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For poets and writers, Russia is a huge country with birches and endless steppes. The famous poet Alexander Pushkin argued that Russia "cannot be understood with the mind." Perhaps, in order to "understand" Russia, you need to visit it. Tourists will see beautiful nature in Russia, numerous churches and monasteries, fortresses, unique sights, and, of course, hospitable people. Also, do not forget that in Russia there are many balneological, ski and beach resorts.

Geography of Russia

Russia is located in Eastern Europe, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Russia borders Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea from northwest to southeast. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk separates Russia from Japan, and the Bering Strait from the US state of Alaska. The total area of ​​the country is 17,098,246 sq. km, including the islands, and the total length of the state border is 20,241 km.

Most of Russia is occupied by plains - steppes in the south and dense forests in the north. In the south of Russia there are mountain ranges - the Caucasus and Altai. The Ural Mountains divide Russia into two parts. The highest peak in the country is Mount Elbrus, whose height reaches 5,642 m.

Russia includes many islands and archipelagos. The largest of them are Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Wrangel Island, the Kuril Islands, etc.

There are a lot of rivers and lakes in Russia. The largest Russian rivers are the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, Ural, Lena, Kolyma and Amur. It is in Russia that the largest freshwater lake in the world, Baikal, is located.

Capital

The capital of Russia is the city of Moscow, which now has a population of more than 11.7 million people. An urban settlement on the territory of modern Moscow already existed in the first half of the 12th century.

Official language

The official language in Russia is Russian, belonging to the Slavic group of the Indo-European language family.

Religion

The majority of the Russian population (more than 90%) professes Orthodox Christianity. However, there are many Muslims and Buddhists in the country.

State structure of Russia

Russia is a federal presidential republic governed by a President elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of 6 years.

The bicameral parliament in Russia is called the Federal Assembly. The Parliament consists of the Federation Council and the State Duma.

The main political parties are United Russia, Just Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (Communists) and the Liberal Democratic Party.

Climate and weather

The climate in Russia is very diverse, due to its vast territory and geographical location. Russia has a temperate climate zone, as well as arctic and even subtropical climate zones. The average annual air temperature is +4C. The highest average air temperature is observed in July (+24C), and the lowest in January (-14C). The average annual rainfall is 575 mm.

Seas and oceans

The shores of Russia are washed by the waters of twelve seas, which belong to three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Also, one should not forget about the inland Caspian Sea.

Rivers and lakes in Russia

It is possible that more rivers flow through Russia than in any other country in the world. Most of them are short, but some are huge. The largest Russian rivers are the Volga, Ob, Yenisei, Ural, Lena, Kolyma and Amur.

There are no less lakes in Russia than rivers. It is in Russia that the largest freshwater lake in the world, Baikal, is located. Tourists are advised to pay attention to Ladoga, Onega and Elton lakes, as well as Goose Lake in the Far East, where lotuses grow.

Story

People on the territory of modern Russia appeared a very long time ago. In prehistoric times, numerous tribes of pastoralists roamed the steppes of southern Russia. The most famous of these tribes are the Scythians, Huns, Avars, Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsy.

Around the middle of the 9th century, part of the territory of modern Russia became part of the Old Russian state, which historians call Kievan Rus. It consisted of many principalities - Polotsk, Turov-Pinsk, Pereyaslav, Muromo-Ryazan, Vladimir-Suzdal, Smolensk, Novgorod Republic, etc.

The disintegration of Kievan Rus into specific principalities began in the 1130s, and finally ended “thanks to” the Tatar-Mongol invasion of the first half of the 13th century. For more than 100 years, the Russian lands paid tribute to the Golden Horde (the so-called "Tatar-Mongol yoke").

The principality of Moscow is considered the successor of Kievan Rus, around which all Russian lands gradually united. Only during the reign of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III (at the end of the 15th century) did Moscow stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde.

The first Moscow prince to take the title "Tsar" is Ivan IV the Terrible (this happened in 1547). Since 1630, the Romanov dynasty ruled the Moscow state, this continued until 1917.

Gradually, the Muscovite state annexes new lands, and becomes the Russian Empire. True, this was preceded by numerous wars, raids by the Tatars and battles with the Crusaders and Turks. The reign of Tsar Peter I had a huge impact on Russian history. Also of great importance to Russian history was the reign of Tsar Alexander I, who at the beginning of the 19th century managed to successfully resist the invasion of a large army led by Napoleon, Emperor of France.

