What peoples live in Western Europe. European nation. Russian traditions

Europe is home to nations with different cultural and ethnic compositions. Conducted research on this moment installed in Europe eighty-seven various peoples. Thirty-three of them are major in their respective states. Fifty-four peoples constitute ethnic minorities in their states of residence. The number of national minorities is estimated at one hundred and six million people throughout Europe. The total population of Europe is estimated at ~827 million people. Eight nations of Europe have a population of over 30 million. Among them: Russians(130 million); (82 million); (65 million); British(58 million); Italians(59 million); (46 million); Ukrainians(45 million); Poles(47 million). Several groups of Jews also live in Europe: Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahim, Rominiots, Karaites. Only about two million. Even in Europe there live the so-called “ordinary” gypsies numbering up to five million and “white gypsies” - Yenishi- no more than two and a half thousand people.

From the history

Origin of peoples

Almost all of the current states of Europe were formed on the lands of the once former Roman Empire. Its territory included vast spaces from the west, where Germanic tribes ruled, to the Gallic lands conquered in the east, from the villages of Britain in the north and to the southern cities of North Africa. In such conditions, time and history formed a unique diversity modern population Europe. Its cultural and religious space. The main influence on him was what was happening in IV-V centuries the resettlement of Germanic tribes, which led them to protracted wars with the Roman Empire and its fall. After which, the tribes founded their barbarian states on its lands.

In the XII-XIII centuries, the peoples of Europe began to develop their literary languages, those with each passing year increasingly determined their belonging to their national identity. In England, an example of a foundation stone for an ethnic culture can easily be called “ The Canterbury Tales"writer D. Chaucer. With them he established the core of the national English language. The 15th-16th centuries were the time of the rooting of monarchies, the formation of the main governing bodies of states, the laying out of new paths for economic development and the revelation of the cultural characteristics of each people of Europe.

Geographical factor

The geographical factor determined the diversity of traditions. The peoples living on the coast cherished holidays associated with the sea: dances, songs, rituals, painting, crafts. The peoples located among forests and steppes paid attention in their traditions and culture to the nature that surrounded them.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, another powerful wave of migration and wars swept across the European continent, and borders were again redrawn. Then the social structure of the population changed again. Within its framework, the peoples of Europe established themselves approximately in the composition in which they exist today. The 17th-18th centuries were a time of difficult trials for the traditions of the peoples of Europe, which were tested for strength by revolutions. In addition, states fought for dominance on the mainland. The 16th century was marked by the leadership of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. Then their power was replaced by the dominant position of France, which established absolutism. The 18th century brought weakness and instability to Europe with revolutions, wars and internal political crisis.

Colonialism

The other two centuries reshaped the geopolitical situation in Western Europe. The reason for this was the doctrine of colonialism. The Spaniards, British, Dutch and French expanded into North and South America, Africa, and Asia. This greatly changed the cultural appearance of European states. Great Britain was especially successful in expansion, acquiring a colonial empire that stretched almost half the world. As a result, the English language and English diplomacy began to dominate the course European development. Alas, this did not at all save the European continent from a new redistribution of the geopolitical map. The means to this were two world wars. Many peoples living in Europe at that time found themselves facing total destruction. Hunger, devastation, political terror, disease and brutal battles brought tens of millions of representatives of large nations and thousands of people from small nations to the grave. Largest quantity the deaths were among Russians, Jews, Germans, French, gypsies... Subsequently, European states began to strive for globalization and the development of common governing bodies. With the participation of the USSR and the USA, the UN institution and UN Security Council mechanisms were created to prevent world conflicts.

Culture of the peoples of Europe

Among the religions professed by the peoples of Europe, large groups stand out: Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy, as well as the growing Islam. Catholicism and its offshoots, namely Protestantism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Puritanism and others, dominate in Western European countries. Orthodoxy dominates in the countries of Eastern Europe, where it once came from Byzantium. It was also borrowed from it into Rus'.

The languages of the peoples of Europe consist of three main groups: Romanesque, Germanic And Slavic.

