What countries can be called national. The most multiethnic countries in the world

a state in whose territory various ethnic groups live - nations, nationalities, national and ethnographic groups.

Historically G.m. formed where the state consolidation of more or less extensive territories took place before the formation of nations began and national movements developed (Eastern Europe, including Russia, a number of regions of Asia). Often G.m. also took shape during colonial expansion (for example, in Africa), in which many ethnic groups turned out to be divided by borders different states. G.m. were also established as a result of intensive migrations (for example, in the USA). There are many G.M. in the world, including India, Indonesia, Russia, China, Nigeria, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc. In the past, large G.M. were Austria-Hungary, the USSR, former Yugoslavia, former colonial empires. In the CIS, the most multinational are the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Part of G.m. are unitary (China, Iran, Vietnam, etc.), while others are federal (Russia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, etc.). In itself, multinationality is not a sign of weakness and unviability of the state, as eloquently evidenced by historical example democratic Switzerland, although it generates many additional problems.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Plurinational State

a state in which none of the peoples living on the territory of this state has a dominant position. In other words, inter-ethnic parity is preserved, when no nationality can be considered an ethnic majority. By international standards A state is considered multinational when it does not contain ethnic groups that make up more than two-thirds of the population.

According to the puppeteers, the Russian Federation is a multinational state. At the same time, the data of any census will show that the Russian people make up the vast majority - more than 80% of the country's population. Moreover, if we count together with Belarusians and Ukrainians, then there will be all 85%. This far exceeds two-thirds of the population, with no other ethnic community does not go beyond 10%. However, the myth of Russia's multinationality continues to be imposed day by day. Each political figure considers it his duty to mention the multinationality and multi-confessionalism of Russia, while even reaching the point of absurdity when Judaism is declared the traditional religion of Russia.

Such a situation should suggest that those in power are projecting their desires onto reality. So far, Russia is the national state of the Russian people with minor ethnic inclusions. But someone really wants to turn it into a multinational state, where any ethnic community will be balanced by other peoples. Thus, ethnic parity will be achieved and a system of checks and balances will be built, which will allow the anti-national forces that have seized it to remain in power for an arbitrarily long time, since any speeches on ethnic grounds will be suppressed by the forces of other peoples. That is why there is a purposeful driving into the consciousness of the layman of this myth with the aim that it soon become a reality. Thus, this is one of the instruments of the genocide of the Russian people.

MULTINATIONAL STATE - a state in which various nations and nationalities live, historically formed in a given ethnic territory. A multinational state should be distinguished from a multiethnic state, which is characterized by the presence of many ethnic groups within one nation. For example, the United States is not a multinational state, since it has developed a single American nation, consisting of many ethnic groups.

Multinational states were formed in various ways. In one case, this happened where the state rallying of peoples took place before the formation of nations began and national movements for political independence developed. Often this happened through conquest. This was the case, for example, in Eastern Europe and in some regions of Asia. In Africa, multinational states formed most often in the course of colonial expansion. India, Indonesia, Russia, Nigeria, Iran, Vietnam, China, etc. are among the typical multinational states. More than half of the world's population lives in multinational states.

Existing multinational states can be divided into two types: states with the numerical dominance of one nation and states in which no nation dominates the others. Most multinational states are those where the dominant position of one nation is manifested. Usually they are more durable and stable in interethnic terms and are less likely to be subject to interethnic clashes. According to the forms of territorial structure, multinational states exist both unitary and federal. As a rule, in a multinational state, multinationality is taken into account in the construction of state authorities in ethno-linguistic policy, in the formation of power structures, in socio-cultural life, etc.

The Russian Federation is a multinational state in which more than 140 peoples live. The largest nation is the Russian, which makes up 80% of the total population of the country. Characteristic of multinational Russia is the dispersed settlement of ethnic groups, especially in the republics within the Russian Federation. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of regions are characterized by the predominance of the Russian population.

Multinationality is not a defining feature that characterizes the type of state, its social nature. However, along with economic, political, spiritual characteristics, the sign of multinationality leaves an imprint on the historical fate of the state and its functioning. As a rule, multinationality is an additional factor complicating the internal life of a multinational state.

With the right national policy, a democratic multinational state is able to ensure normal relations between peoples, and multinationality itself will not violate the stability and stability of the state.

See: State, National State, National statehood.