By the end of the 19th century, the serf system, which provided for the personal ownership of peasants by Russian nobles, was abolished in Russia, and the country began to play a major political role in the world.

True, the absolute monarchy of the Romanovs had outlived itself by the beginning of the 20th century, and its modernization was required. However, the Romanovs failed to modernize the political system, entered the First World War, and all this together led to the February Revolution of 1917. Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne and the Russian Republic is formed.

In October 1917, the October Revolution takes place, the driving force of which was the Bolshevik Communist Party, led by Vladimir Lenin. As a result, the Russian Soviet Republic was formed, and after the end of the bloody Civil War, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In 1941, the USSR had to enter the Second World War - the Great Patriotic War began. No matter how they treat Joseph Stalin, but thanks to him the USSR managed to defeat Germany and win the war. Although, this required great sacrifices and self-sacrifice from the Soviet people.

After the end of World War II, the USSR strengthened its political influence in the world - a number of states friendly to the Soviet Union were formed. Countries in which a socialist or communist system of life was established had to enter into the so-called. "cold war", which was unleashed by the developed capitalist countries - the USA and Great Britain.

The USA, Great Britain and other countries actively interfered in the internal affairs of the USSR and other socialist countries. Thus, the peoples of the USSR were called to "gaining independence." Unlike the capitalist countries, the USSR did not interfere in their internal affairs, and did not send, for example, its agents to Ulster with a call to fight against England.

In 1990-91, with the active participation of Mikhail Gorbachev, who was actually supposed to lead the USSR, this state broke up into separate independent countries. As a result, a new state appeared on the world map - the Russian Federation.

culture

The culture of Russia has very ancient traditions, it is rich and diverse. Russian culture has a huge impact on the cultures of neighboring countries, and even on the cultural traditions of states on other continents.

Thanks to Russia, the world has received a lot of brilliant writers, artists, philosophers and scientists:

Literature (Alexander Pushkin, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Lermontov, Nikolai Gogol, Alexander Blok, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Konstantin Batyushkov, Afanasy Fet);
- Classical music (Mikhail Glinka, Modest Mussorgsky, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov);
- Art (Ivan Aivazovsky, Ilya Repin, Ivan Shishkin, Isaac Levitan, Mikhail Vrubel, Ilya Glazunov);
- Philosophy (Peter Chaadaev, Nicholas Roerich, Vladimir Odoevsky, Nikolai Lossky, Alexei Losev, Nikolai Berdyaev);
- Science (Mikhail Lomonosov, Dmitry Mendeleev, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Dmitry Pavlov, Nikolai Vavilov, Sergei Korolev).

Most holidays in Russia are of a religious nature or have their origins in the Christian tradition. The most popular of them are Christmas, Maslenitsa, Easter, and New Year (it is not of a religious nature).

Russian cuisine

Many tourists, having arrived in Russia, are pleasantly surprised by the variety and taste of Russian traditional dishes. Many peoples live on the territory of modern Russia, so the cuisine in this country is very diverse.

First of all, Russian cuisine is known for borscht, a kind of beetroot soup with vegetables and meat. For Western Europeans, it may seem strange to make beetroot soup, but for Russians, it turns out very tasty. Borscht with sour cream is especially good.

If we are already talking about first courses in Russian cuisine, then we definitely advise tourists to try “okroshka” (made with kvass with sausage, meat or fish), “pickle”, “hodgepodge”, cabbage soup, and, of course, fish soup. There are dozens of cooking options for all these first courses, depending on the region of Russia.

So, fish soup "ukha" is sometimes prepared from several types of fish. Ukha can be "black", "white", "red" - depending on the fish from which it is cooked. A particularly tasty fish soup is one that is cooked near the river on a fire from different types of fish. A little vodka is sometimes added to such an ear.

Pancakes are known far beyond the borders of Russia - they are served with various fillings (cottage cheese, meat, jam, etc.), dumplings, pies with fillings (fruit, jam, cottage cheese, meat, fish), barbecue.

We also recommend that tourists definitely try stuffed pike, mushroom pate, baked stuffed zucchini, cabbage rolls with sour cream, mixed meat okroshka, Stroganoff pork, village hodgepodge, kulichiki, rum woman in Russia.

Non-alcoholic drinks in Russia are tea, coffee, mineral water, compote (a decoction of fruits and berries) and kvass.