It is extremely difficult to fully list the composition of the peoples of Europe due to rapid migration processes. You can indicate large nations: Germans, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, French, Romanians, Scandinavian ethnic groups, Slavic peoples(Russians, Serbs, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Poles, Croats, Slovenes, Czechs, Slovaks...), there is also an eastern ethnic group (Turks, Arabs, Albanians, Armenians, Iranians, Afghans...).

Nowadays there is intensive penetration of the Internet and information technologies in all spheres of life contribute to the acceleration of the disappearance of national borders in Europe. Under the pressure of new migration flows from zones of local wars in the Middle East and Africa, cultural differences between the indigenous inhabitants of the countries receiving migrants are also being erased. IN last years among titular nations In Europe, there is a tendency to resist globalization, and the processes of defending the national interests and identity of countries are intensifying.

There are 58 nations in Western Europe. 96% of the population speaks a language of the Indo-European family. The most significant of this family (by number of peoples) are the Germanic group, the Romanesque group, Slavic group and etc.

Anthropological composition: Caucasian racial type.

Greeks: the beginning of this ethnic group on the lands of modern Greece. In the 8th-5th centuries. BC. a common ethnic name was established - Hellenes, homeland - Hellas. The main occupations are growing grapes, olives, almonds, transhumance sheep and goat breeding, pottery and carpet weaving. Houses made of untreated stone (1st and 2nd floors), where livestock live. Men's folk costume: black or blue trousers, white shirt, vest, sash, fez, cloak; women's - long white shirt of tunic cut with wide long sleeves, wide long skirt.

Albanians. Come from ancient population Balkans - Illyrians (Thracians). In the 4th century BC. first state entities. Main occupations: transhumance, farming (cereals - barley, rye; in the mountains - oats, wheat; in the valleys - millet; potatoes, corn, cotton, sugar beets are also grown). There are three types of rural settlements: scattered, crowded and regular. Usually 2-story houses with a veranda. More than 2/3 are Muslims, about a quarter are Orthodox.

Roman group. 15 nations (Italians, Italian-Swiss, Corsicans, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, Romanians, etc.). The Romans subjugated and assimilated many peoples, Romanization continued until the 5th century. AD Traditional activities Italians - gardening, grain farming, animal husbandry. Food – pasta, lots of spices and seasonings. More than half of the population lives in cities, rural settlements of 3 types: villages, hamlets, fortresses. Costume: men's - trousers, kamicha (tunic-like shirt), jakka (jacket), hat or beret; female - gona (long skirt), camicha, corsetto, jacketta (outerwear), fazzoletto (head scarf), wooden shoes with iron spikes. The majority of believers are Catholics. Traditional occupations of the French: animal husbandry, field farming, viticulture. The main crops are rice, corn, rye. Food: cheese, rabbit meat, poultry (pigeons in the south), vegetables, root vegetables. Rural settlements are of 2 types: street plan (row) and cumulus. This is a 1-story house with a roof, residential and utility premises. Men's suit: pants, shirt, vest, scarf, straw hat. The believers are mostly Catholics. Walloons(40% of the Belgian population) are a craft people. Large villages of street and cumulus type. Peoples of the Iberian Peninsula: Spain ranks 1st in olive oil production. Grain farming has been developed. Already in the Roman era, large cattle, fishing has very ancient origins. Woman suit: wide pleated skirt with an apron, light blouse, bodice, scarf on the head. Catholics.

German group– 17 nations. They speak languages of the Germanic group (Germans, Austrians, German-Swiss, Luxembourgians, Lorraineers, Danes, Swedes, Dutch, Norwegians, English, Scots, etc.). The traditional occupation is livestock raising (cattle) - transhumance, farming. Traditional settlements: large cumulus villages with haphazardly located houses and crooked streets. Clothing: men's - shirt (consists of two panels), long trousers, shoes were leather soles with leather straps; women's - a shirt also made of two panels, a cloak with a hood. Crafts – knitting, carpet weaving, weaving, embroidery.

