Where do Arabs live? countries of the Arab world. History of the Arabs

A people is a group of people united by some specific characteristics, there are more than 300 of them on Earth. There are numerous, for example, Chinese, and there are also small ones, for example, Ginukh, whose representation does not even reach 450 people.

The Arab people are the second largest group of people in the world, with about 400 million people. Inhabit the states of the Middle East and North Africa, but also in Lately they actively emigrate to Europe due to wars and political conflicts. So what kind of people are they, what is their history, and are there countries where Arabs live?

Where did the Arab people come from?

The forerunners of the Arabs are the wild tribes of Africa and the Middle East. In general, the first mention of them was found in various Babylonian writings. More specific instructions are written in the Bible. It is in it that it is said that in the 14th century BC. e. in Transjordan, and then in Palestine, the first shepherd tribes from the Arabian oases appear. Of course, this is a rather controversial version, but in any case, scientists agree that it was in Arabia that this people originated, and from there the history of the Arabs began.

The vast majority of Arabs profess Islam (90%), and the rest are Christians. In the 7th century, a previously unknown merchant Mohammed began to preach a new religion. After several years, the prophet created a community, and later a state - the Caliphate. This country began to rapidly expand its borders, and literally a hundred years later it stretched from Spain through North Africa and southwestern Asia to the borders of India. Due to the fact that the Caliphate had a vast territory, the state language was actively spreading on the lands subject to it, due to which the local population was transferred to the culture and customs of the Arabs.

The spread of Islam allowed the caliphates to establish close contact with Christians, Jews, etc., which contributed to the formation of one of the greatest civilizations in the world. During its existence, many great works of art were created, there was a rapid rise in science, including astronomy, medicine, geography and mathematics. But in the 10th century, the fall of the Caliphate (the state of the Arabs) began due to wars with the Mongols and Turks.

By the 16th century, Turkish subjects conquered the entire Arab world, and this continued until the 19th century, when the British and French already dominated North Africa. Only after the Second World War, all the people, except for the Palestinians, gained independence. They received freedom only by the end of the 20th century.

We will consider later where the Arabs live today, but for now it is worth dwelling on the language and cultural characteristics this people.

Language and culture

The Arabic language, the official language of all countries in which this group of people lives, belongs to the Afroasian family. About 250 million people speak it, and another 50 million people use it as a second language. The writing is based on the Arabic alphabet, which has changed slightly over its long history. The language is constantly changing. Arabic is now written from right to left and has no capital letters.

Along with the development of the people, culture also developed. It acquired its dawn during the period of the Caliphate. It is noteworthy that the Arabs based their culture on the basis of Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and others, and in general, this people made a big step in the development of human civilization. Studying the language and heritage will help to understand who the Arabs are, what are their values.

Science and literature

Arabic science developed on the basis of ancient Greek, for the most part on military affairs, since vast territories could not be captured and defended only with the help of human resources. At the same time, various schools open. There are also scientific centers thanks to the development of the natural sciences. Great strides have been made in the historical and geographic directions research. Mathematics, medicine and astronomy received a great leap in development in the Caliphate.

chief literary work Arab world is the Koran. It is written in the form of prose and serves as the basis of the religion of Islam. However, even before this religious book great written masterpieces were created. Mostly Arabs composed poetry. The themes varied, such as self-praise, love, and depictions of nature. In the Caliphate such world works were written that are popular until today, these are: "A Thousand and One Nights", "Maqamat", "Messages of Forgiveness" and "The Book of the Miser".

Arabic architecture

Many art objects were created by the Arabs. On initial stage the influence of Roman and Byzantine traditions affected, but over time, their architecture acquires its own unique look. By the 10th century, a peculiar type of columned mosque was created with a rectangular courtyard in the center, surrounded by numerous halls, galleries with graceful arcades. This type includes the Amir Mosque in Cairo, where Arabs have lived for many hundreds of years.

From the 12th century, various letter and floral patterns began to gain popularity, with which buildings were decorated both outside and inside. Domes appear from the 13th century. In the 15th century, the decoration of buildings was based on the Moorish style, an example of this trend is the Alhambra castle in Granada. After the conquest of the Arab Caliphate by the Turks, the architecture acquires Byzantine features, which affected the Mohammed Mosque in Cairo.