Sights of Russia

The rich history of Russia has led to the presence in this country of a huge number of attractions. At the moment in Russia there are several tens of thousands of monuments of architecture, history and culture. Many of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The top ten attractions in Russia, in our opinion, include:

1. Red Square and Kremlin in Moscow
2. Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg
3. Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg
4. Museum-Reserve "Kolomenskoye"
5. Museum-Reserve "Kizhi"
6. Pskov Kremlin
7. Mansi stone pillars in Komi
8. Novodevichy Convent
9. Izborsk fortress near Pskov
10. Valdai Monastery

Cities and resorts

Derbent in Dagestan is considered the most ancient city in Russia, where people lived already at the end of the 4th millennium BC, and the oldest ancient Russian city is Veliky Novgorod, formed in the middle of the 9th century AD.

The largest Russian cities are St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Voronezh, and, of course, Moscow. The population of each of these cities exceeds 1 million people.

Due to its geographical location and large territory, Russia has balneological, ski and beach resorts.

Beach Russian resorts are located on the coast of the Black, Azov and Baltic Seas. So, on the Black Sea, tourists are waiting for Sochi, Tuapse, Anapa and Gelendzhik, on the Sea of ​​Azov - Yeysk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Taganrog, Taman, and on the Baltic Sea - the Curonian Spit, Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk.

The main Russian ski resorts are located in the Caucasus and the Urals, although there are ski slopes in the Moscow region, near St. Petersburg, in the Volga region, in the Murmansk region, and also in the Baikal region.

In the Caucasus, the most popular ski resorts are Cheget, Dombay, Lago-Naki, Krasnaya Polyana, Elbrus, and in the Urals - Solnechnaya Dolina, Gubakha, Abzakovo, Adzhigardak, Iset, Minyar, Nechkino, etc.

The skiing season in the ski resorts of the Caucasus lasts from November to May, and in the Urals - from November to April.

As for the balneological, balneotherapeutic and balneo-mud resorts in Russia, they are located in various regions - in the Caucasus (Caucasus Mineralnye Vody), in the Magadan, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Tver and Novosibirsk regions, in Karelia, Buryatia, Bashkiria, Udmurtia. Tatarstan, near St. Petersburg, in the Moscow region, in the Urals, near Kostroma and even not far from Arkhangelsk.

Souvenirs/Shopping

Tourists from Russia usually bring handicrafts, dolls in folk Russian costumes, nesting dolls, Cheburashka dolls, jewelry boxes, Gzhel porcelain products, earflaps, attributes of the USSR era, wooden saucers, cups, spoons with Khokhloma painting, Dymkovo toy, products from amber, Vologda lace, Easter eggs, samovars, jewelry, fur coats, black caviar, chocolates and chocolate, and, of course, vodka.

Office Hours

Races are divided into groups called peoples. There are more than three thousand of them in the world. Some of them make up a large number of people, while others have only a few dozen people in their composition. The most numerous nations:

• Chinese
• Hindustanis
• Americans
• Russians
• Brazilians
• Japanese

These peoples have the bulk of the world's population.

culture

Every nation has its own culture. They have their own customs, songs, clothes, food. All this originates from antiquity. Even the form of housing for an individual people is different from the rest. This is due to the peculiarities of the climate where this people lives. The culture of peoples has originality and uniqueness. Of course, at present, the life and life of people have changed dramatically. But any nation, whether it is small or large, still follows its own traditions that distinguish it from the rest.

Chinese

The Chinese are the largest people in terms of the number of people. This people lives in China, which is the largest state in terms of area. The Chinese have a history and culture that goes back many centuries. The Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient in the world. The Chinese invented paper, silk and gunpowder.

Hindustanis

Hindustanis are a people who live in India. They are part of the European race. The culture of this people has its roots in ancient times. India has a large number of architectural monuments that have been preserved since ancient times.

Americans

Americans have unique historical features of formation. Before the discovery of America by Columbus, the indigenous people of the country were Indians. They hunted and fished, and they also had a semi-nomadic lifestyle. For this reason, their dwelling was adapted to such conditions. It was lightweight and durable. In winter, the Indians used skis, in the summer - canoes, which were light boats. The American people are formed by three races and cultures: African, Indian and European.

Russians

The Russian people inhabit Russia. This people has a long development of culture and history. Russians are part of the Caucasian race. The history and culture of the Russian people has deep roots that go far into antiquity and have developed for almost a thousand years.