Celtic group. 4 peoples - Irish, Welsh, Gaels, Bretons. Traditional occupations are agriculture and cattle breeding. They grow barley, oats, and wheat. Livestock (cattle) plays a major role. Food – cereals, fish, dairy dishes, soups. One of oldest cities- Dublin. Rural settlements of the farm type. The houses are stone and wicker. Traditional costume: black clothing for older women; young people have a long wide skirt and corset, a long white apron and a white lace cap; male - tight short pants, jacket with a closed collar, hat. Mostly Catholics.

No science yet gives precise definition such a concept as “people”, but everyone understands by this concept a large community of people living compactly in a certain territory.

The science of ethnography, which studies peoples and ethnic groups, including the most numerous peoples, identifies today from 2.4 to 2.7 thousand nationalities living on earth. But in such a delicate matter, ethnographers can rely on statistical data, which put the figure at 5 and a half thousand peoples on Earth.

No less interesting is ethnogenesis, which studies the emergence and development of various ethnic groups. Let us present in a small overview the largest nations that emerged in ancient times, and their total number exceeds 100 million people.

Chinese (1,320 million)

The generalized concept of “Chinese people” includes all residents of China, including people of other nationalities, as well as those who have Chinese citizenship but live abroad.

Nevertheless, the Chinese people are the largest, both in the concept of “nation” and in the concept of “nationality”. Today there are 1 billion 320 million Chinese living in the world, which is from total number of the planet's inhabitants is 19%. So, the list is the most big nations the world, by all indicators, is rightfully led by the Chinese.

Although in fact, those whom we call “Chinese” are ethnically representatives of the Han people. China is a multinational country.

The very name of the people is “Han”, which means “Milky Way”, and comes from the name of the country “Celestial Empire”. This is also the most ancient people A land whose roots go back to the distant past. The Han people in China make up the absolute majority, about 92% of the country's population.

Interesting Facts:

The Chinese Zhuang people, who are a national minority in the country, number about 18 million, which is comparable to the population of Kazakhstan and larger than the population of the Netherlands.
Another Chinese people, Huizu, has a population of about 10.5 million, which is earlier than the population of countries such as Belgium, Tunisia, the Czech Republic or Portugal.

Arabs (330-340 million)

The Arabs, who occupy second place, are defined in ethnographic science as a group of nationalities, but from the point of view of ethnogenesis, they are one people of the Semitic language group.

The nation developed in the Middle Ages, when the Arabs settled in the Middle East and northern Africa. All of them are united by a single Arabic language and a unique writing system - Arabic script. The people have long gone beyond the boundaries of their historical homeland, and modern stage, due to various circumstances, settled in other regions of the globe.

Today the number of Arabs is estimated at 330-340 million people. They mostly adhere to Islam, but there are also Christians.

Did you know that:

There are more Arabs living in Brazil than in the United Arab Emirates.
Arabs consider the gesture to be an insult with sexual overtones.

Americans (317 million)

Here is a striking example when it is possible to accurately define a people, given the practically non-existent concept of “American nation”. In a narrow sense, this is a group of different nationalities that make up the population of the United States and have American citizenship.

Over the course of its 200-year history, a single culture, mentality, and common language used in communication have developed, which makes it possible to unite the population of the United States into one people.

Today there are 317 million US Americans. For the indigenous population of America, Indians, the name Americans may be used, but in terms of ethnic identification this is a completely different ethnic group.

By the way, read about the most interesting sights of the USA.

Hindustani (265 million)

At the moment, Hindustanis have settled compactly in three neighboring countries in the South-Eastern region of the planet - India, Nepal and Pakistan.

As for India, the largest number of them live in the northern part of the state. In total, ethnology numbers about 265 million Hindustanis, and their main language of communication is various dialects of the Hindi language.

It is interesting that of the related nationalities, the gypsies and Dravidians inhabiting the southern regions of India are closest to them.

Bengalis (over 250 million)

Among the numerous peoples, the Bengalis, numbering more than 250 million, also occupy a leading position. They mostly live in Asian countries, but there are small diasporas in the USA and Great Britain, and they also exist in other European countries.