Tavadov G.T. Ethnology. Modern dictionary-reference book. M., 2011, p. 73-75.

national ethnos humanity

Depending on whether ethnic and state borders coincide or not, the countries of the world are divided into single-national and multinational.

About half of the countries are mononational. These are countries whose state borders coincide with ethnic ones and the main nationality is 90% of the total population. Most of them are in Europe, in Latin America, in the Middle East. These countries include Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, most of Latin America.

Multinational - these are countries within state borders inhabited by several ethnic groups. They can be divided into four groups:

1) with a sharp predominance of one nation in the presence of more or less significant national minorities (Great Britain, France, Spain, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, USA, the Commonwealth of Australia);
2) binational (Canada, Belgium);
3) with a complex but ethnically homogeneous national composition (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Laos);
4) with a complex and ethnically diverse national composition (Russia, India, Switzerland, Indonesia).

Conclusion

People - a certain group of people who have a common series of historical features - culture, language, religion, territory. Traditionally, a stable common feature of a people is its language. However, in our time, there are cases when different peoples speak the same language.

Ethnos (Greek ἔθνος - people) - a group of people united common features: objective or subjective. Various directions in ethnology include origin, language, culture, territory of residence, self-consciousness, etc.

In Russian, a synonym for the term for a long time was the concept of "people". The concept of "ethnos" was introduced into scientific circulation in 1923 by the Russian emigre scientist S. M. Shirokogorov.

The main conditions for the emergence of an ethnos - a common territory and language - subsequently act as its main features. At the same time, an ethnos can also be formed from multilingual elements, take shape and consolidate in different territories in the process of migration (gypsies, etc.). In the context of early long-distance migrations of “homo sapiens” from Africa and modern globalization, ethnic groups are becoming increasingly important as cultural and linguistic communities that move freely throughout the planet.

Additional conditions for the formation of an ethnic community can be the commonality of religion, the proximity of the components of an ethnic group in racial terms, or the presence of significant mestizo (transitional) groups.

In the course of ethnogenesis, under the influence of characteristics economic activity in certain natural conditions and other reasons, specific features of material and spiritual culture, way of life, group psychological characteristics. The members of an ethnos develop a common self-awareness, a prominent place in which is occupied by the idea of a common origin. The external manifestation of this self-consciousness is the presence of a common self-name - an ethnonym.

The formed ethnic community acts as a social organism, self-reproducing through predominantly ethnically homogeneous marriages and transferring language, culture, traditions, ethnic orientation, etc. to the new generation.

Humanity is usually divided into three main races:

Caucasoid (countries of Europe, America, Southwest Asia, North Africa);

Mongoloid (countries of Central and East Asia, America);

Negroid (most African countries).

There is also an Australoid race, whose representatives are settled in southeast Asia, in Oceania and Australia.

30% of the world's population belongs to intermediate racial groups (Ethiopians, Malagasy, Polynesians, etc.). The mixing of races led to the formation special groups mestizos, mulattos and sambo in America.

2. Ethnic composition population is the result of a long historical process mixing and resettlement of representatives of different races and ethnic groups.

An ethnos (people) is an established stable group of people characterized by a common language, territory, features of life, culture and ethnic identity.

In total, there are 3-4 thousand ethnic groups in the world. Some of them have turned into nations, others are nationalities, tribes.

3. The classification of ethnic groups is carried out according to various criteria, the main of which are the number and language.

The peoples of the world are different in number. The vast majority of peoples are small. Only 310 peoples have a population of more than 1 million people, but they account for about 96% of the world's population.

The largest populations in the world include:

Chinese (1,120 million people);

Hindustanis (219 million people);

US Americans (187 million people);

Bengalis (176 million people);

Russians (146 million people);

Brazilians (137 million people);

Japanese (123 million people).

More than 30 million people include the following peoples: Biharis, Punjabis, Mexicans, Germans, Koreans, Italians, Vietnamese, French, British, Ukrainians, Turks, Poles, etc.

By language, peoples are grouped into language families, which, in turn, are divided into language groups. In total, there are 20 language families in the world. The largest of them are:

Indo-European, whose languages are spoken by 150 peoples (about 2.5 billion people). It includes Romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian), Germanic (German, English, Yiddish, Dutch), Slavic (Russian, Polish, Ukrainian), Indo-Aryan (Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi), Iranian (Persian, Tajik ) and etc.;

Sino-Tibetan, whose languages are spoken mainly in China, Nepal, Bhutan (over 1 billion people).