Japanese

The Japanese occupy Japan. They are part of the Mongoloid race. Although Japan is a very developed country and has perfect technology, large cities with skyscrapers and bridges with many tiers, the national culture is carefully observed here.

Brazilians

Brazilians inhabit Brazil, which is located in South America. Approximately fifty percent of Brazilians are of European descent. The rest of the people are mestizos, blacks, mulattos and Indians. The Brazilian people speak Portuguese. This is due to the fact that Brazil was a colony of Portugal.

Earth is a truly unique planet, where many different people with different ethnicity, appearance, nationality, religion and perception of the world are gathered. The continents share the territory, but not the population living on them. Peoples that have existed side by side for more than one century, in most cases peacefully divide the territory, adopting useful knowledge from each other and forming a common cultural heritage.

Each nation is unique in its own way, it is the custodian of its culture, passing on national customs and traditions from generation to generation, and contributes its own to the creation of a common culture of all mankind.

Europe

The modern states of Europe were formed on the site of the former Roman Empire, then in its possessions there were vast lands, starting from the west, where the Germanic tribes ruled to the cities of North Africa. The wars that took place also influenced the formation of the ethnos, when the population of Europe migrated, the borders of countries were again modified due to martial law.

The largest ethno-linguistic community in Europe is the Slavs. The Slavs include: Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats and nine other peoples.

The most numerous peoples living in Europe are Russians (more than 130 million), Germans (more than 80 million), French (more than 65 million), Italians (more than 59 million), British (58 million), Spaniards (46 million), Ukrainians (over 45 million) and Poles (over 44 million). Also in Europe, there are more than two million Jews belonging to several groups. There are also nomadic peoples - the gypsies, with a population of over four million people.

The main religious trends common among the peoples of Europe are Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Islam.

The cultural component of Europe stands on three pillars: personal culture, universalism and freedom of creative expression. This forms the basis of Christian norms, even in those countries where other forms of religion predominate, Christian roots can be traced. Here, the basis for the existence of society is freedom (of self-expression, creativity, worldview) and tolerance for others, the acceptance of another person with certain characteristics and views on the reality that is happening.

A characteristic feature for the European population has become mass culture, which implies both mass production and mass consumption. She received full coverage of all areas of activity, ranging from art, music and cinematography, ending with youth subcultural trends.

Asia

Asia is the largest part of the world, forming together with Europe the continent of Eurasia. Most of the population of Asia is made up of the peoples of China and India (about 40% of the total population), and the list of the largest states includes: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and the Philippines. Each of these states has over 100 million inhabitants.

If we disassemble the cultural centers, then Asia can be divided into four conditional parts:

1. Southeast Asia. There is a Buddhist worldview here.
2. Near East. The birthplace of Islamic culture.
3. East Asia. The epicenter of the Confucian worldview is China, which has a huge influence on Japan and Korea.
4. South Asia. India and Hindu culture dominate here.

However, despite such fragmentation, all the peoples of Asia have similar features that can distinguish them from others.

One of these features is a respectful attitude to traditions and culture, in most countries they spend the same holidays for years, follow the established rules of behavior and communication in society, adhere to strict upbringing and honor elders. The latter came from tribal communities where the chief elder was held in high esteem; many Asian countries still observe this law.

Most of the ethnic group believes in the need for a centralized state. Many countries in Asia are essentially limited democracies, led by a charismatic and strong leader, or even authoritarian monarchies.

Of the large nationalities, a special place is occupied by:

Africa

If in Europe and Asia it is quite easy to draw up a picture of the ethnic composition and identify large peoples, then in Africa things are different. Up to 8,000 different peoples are recited here, most of them have two to three thousand people and are located in a small area. According to some estimates, more than 3,000 tribes live in Africa, speaking a thousand languages, some of which are poorly understood.

The largest ethnic groups found in Africa are: Arabs, Hausa, Yoruba, Algerian and Moroccan Arabs, Igbo, Fulbe, Aromo, Amhara.

The culture of local peoples is significantly different from European ones. North Africa is characterized as a more developed civilization, the South and Tropics have taken a different path of development, which is why they are so distinctive. Here, the vast majority of residents still live in tribes, where strict rules are established for family life, work and general society. For example, circumcision is a necessity dictated by strict rules, and women in most tribes do not have the right along with men.