Over the centuries-old history, the Bengalis have preserved their national culture, identity and language, as well as their main activities. In the Asian region, they live mainly in rural areas, as they have been engaged in agriculture since ancient times.

The Bengali language is one of the most complex on earth; it was formed as a result of the synthesis of the Indo-Aryan language and numerous local dialects.

Brazilians (197 million)

A group of different ethnic groups living in Latin America have formed into a single Brazilian people. There are currently about 197 million Brazilians, most of who live in Brazil itself.

The people went through a difficult path of ethnogenesis, which began to take shape as a result of the European conquest of the South American continent. Indian nationalities lived interspersed over vast territories, and with the arrival of Europeans, most of them were destroyed, the rest assimilated.

And so it happened that the religion of the Brazilians became Catholicism, and the language of communication became Portuguese.

Russians (about 150 million)

The name of the most numerous people in Russia occurred as a result of the transition of the adjective “Russian people”, “Russian people” into the generalizing noun “Russians”, in the concept of people.

Modern statistical research they say that there are about 150 million Russians on Earth, most of whom live in Russia. Most numerous people Russia belongs to the linguistic group of East Slavic languages, and today more than 180 million people consider Russian their native language.

Russians are almost homogeneous in anthropological terms, although they are settled over a large territory and are divided into several ethnographic groups. The ethnic group emerged during the development of the Russian state from different ethnic groups of the Slavs.

Interesting Fact: The largest number of Russians abroad Russian Federation and countries former USSR located in Germany (∼ 3.7 million) and in the USA (∼ 3 million).

Mexicans (148 million)

Mexicans, who number about 148 million people, are united by a common territory of residence, a common Spanish language of communication, as well as an amazing national culture that has developed on the basis of the heritage of the ancient civilizations of Central America.

This people is also a vivid example of duality, since those Mexicans who live in the United States can simultaneously be considered Americans.
The people are also unique in that they are Latin Americans by ethnicity, but their language of communication classifies them as a Romance group. It is also the nation on our planet that is growing at the fastest pace.

Japanese (132 million)

There are 132 million conservative Japanese on Earth, and they live mainly in their historical homeland. After World War II, some Japanese settled around the world, and now only 3 million people live outside Japan.

The Japanese people are distinguished by isolation, high diligence, and a special attitude towards the historical past and national culture. Over many centuries, the Japanese have managed to preserve and, most importantly, increase their heritage, both spiritual and material and technical.

The Japanese treat foreigners in a special way, with some suspicion, and are reluctant to allow them into their lives.

Punjabis (130 million)

Another one of largest nations lives compactly in the territories of India and Pakistan. Of the 130 million Punjabis in the Asian regions, a small portion settled in Europe and Africa.

For many centuries, the hardworking people created an extensive irrigation system for irrigated fields, and their main occupation has always been agriculture.

It was the Punjabis who were one of the first peoples on earth to create a highly developed and cultural civilization in the valleys of Indian rivers. But, as a result of cruel colonial policies, much of the heritage of this people was lost.

Biharis (115 million)

The amazing Bihari people, living mainly in the Indian state of Bihar, today number about 115 million people. A small part settled in other Indian states and neighboring countries.

Modern representatives of the people are direct descendants of those. Who created the first agricultural civilizations on Earth in the Indus and Ganges valleys.

Today, there is an active process of urbanization of Biharis, and, leaving their main occupations and ancient crafts and trades, they are moving en masse to cities.

Javanese (105 million)

The last major nation on earth, numbering more than 100 million people. According to the latest data from ethnology and statistics, there are about 105 million Javanese people on the planet.

IN XIX century data on the origin were provided only by the Russian ethnographer and traveler Miklouho-Maclay, but today quite a lot is known about the ethnogenesis of the Javanese.

They settled mainly on the islands of Oceania, and are the indigenous population of the large island of Java and the state of Indonesia. Over many centuries they have created a unique and inimitable culture.

