterogeneous, with more than 95% in Poland, and less than 20% in the Czech Republic. On average, the 2005 Eurobarometer poll[60] found that 52% of the citizens of EU member state that they believe in God.

Languages

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Main article: Languages of Europe


See also

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References

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  1. ^ Recensement officiel de l'Insee [1]
  2. ^ As a transcontinental country, Georgia may be considered to be in Asia and/or Europe. The UN classification of world regions places Georgia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook [2], National Geographic, and Encyclopædia Britannica also place Georgia in Asia. Conversely, numerous sources place Georgia in Europe such as the BBC [3], Oxford Reference Online [4], Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and www.worldatlas.com.
  3. ^ temporary rules over parts of Europe by non-European powers include Hunnic Empire (5th century), Avar Khaganate (c.560s-800), Al-Andalus (711-1492), Emirate of Sicily (831-1072), the Mongol/Tatar invasions (1223-1480), and Ottoman control of the Balkans (1389-1878)
  4. ^ Europe, Encyclopædia Britannica Online
  5. ^ Thompson, William (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson. 0-205-41365-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Daniel A. Segal 'The European': Allegories of Racial Purity Anthropology Today, Vol. 7, No. 5 (Oct., 1991), pp. 7-9 doi:10.2307/3032780
  7. ^ Bindon, Jim. University of Alabama. "Post World War II". 2005. August 28, 2006.
  8. ^ American Anthropological Association's Statement on Race and RACE: Are we so different?a public education program developed by the American Anthropological Association.
  9. ^ American Association of Physical Anthropologists' Statement on Biological Aspects of Race
  10. ^ OMB Statistical Directive 15, "Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity", Federal Register, 30 October 1997.
  11. ^ "The Race Question", UNESCO, 1950
  12. ^ US Census Bureau: Definition of Race
  13. ^ Georgian Homo Erectus Published by Angela M.H. Schuster. Archaeology May 2000
  14. ^ The million year old tooth from Atapuerca, Spain, found in June 2007
  15. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, s.v. "Europe : The people".
  16. ^ The Genographic Project, National Geographic
  17. ^ Ethnic groups by country. Statistics (where available) from CIA Factbook.
  18. ^ South Africa: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  19. ^ Namibia: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  20. ^ Réunion Island
  21. ^ Swaziland: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  22. ^ Tunisia: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  23. ^ Fiona Hill, Russia — Coming In From the Cold?, The Globalist, 23 February 2004
  24. ^ Robert Greenall, Russians left behind in Central Asia, BBC News, 23 November 2005.
  25. ^ Uzbekistan: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  26. ^ Kyrgyzstan: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  27. ^ Turkmenistan: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  28. ^ HK Census. "HK Census." Statistical Table. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  29. ^ Greenland
  30. ^ North America - Britannica Concise Encyclopedia - The online encyclopedia you can trust!
  31. ^ Mexico :: Ethnic groups - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
  32. ^ Mexico: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  33. ^ Bahamas: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  34. ^ Barbados: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  35. ^ Bermuda: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  36. ^ Cayman Islands: People: Ethnic Groups. The World Factbook of CIA
  37. ^ "Cuba; People; Ethnic groups". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  38. ^ [https:http://dev.prenhall.com/divisions/hss/worldreference/CU/people.html#People Cuba: People: Ethnic Groups.] World Factbook of CIA
  39. ^ Dominican Republic: People: Ethnic groups. World Factbook of CIA
  40. ^ El Salvador: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  41. ^ Martinique: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  42. ^ "Nicaragua: People; Ethnic groups". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-15. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  43. ^ "Panama; People; Ethnic groups". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  44. ^ Puerto Rico: People: Ethnic Groups World Factbook of CIA
  45. ^ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Argentina.html
  46. ^ Argentina: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  47. ^ Bolivia: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  48. ^ "PNAD" (PDF) (in Portuguese). 2006. pp. Table 1.2. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  49. ^ http://mazinger.sisib.uchile.cl/repositorio/lb/ciencias_quimicas_y_farmaceuticas/medinae/
  50. ^ Colombia: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  51. ^ "Ecuador: People; Ethnic groups". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  52. ^ French Guiana: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  53. ^ Peru: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  54. ^ Uruguay: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  55. ^ French Polynesia: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  56. ^ Brazil: People: Ethnic Groups. World Factbook of CIA
  57. ^ Youths bring violence from a war-torn land
  58. ^ France's blacks stand up to be counted
  59. ^ Latin American Immigration to Southern Europe
  60. ^ ReportDGResearchSocialValuesEN2.PDF

Further reading

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People *

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