Most of the peoples of Africa believe in the existence of magical influences, they make amulets from the evil eye, perform traditional rituals, create totems to protect against various natural disasters and the wrath of the gods, there is even a sacrifice to get a rich harvest, fertile soil, stable rains.

North America

In North America, the indigenous population was divided into three large groups, each of them lived on its own territory, had special traditions and customs that have survived to this day with some changes. The central part of North America was occupied by the Indians, the coasts and islands were inhabited by the Aleuts, and the northern regions went to the Eskimos.

If the Eskimos managed to save their people, then the Aleuts almost completely disappeared - their number was reduced by three times. After colonization, the Spaniards, Portuguese, British and French came to America. Most settled on this mainland, mixing with the Americans and the indigenous population. So there were Americans of English origin, and French-Canadians, and Barbadians (descendants of slaves brought from Africa).

The culture of North America is characterized by an enviable patriotism, and it is observed both among the natives and among visitors during the colonization of the United States. The modern culture of the local ethnic group is a combination of the values ​​of the original population and the innovative reforms of the colonizers. Here, totem buildings still coexist with great skyscrapers, and in the remote corners of the country you can see yurts, bizarre drawings of disappeared tribes, and dwellings of indigenous settlers.

Population of North America:

South America

The modern population of South America is diverse - there are Americans, and immigrants from Europe, and descendants of slaves brought from Africa, and mixed groups (mestizos, mulattoes, sambos). The indigenous settlers are groups of Indian peoples, most of them still live in South America, for example, the Arawaks, Vayu, Vapishana, a smaller one has not survived to our times, for example, the Charrua. Some peoples have practically disappeared from America, their number today does not exceed 10 thousand people. At the ethnic level in South America, three main classes can be distinguished: Indians, representatives of the Negroid race and representatives of the Caucasian race.

The culture of South America is very colorful and original. South American countries have a rich musical heritage; it is here that such genres as cumbia and samba originate. South America has become the birthplace of the creation of new musical trends, the world-famous Argentine tango dance has also appeared here.

South America is an example of a successful borrowing of knowledge and skills among peoples, which generalizes various ethnic groups into a single system. The bulk of the population cannot even accurately infect this or that custom, they do not know where it originates and whose people were the primary source. Here traditions are passed down from generation to generation.

South American population:

Australia

Australian Aborigines are considered the indigenous people of Australia, they live apart from other peoples of the world and have their own language group. Now in Australia there are more than 55 thousand people who speak Australian languages, the most common of them is the language of the Western Desert, it is spoken by about 7000 people.

Australian aborigines are prominent representatives of the ancient inhabitants of the earth, the peoples have a similar way of life with the peoples that existed at the stage of the birth of world culture. Indigenous people prefer to stay in the deserts, hunt and farm, live in unity with nature.

After the arrival of the settlers, the ethnic groups on this mainland underwent significant changes. Now the largest group are Anglo-Australians (Australians of English origin), there are also Afghans, Hungarians, Indians, Chinese.

Although the majority of Australia's population is English-speaking, this country stands out from the list of other English-speaking countries. The first distinctive feature is egalitarianism, which implies the equality of all members of society. All the peoples of Australia, without exception, have the same legal, economic and political opportunities. The value of equality for men, women and children is fundamental to Australia.

Friendliness and good relations can be attributed to another feature; on the territory of this mainland, the natives peacefully coexist with visiting colonizers. The indigenous population even got back the territories they owned before the arrival of Europeans.

Those who are interested in the "culture of communication", and in general want to develop comprehensively, will be interested to learn about the behavior, ethics and traditions of the inhabitants of various countries. This will help many to evaluate, compare and possibly better understand the culture of their own country and people.

The ability to communicate plays an important role in terms of the development of national culture. Language helps to enhance the experience of the people, to preserve and transmit customs and traditions. Thanks to him, we know how our ancestors lived. But before talking about the peculiarities of folk etiquette and culture, you need to inquire about the rituals, habits and conventions of different peoples. Once in a foreign country, it will not be difficult for a new person to get lost or get into a mess. After all, we do not know all the little things and subtleties of the life of other peoples and nationalities. We are all used to being guided by generally accepted knowledge and myths about any nationality, but they are not always really true.