Thais (over 90 million)

Just by the name of the ethnic group, it is clear that the Thais are the indigenous population of the kingdom of Thailand, and today there are more than 90 million of them.

The etymology of the origin of the word “tai” is interesting, which in local dialects means “free person”. Ethnographers and archaeologists, studying the culture of the Thais, have determined that it was formed during the early Middle Ages.

Among other nations, this nation is distinguished by its sincere love, sometimes bordering on fanaticism, for theatrical art.

Koreans (83 million)

The people formed many centuries ago and at one time populated the Korean Peninsula of Asia. They managed to create a highly developed culture, and carefully protect national traditions.

The total number of people is 83 million, but the confrontation led to the formation of two states with one ethnic group, which is an unresolved tragedy for the Koreans today.

More than 65 million Koreans live in South Korea, the rest in North Korea, and also settled in other Asian and European countries.

Marathi (83 million)

India, among all its uniqueness, is also a record holder for the number of numerous nationalities living on its territory. For example, in the state of Maharashtra lives amazing people Marakhti.

A very talented people, people from whom occupy high positions in India, Indian cinema is filled with Marakhti.

In addition, the Marakhti are a very purposeful and united ethnic group, which in the 50s of the twentieth century achieved the creation of their own state, and today, numbering 83 million people, this is the main population of the Indian state.

European peoples

It is worth separately touching upon the largest peoples of Europe, among which the leaders are the descendants of the ancient Germans, the Germans, whose number, according to various sources, ranges from 80 to 95 million. Second place is firmly held by Italians, of whom there are 75 million on earth. But the French are firmly established in third place, with a population of about 65 million.

Summarize

In the photo: Fountain of Friendship of Peoples in Moscow.

Large nations living on the globe, however, like small ones, have their own cultural and national traditions that have developed over a long historical process.

Today, the process of erasing ethnic and national boundaries is increasingly observed. There are practically no mono-national states left on Earth, it’s just that in each of them there is one dominant nation, and all the multinational people are united under the general concept of “resident of the country.”

The peoples of Europe are one of the most interesting and at the same time complex topics in history and cultural studies. Understanding the peculiarities of their development, life, traditions, culture will allow us to better understand modern events, which occur in this part of the world in various areas of life.

general characteristics

With all the diversity of the population living on the territory of European countries, we can say that, in principle, they all went through one common path development. Most states were formed on the territory of the former Roman Empire, which included vast areas, from the Germanic lands in the west to the Gallic regions in the east, from Britain in the north to northern Africa in the south. That is why we can say that all these countries, despite all their dissimilarity, nevertheless formed in a single cultural space.

Path of development in the early Middle Ages

The peoples of Europe as nationalities began to take shape as a result of the great migration of tribes that swept the continent in the 4th-5th centuries. Then, as a result of massive migration flows, a radical transformation took place social structure, which existed for centuries during the period of ancient history, and new ethnic communities took shape. In addition, the formation of nationalities was influenced by the movement that founded their so-called barbarian states on the lands of the former Roman Empire. Within their framework, the peoples of Europe emerged approximately in the form in which they exist at the present stage. However, the process of final national formation occurred during the mature Middle Ages.

Further formation of states

In the XII-XIII centuries, in many countries of the mainland, the process of formation of national identity began. This was the time when the prerequisites arose for residents of states to begin to identify and position themselves as a specific national community. This initially manifested itself in language and culture. The peoples of Europe began to develop national literary languages, which determined their belonging to one or another ethnic group. In England, for example, this process began very early: already in the 12th century famous writer D. Chaucer created his famous “Canterbury Tales”, which laid the foundation for the national English language.

XV-XVI centuries in the history of Western Europe

Period late Middle Ages and early modern times played a decisive role in the formation of states. This was the period of the formation of monarchies, the formation of the main governing bodies, the formation of economic development paths, and, most importantly, the specific cultural appearance was formed. Due to these circumstances, the traditions of the peoples of Europe were very diverse. They were determined by the entire course of previous development. First of all, the geographical factor had an impact, as well as the peculiarities of the formation of national states, which finally took shape in the era under consideration.

