Afghanistan
Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%,
Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Languages: Pashtu, Afghan Persian (Dari), Turkic languages
(primarily Uzbek and Turkmen), 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi
and Pashai)
Albania
Ethnic groups: Albanian 95%, Greeks 3%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies,
Serbs, and Bulgarians)
Religions: Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Languages: Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Algeria
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish
1%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Azerbaijan
Ethnic groups: Azeri 90%, Dagestani 3.2%, Russian 2.5%,
Armenian 2%, other 2.3%
Religions: Muslim 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox
2.3%, other 1.8%
Languages: Azeri, Russian, Armenian
Bahrain
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%,
other 6%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Bangladesh
Ethnic groups: Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, tribal less than 1
million
Religions: Muslim 88.3%, Hindu 10.5%, other 1.2%
Languages: Bangla (official), English
Chad
Ethnic groups: Muslims (Arabs, Toubou, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko,
Kanembou, Baguirmi, Boulala, Zaghawa, and Maba), non-Muslims (Sara,
Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye, Moundang, Moussei, Massa), non-indigenous 150,000
(of whom 1,000 are French)
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 25%, indigenous beliefs (mostly
animism) 25%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Sara and Sango (in
south), more than 100 different languages and dialects
Djibouti
Ethnic groups: Somali 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian, and
Italian 5%
Religions: Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Languages: French (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Egypt
Ethnic groups: Eastern Hamitic (Egyptians, Bedouins, and
Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian
and French) 1%
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic
Christian and other 6%
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French (widely
understood)
Ethiopia
Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%,
Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%,
other 3%-8%
Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic,
English
Iran
Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani
8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish,
Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Languages: Persian and Persian dialects, Turkic and Turkic
dialects, Kurdish, Luri, Balochi, Arabic, Turkish.
Iraq
Ethnic groups: Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or
other 5%
Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or
other 3%
Languages: Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian,
Armenian
Jordan
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 96%, Christian 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), English (widely understood)
Kuwait
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other
Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi'a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi,
and other 15%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Kyrgyztan
Ethnic groups: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian
2.5%, German 2.4%, other 11.8%
Religions: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz), Russian
Lebanon
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian
4%, other 1%
Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups—Alawite or
Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally
recognized Christian groups—4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1
Protestant), Judaism NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely
understood
Libya
Ethnic groups: Berber and Arab 97%, Greeks, Maltese, Italians,
Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians, Tunisians
Religions: Sunni Muslim 97%
Languages: Arabic, Italian, English
Malaysia
Ethnic groups: Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 26%, Indian
7%, others 9% Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism,
Christianity, Sikhism; Shamanism is practiced on East
Malaysia
Languages: Bahasa Melayu (official), English, Chinese dialects
(Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu,
Malalalam, Panjabi, Thai, Iban and Kadazan
Mauritania
Ethnic groups: mixed Maur/black
40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof
(official), French
Morocco
Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2%
Religions: Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%
Languages: Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French
Oman
Ethnic groups: Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri
Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Religions: Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Languages: Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian
dialects
Pakistan
Ethnic groups: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch
Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%), Christian, Hindu, and
other 3%
Languages: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant)
10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%,
English (official and lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government
ministries), Burushaski, and other 8% Palestine
Gaza Strip
Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 98.7%, Christian 0.7%,
Jewish 0.6%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew, English (widely understood)
West Bank
Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions: Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian
and other 8%
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew, English (widely understood)
Qatar
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%,
other 14%
Religions: Muslim 95%
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second
language
Saudi Arabia
Ethnic groups: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions: Muslim 100%
Languages: Arabic
Senegal
Ethnic groups: Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Diola 3.7%,
Mandink 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4%
Religions: Muslim 92%, indigenous beliefs 6%, Christian 2% (mostly
Roman Catholic)
Languages: French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Diola, Mandingo
Somalia
Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu, Arabs 30,000
Religions: Sunni Muslim
Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English
Sudan
Ethnic groups: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other
1%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 70%, indigenous beliefs 25%,
Christian 5%
Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects
of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
Syria
Ethnic groups: Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects
16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic,
Circassian, French, English
Tajikistan
Ethnic groups: Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5%, other 6.6%
Religions: Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 5%
Languages: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and
business
Tunisia
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official), French
Turkey
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20%
Religions: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (Christian and
Jews)
Languages: Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic
Turkmenistan
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 77%, Uzbek 9.2%, Russian 6.7%, Kazakh 2%,
other 5.1%
Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
United Arab Emirates
Ethnic groups: Emiri 19%, other
Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes
Westerners and East Asians) 8%
Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Uzbekistan
Ethnic groups: Uzbek 80%, Russian
5.5%, Tajik 5%, Kazakh 3%, Karakalpak 2.5%, Tatar 1.5%, other 2.5%
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Languages: Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Western Sahara
Ethnic groups: Arab, Berber
Religions: Muslim
Languages: Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Yemen
Ethnic groups: predominantly Arab;
Afro-Arab concentrations in western coastal locations; South Asians in
southern regions; small European communities in major metropolitan areas
Religions: Muslim Sunni and Shi'a, small numbers of Jewish, Christian,
and Hindu
Languages: Arabic
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