Akademik

   Generally speaking, the term “ethnic minorities” can refer to any of the Russian Federation’s non-ethnic Russian peoples including those historically classified as national minorities (i.e., ethnic groups whose ancestral homelands lie within the current boundaries of Russia, e.g., the Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens, Sakha, Udmurts, and Chuvash), as well as ethnic or cultural groups from beyond Russia’s contemporary borders (including recent immigrants). The latter group is best defined by ethnic Ukrainians, Armenians, Roma (Gypsies), and Chinese, as well as the peoples of Central Asia. Due to their historical classification as an ethnic group (as opposed to a religious group), Russian Jews are sometimes listed as ethnic minorities, while the country’s Muslims and Buddhists are categorized based on their culturolinguistic affiliation.

   See also Language.