New time

The 17th-18th centuries were a time of violent upheaval for Western European countries, which experienced a rather difficult period in their history due to the transformation of the socio-political, social and cultural environment. We can say that in these centuries the traditions of the peoples of Europe were tested for strength not only by time, but also by revolutions. During these centuries, states fought for hegemony on the mainland with varying degrees of success. The 16th century passed under the domination of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs, the next century - under the clear leadership of France, which was facilitated by the fact of the establishment of absolutism here. The 18th century shook its position largely due to the revolution, wars, and also the internal political crisis.

Expansion of spheres of influence

The next two centuries were marked by major changes in the geopolitical situation in Western Europe. This was due to the fact that some leading states took the path of colonialism. The peoples living in Europe mastered new territorial spaces, primarily North, South American and eastern lands. This significantly influenced the cultural appearance of European states. First of all, this concerns Great Britain, which created an entire colonial empire that covered almost half the world. This led to the fact that it was the English language and English diplomacy that began to influence European development.

Another event had a strong impact on the geopolitical map of the mainland - two world wars. The peoples living in Europe were on the verge of destruction as a result of the devastation caused by the fighting. Of course, all this affected the fact that it was Western European states that influenced the beginning of the process of globalization and the creation of global bodies for resolving conflicts.

Current state

The culture of the peoples of Europe today is largely determined by the process of erasing national borders. The computerization of society, the rapid development of the Internet, as well as widespread migration flows have raised the problem of erasing national distinctive features. Therefore, the first decade of our century passed under the sign of resolving the issue of preserving the traditional cultural appearance of ethnic groups and nationalities. IN Lately, with the expansion of the globalization process, there is a tendency to preserve the national identity of countries.

Cultural development

The life of the peoples of Europe is determined by their history, mentality and religion. With all the variety of paths of the cultural appearance of countries, one general feature of development in these states can be identified: the dynamism, practicality, and purposefulness of the processes that occurred at different times in science, art, politics, economics and in society in general. It was the last characteristic feature that was pointed out by famous philosopher O. Spengler.

The history of the peoples of Europe is characterized by the early penetration of secular elements into the culture. This determined the rapid development of painting, sculpture, architecture and literature. The desire for rationalism was inherent in leading European thinkers and scientists, which determined the rapid growth rate of technical achievements. In general, the development of culture on the mainland was determined by the early penetration of secular knowledge and rationalism.

Spiritual life

The religions of the peoples of Europe can be divided into two large groups: Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy. The first is one of the most common not only on the mainland, but throughout the world. At first it was dominant in Western European countries, but then, after the Reformation that occurred in the 16th century, Protestantism arose. The latter has several branches: Calvinism, Lutheranism, Puritanism, the Anglican Church and others. Subsequently, on its basis, separate communities of a closed type arose. Orthodoxy is widespread in Eastern European countries. It was borrowed from neighboring Byzantium, from where it penetrated into Rus'.

Linguistics

The languages of the peoples of Europe can be divided into three large groups: Romance, Germanic and Slavic. The first includes: France, Spain, Italy and others. Their peculiarities are that they were formed under the influence of eastern peoples. In the Middle Ages, these territories were subject to invasion by Arabs and Turks, which undoubtedly affected the development of their speech characteristics. These languages are distinguished by their flexibility, sonority and melodiousness. It is not for nothing that most operas are written in Italian, and in general, it is considered one of the most musical in the world. These languages are quite easy to understand and learn; however, French grammar and pronunciation can cause some difficulties.

The Germanic group includes the languages of the northern, Scandinavian countries. This speech is distinguished by its firm pronunciation and expressive sound. They are more difficult to perceive and learn. For example, German is considered one of the most difficult European languages. Scandinavian speech is also characterized by the complexity of sentence construction and rather difficult grammar.

