The population of Karelia is over 630,000 people.
Karelia is a multinational republic, since representatives of various nationalities live here (150). Earlier, Karelia was the habitat of the Finno-Ugric tribes (all, Karelian, Lapps), and in the II century A. D. here the Slavic peoples rushed. So, the Novgorodians began to develop the northern lands, and the Russians began to develop the shores of the White Sea and Lake Onega. But over time, they began to populate all of Karelia.
Until the beginning of the XX century. the predominant population of Karelia was Karelian, but subsequent events (immigration processes) influenced a sharp change in the national composition of the Republic - the number of the indigenous population decreased sharply.
National composition:
- Russians (78%);
- Karelians (9%);
- Belarusians (3%);
- other nations (10%).
On average, 4 people live per 1 km2, but the most populated is the southern part of the Republic (73% of the population live here), although only 8 people live here per 1 km2. And the northern part of the Republic is the least populated - only 1.5 people live here per 1 km2.
The state language is Russian, but in Karelia they also speak Karelian, Vepsian and Finnish.
Large cities: Petrozavodsk, Kostomuksha, Sortavala, Kondopoga, Segezha.
The inhabitants of Karelia profess Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam.
Life span
Over the past decades, the population of Karelia has decreased by 80 thousand people: the death rate has exceeded the birth rate by almost 2 times!
The lives of the inhabitants of Karelia are carried away by malignant neoplasms, alcohol poisoning and diseases of the circulatory system.
On average, residents of Karelia live up to 70 years.
Traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Karelia
Residents of Karelia have been fond of celebrating holidays for a long time. For example, on Shrovetide, it is customary to arrange noisy folk festivals dedicated to the meeting of spring.
In the traditions of the Karelians, pagan elements can be traced: they worshiped the elemental forces of nature (rain, wind) and believed in the cleansing power of fire. Among the older generation of Karelians there are people who still remember the times when spirits were considered the masters of forests, water and houses (once people addressed them through sorcerers-spellcasters).
Today, pagan deities have been completely replaced by Christian saints. So, Saint Ilya came to replace the supreme god Ukko, who is mentioned in beliefs and incantations.
If you come to Karelia, you will be able to purchase unique items, because to this day traditional crafts are still alive in the Republic - blacksmith, woven, embroidery, pearl and gold embroidery, weaving from birch bark and straw, painting and wood carving …