The linguistic classification of peoples differs significantly from the national one, since the distribution of languages does not coincide with ethnic boundaries. For example, in the former colonies of Spain, Great Britain, France in Africa, Asia, Latin America, they speak the languages of the metropolitan countries.

4. Depending on whether ethnic and state borders coincide or not, the countries of the world are divided into single-national and multinational.

About half of the countries are mononational. These are countries whose state borders coincide with ethnic ones and the main nationality is 90% of the total population. There are most of them in Europe, in Latin America, in the Middle East. These countries include Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and most Latin American countries.

Multinational - these are countries within the state borders of which several ethnic groups live. They can be divided into four groups:

with a sharp predominance of one nation in the presence of more or less significant national minorities (Great Britain, France, Spain, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, USA, the Commonwealth of Australia);

binational (Canada, Belgium);

with a complex but ethnically homogeneous national composition (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Laos);

with a complex and ethnically diverse national composition (Russia, India, Switzerland, Indonesia).

The concept of a multinational state

Definition 1

A multinational state is a state, which includes various nationalities and nations, historically formed on its territory.

A multinational state must be distinguished from a multiethnic state, which is characterized by the presence of many ethnic groupings within the boundaries of one nation. For example, the United States does not seem to be a multinational state, because it has formed a single American nation, consisting of many ethnic groups.

Multinational states developed in different ways. In one of the cases, this happened where the unification of peoples in single state happened before they began to form a national identity, and there was no movement of nations for political independence.

Often this happened through conquest. This happened, for example, in Eastern Europe and in many Asian regions. In Africa, multinational states were formed most often in the process of colonial expansion. Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam, Iran, China and many others should be included among the typical multinational states, in other words, over half of the world's population lives in multinational states.

Existing multinational states can be divided into two varieties:

states dominated by the number of one nation;
states in which no nation dominates the others.

Remark 1

Most of multinational states are referred to as those where the dominant of one nation is manifested. Usually they are the most durable, stable in interethnic terms, there are practically no interethnic clashes in them.

According to the forms of territorial state structure multinational states are both federal and unitary. Traditionally, in a multinational state, multinationality is taken into account in the arrangement of state authorities, in ethno-linguistic policy, in social and cultural life etc.

The Russian Federation is a multinational state

The Russian Federation appears to be a multinational state in which over 140 peoples live. The most numerous nation is Russian, its number is approximately eighty percent of the total population of the state.

Characteristic of multinational Russia is the dispersed settlement of ethnic groups, especially in the republics of the Russian Federation. Along with this, the overwhelming majority of regions are characterized by the predominance of the Russian population.

Multinationality is not a defining feature that characterizes the type of state, its social nature. But along with the political, economic, spiritual characteristics, the sign of multinationality leaves a certain imprint on the historical destinies of the state and its functioning. Traditionally, multinationality is presented as an additional factor that complicates life within a multinational state.

Remark 2

With the right national policy, a democratic multinational state can ensure normal mutual relations between peoples, and multinationality itself does not violate the stability and stability of the state.

Features of multinational states

A multinational state includes more than one ethnic grouping, in contrast to ethnically homogeneous societies. In fact, almost all modern national communities appear to be multinational.

David Wilsh at work Domestic politics and Ethnic Conflicts, published in 1993 at Princeton University, noted that less than twenty out of one hundred and eighty independent states may be called ethnically and nationally homogeneous, but they can be called such only if the national minorities in them make up less than five percent of total strength population.

AT Russian Federation according to educational standard for intermediate or complete general education (profile level subject "geography"), the term "multinational" means such states, within whose borders several groups of ethnic groups live simultaneously, and all multinational states are divided into states:

with a pronounced, sharp predominance of any one nation in the presence of more or less significant national minorities, we are talking about France, Great Britain, Spain, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, the USA, Australia;
binational, we are talking about Belgium, Canada;
with the most complex, but ethnically homogeneous composition of nationalities, we are talking about Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Laos;
with a diverse and ethnically complex national composition, we are talking here about India, Switzerland, Indonesia, Russia.

The advantages of multinational states are traditionally considered the flourishing of ethnic and cultural phenomena, the friendship of peoples, the ability of nations to implement large-scale projects and survive together in difficult conditions.

The disadvantages include intolerance, when some nations are intolerant of other nations.