The Slavic group is also quite difficult to master. Russian is also considered one of the most difficult languages to learn. At the same time, it is generally accepted that it is very rich in its lexical composition and semantic expressions. Believed to have all the necessary speech means and linguistic expressions to convey the necessary thoughts. Significant is the fact that it is European languages V different times and centuries were considered world-wide. For example, at first it was Latin and Greek, which was due to the fact that Western European states, as mentioned above, were formed on the territory of the former Roman Empire, where both were in use. Subsequently, Spanish became widespread due to the fact that in the 16th century Spain became the leading colonial power, and its language spread to other continents, primarily to South America. In addition, this was due to the fact that the Austro-Spanish Habsburgs were the leaders on the mainland.

But subsequently France took the leading position, which also took the path of colonialism. That's why French spread to other continents, primarily North America And North Africa. But already in the 19th century it became the dominant colonial state, which determined main role English throughout the world, which continues to be the case in ours. In addition, this language is very convenient and easy to communicate, its grammatical structure is not as complex as, for example, French, and due to the rapid development of the Internet in recent years, English has greatly simplified and become almost colloquial. For example, many English words in Russian sound have come into use in our country.

Mentality and consciousness

The characteristics of the peoples of Europe should be considered in the context of their comparison with the population of the East. This analysis was carried out back in the second decade by the famous culturologist O. Spengler. He noted that for everyone European peoples characteristic, which led to the rapid development of technology, technology and industry in different centuries. It was the latter circumstance that determined, in his opinion, the fact that they very quickly embarked on the path of progressive development, began to actively develop new lands, improve production, and so on. A practical approach became the key to the fact that these peoples achieved great results in the modernization of not only economic, but also socio-political life.

The mentality and consciousness of Europeans, according to the same scientist, from time immemorial have been aimed at not only studying and understanding nature and the reality around them, but also at actively using the results of these achievements in practice. Therefore, the thoughts of Europeans have always been aimed not only at obtaining knowledge in its pure form, but also at using it in transforming nature for their needs and improving living conditions. Of course, the above path of development was also typical for other regions of the world, but it was in Western Europe that it manifested itself with the greatest completeness and expressiveness. Some researchers associate this business consciousness and practically oriented mentality of Europeans with the peculiarities of the geographical conditions of their residence. After all, the majority are small in size, and therefore, in order to achieve progress, the peoples inhabiting Europe followed, i.e., due to their limitations natural resources began to develop and master various technologies to improve production.

Characteristic features of countries

The customs of the peoples of Europe are very indicative of understanding their mentality and consciousness. They reflect them and their priorities. Unfortunately, very often the image of a particular nation is formed in the mass consciousness based on purely external attributes. In this way, labels are applied to one country or another. For example, England is very often associated with primness, practicality and exceptional efficiency. The French are very often perceived as cheerful socialites and open people, easy to communicate with. Italians or, for example, Spaniards seem to be a very emotional nation with a stormy temperament.

However, the peoples inhabiting Europe have a very rich and complex history, which has left a deep imprint on their life traditions and way of life. For example, the fact that the British are considered homebodies (hence the saying “my home is my castle”) undoubtedly has deep historical roots. When fierce internecine wars were going on in the country, apparently, the idea was formed that the fortress or castle of some feudal lord was reliable protection. The British, for example, have another interesting custom, which also dates back to the Middle Ages: in the process of parliamentary elections, the winning candidate literally fights his way to his seat, which is a kind of reference to the time when there was a fierce parliamentary struggle. Also, the custom of sitting on a sack of wool is still preserved, since it was the textile industry that gave impetus to the rapid development of capitalism in the 16th century.

The French still have a tradition of striving to express their nationality in a particularly expressive manner. This is due to their turbulent history, especially XVIII century when the country went through a revolution, Napoleonic wars. During these events, the people felt their national identity especially acutely. Expressing pride in their fatherland is also a long-standing custom of the French, which is manifested, for example, during the performance of the Marseillaise and in our days.