There are many interesting differences in the behavior of representatives of each culture. For example a greeting. A Pole, when meeting a girl, always kisses her hand. After all, such actions have been repeated in their country for years, and even centuries. But an Austrian can declare “a whole hand”, but this expression will not be confirmed by absolutely no actions. And if even among the inhabitants of a united Europe there are such differences, then what can we say about Western and Eastern cultures? For example, when greeting a European, a Japanese, Indian or Chinese will certainly shake hands, but they will feel as if it was a bare foot. Also, the Chinese may experience a culture shock if he sees a European walking with a lady by the arm, and even more so, kissing her.

But in Japan it is customary to take off your shoes at the doorstep, even when entering a restaurant. According to Chinese law, the host is obliged to give the guest any thing he likes. It is customary for Russians not to leave a crumb on the plate after eating, if he liked the dish. The Chinese will not touch a bowl of dry rice served at the end of a meal to show that they are full.

All these differences are related to the religious beliefs of representatives of different cultures. For example, at the entrance to the temple, a Jew puts on a headdress, while a Christian, on the contrary, takes it off. In addition, in many countries they react very painfully to non-compliance with formalities, so you should also pay attention to such, at first glance, trifles.

The very behavior of a person may depend on his very stay in another country.

England

For the British, formality is their way of life. The British always pay attention to details. Even when writing a letter, one should not use the name of the addressee without his permission. When meeting English people, it is very important to know who should introduce themselves first. In an official setting, the client should be the first, as he is the more important person.

France

In our view, the French are a kind of hero-lovers who, in between countless novels, eat frog legs in large quantities. In fact, everything is not at all what it seems. They are in fact the complete opposite of what we think of them. The French themselves are quite nationalistic. It is difficult for them to learn foreign languages, therefore, when meeting with a foreigner, they find it difficult to speak. In addition, the French are very proud of themselves regarding national traditions. French cuisine is a great subject of national pride for them.

Germany

But the Germans, by their nature, are quite prudent and thrifty, reliable and punctual, but inferior to the French in their sense of humor. When meeting in Germany, it is customary to introduce the person who is at a higher official degree first. Also, when talking with a German, you can’t keep your hands in your pockets - they consider this the height of disrespect.

Many features of the culture of African peoples, as well as the features of their historical development, were determined by the natural conditions in which they developed. Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia. It is a relatively sparsely populated continent. In the vast expanses of Africa, many different nationalities arose. Arabs live in the north, as well as ancient nomadic tribes - Berbers and Tauregs. The population of the so-called Black Africa is divided into numerous ethnic groups, the classification of which is constantly being revised. Many immigrants from Europe and Asia, in particular from India, live in South and East Africa.

The indigenous population of Africa can be conditionally divided by the level of socio-economic development into three large groups. The first is made up of nomadic hunting tribes of Bushmen and Pygmies, who do not know agriculture and cattle breeding. The second, largest group includes most of the agricultural and pastoral peoples of Tropical and South Africa. The third group unites the peoples of North and Northeast Africa, who since ancient times lived a common life with the advanced peoples of the Mediterranean, having lost elements of their patriarchal way of life. These peoples developed along their own path, which was different from the path of the development of the tribes of Tropical and South Africa. Civilizations based on agriculture and cattle breeding have long existed here, the most famous of which was the civilization of Ancient Egypt. To the west of it were the powerful slave states: Carthage and Numidia. Therefore, the culture of the peoples of North Africa was more developed.

The economic and political conditions of life that influenced the formation of the culture of the peoples of North Africa were created by the Phoenicians. They founded their colonies on the coast of North Africa from the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, the most powerful of which was Carthage; to the VI century. BC. the whole coast fell under his rule. Then North Africa was part of the Roman Empire for more than four centuries. It was Christianized around the same time as the northern Mediterranean coast. In the 5th century AD The coast of North Africa was occupied by the tribes of the Vandals. Since the 8th century, with the growing influence of Islam, the history of North Africa is separated from the history of Europe. Islam ousted Christianity from almost all African countries; the exception was most of Ethiopia and the region of Egypt, where adherents of Christianity, the Copts, survived. In the XI-XII centuries. The Almoravids unite the Maghreb (countries of North Africa) and Andalusia into one vast empire, which then passes into the hands of the Almohads Trade routes between Black Africa and Europe pass through this region; the Arab-Andalusian civilization flourished. It should be emphasized that in African countries Islam has changed greatly under the influence of local conditions. In some areas, it retains only external forms. However, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Senegal, Mauritania, Somalia, Libya, the Central African Republic and some other states are considered Muslim.