Population

The question of what peoples inhabit Europe seems very difficult, especially in view of the recent rapid migration processes. Therefore, in this section we should limit ourselves to only a short overview of this topic. When describing the language groups above, it was already said which ethnic groups inhabited the mainland. Here it is necessary to identify a few more features. Europe became an arena back in early middle ages. Therefore, its ethnic composition is extremely diverse. In addition, at one time, parts of it were dominated by Arabs and Turks, who left their mark. However, it is still necessary to point out the list of peoples of Europe from west to east (only the largest nations are listed in this series): Spaniards, Portuguese, French, Italians, Romanians, Germans, Scandinavian ethnic groups, Slavs (Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, Croats, Serbs , Slovenes, Czechs, Slovaks, Bulgarians, Russians and others). Currently, the issue of migration processes, which threaten to change the ethnic map of Europe, is especially acute. In addition, the processes modern globalization and open borders threaten to blur ethnic territories. This issue is now one of the main ones in world politics, so in a number of countries there has been a tendency to maintain national and cultural isolation.

More than six dozen different peoples live in foreign Europe. For many, this territory became home even before the formation of the modern world map.

Factors in the formation of the national composition of Foreign Europe

Relief . Since ancient times, tribes of people united in lowland areas. Therefore, the Paris Basin and the North German Lowland are considered the earliest inhabited regions. The fusion of ethnic groups is clearly visible in countries with predominantly mountainous terrain - in the Balkans and the Alps.
Migration . Europe has experienced waves of migration more than once throughout its history. In fact, the process of resettlement of peoples to more developed countries has been going on for 4 centuries. But the largest influx of people occurred at the beginning of the 20th century, after the end of the First World War and the liquidation of the colonies. The continent was settled by people from Central Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania. Ethnic diasporas of these people still exist in France, Germany, England, Switzerland and a number of other countries. But people have taken root and merged with ethnic people that it is almost impossible to identify purebred Arabs or Mexicans.
Inter-specific conflicts and civil wars . National composition foreign Europe was constantly changing. Only for the last 60 years has Europe been at peace. It is difficult to list all the conflicts and wars in its history. Countries united, divided, and only in 1918 the foundation was formed, which is now depicted on the world map. Final formation states occurred as recently as 1990, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Fig.1. Map of Europe before the First World War, 1914.

There is no such ethnic group as the Spaniards; in the tenth century AD, several nationalities united into one. These were: Arabs, Celts, Jews, representatives of the Romanesque culture. It took several centuries to complete the merger process. The Bulgarians also lost their original culture because they were under the rule Ottoman Empire for 4 centuries.

Composition of the population of Foreign Europe

According to the number of peoples within the country, all states are divided into three types: single-national, binational and multinational, i.e. those with large national minorities.

Rice. 2. Ethnic composition Europe

14 single-national countries of Foreign Europe are presented in the table:

Fig.3. Percentage of indigenous population

Germany, and its neighbors from the west and east - Austria and the Netherlands, are conventionally considered single-national, despite mass migrations to these countries.

The most multinational countries of Foreign Europe can be conditionally divided into two groups: the first will include the states of Great Britain, Spain and Switzerland, and the other will include all the countries of the Balkans.

The indigenous population of Germany are Germans. The largest diaspora are Turks, Russians, Italians and Greeks.

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Great Britain consists of several ethnic territories united under one crown. That is why it is considered multinational. The English live in the towns and villages of England, the Scots live in the northern part of the island, and the Irish live in Ireland. And among all the diversity of migrant cultures, the Gaels and Welsh retained their identity.

The peoples predominant in Spain: Basques, Spaniards, Catalans, Gypsies.

The indigenous population of Switzerland is divided into 4 ethnic groups: German-Swiss, Italo-Swiss, Franco-Swiss and Romansh.

Binational countries:

States Baltic Sea : Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. In addition to the national indigenous population, the Russian diaspora predominates in these countries.
Scandinavian states : Finland, Sweden. In addition to the indigenous peoples, who make up the first group of the national majority (Finns and Swedes), in these countries there is a second group - immigrants.
Slavic countries : Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria.
France . Despite the fact that the majority of the population calls themselves French, the following nationalities have survived: Basques, Lorraine, Flemings, Jews.