The Status of Women and Religion in the Arab World

It is impossible to answer the question: who are the Arabs, if you do not study the position of women in their world. Until the middle of the 20th century, girls were at the lowest level in society. They did not have the right to vote, one might say, they were not considered people, but interestingly, the attitude towards mothers was always respectful. Now, especially in large cities, the attitude towards women has changed. Now they can attend schools, higher educational institutions and even hold high political and government positions. Polygamy, which is allowed in Islam, is slowly disappearing. You rarely see a man with more than two wives these days.

With regards to religion, then, of course, mostly Arabs profess Islam, about 90 percent. Also a small part are adherents of Christianity, mostly Protestants and a small part of the Orthodox. In ancient times, this people, like most ancient tribes, worshiped the stars, the sun and the sky. They honored and paid tribute to the most famous and influential ancestors. Only in the 7th century, when Muhammad began to preach, did the Arabs actively begin to convert to Islam, and now they are commonly considered Muslims.

Arab countries

There are a fairly large number of states in the world where the Arab people live. Countries in which the vast majority of the population is precisely this nationality can be considered their original ones. For them, the place of residence is mostly in Asian countries. The largest representation of Arabs in the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia. Of course, Arabs still live in Africa and European countries.

Arab emigration

Throughout history, this nationality has moved around the world, for the most part this is due to great civilization Caliphate. Now there is a much more active emigration of Arabs from Africa and the Middle East to Europe and America due to the unstable and threatening situation that has developed as a result of military and political conflicts. Currently, Arab immigrants are distributed in such territories: France, USA, Germany, Italy, Austria, etc. In Russia, this moment About 10 thousand immigrants live, this is one of the smallest representations.

United Arab Emirates

The UAE is a well-known, influential and successful Arab state. This is a country in the Middle East, which is divided, in turn, into 7 emirates. The UAE is one of the most modern, advanced and wealthy countries in the world and is considered a leading oil exporter. It is thanks to this natural reserve The Emirates are developing so fast. Only in the 1970s did the country gain independence, and for this a short time reached great heights. The most famous cities in the UAE are Abu Dhabi, the capital of the country, and Dubai.

Dubai Tourism

Now the United Arab Emirates attracts tourists from all over the world, but, of course, the center of attraction is Dubai.

This city has everything: any vacationer will be able to satisfy their desires, even lovers of skiing will find a place here. The best beaches, shops and entertainment centers. The most famous object not only in Dubai, but throughout the UAE, is the Burj Khalifa. It is the tallest building in the world, reaching 830 meters in height. Inside this massive structure are retail space, offices, apartments, hotels and much more.

The largest water park in the world is also in Dubai. Thousands of different specimens of animals and fish live here. Entering the aquarium, you plunge into the world of a fairy tale, you feel like an inhabitant of the marine world.

In this city, everything is always the largest and largest. The largest and most beautiful artificial archipelago "Mir" is located here. The outlines of the island copy the contours of our planet. The view from the top is magnificent, so it's worth taking a helicopter tour.

Thus, the Arab world is a fascinating history, culture and modern look life. Everyone should get acquainted with the peculiarities of this people, go to the states where the Arabs live, for recreation and entertainment, because this is an amazing and unique phenomenon on planet Earth.

Many Europeans believe that Arabs are all swarthy, black-haired and black-eyed. They also think that Arab girls are full, they have curly hair. all this is not true.
Most of the population Arab countries similar to Europeans, only with an oriental twist.

In fact, arabs come in all shapes and colors (Arabs come in all shapes and sizes). Since the Middle East is a place of mixing of three races: European, Asian and African. By the way, American anthropologists single out the middle-eastern (Middle East) as a separate race that combines the features of several.

If to describe Arab appearance, then it is very diverse: the skin is from milky white (Syria, Lebanon, Algeria) to chocolate (Mauritania, Sudan). However, beige and olive are the most common. Arabian eyes - " business card"people. although there are several other peoples with the same eye shape. Arabs, as a rule, have large almond-shaped eyes, the outer corner is higher than the inner one. The eyes are not as bulging as those of purebred Jews or Ethiopian Amharas. (however, some residents have a similar eye shape Transcaucasians, Indo-Iranians, Africans, and both South and East Slavs). Arab eyes can vary in color from bright sky blue to black. However, dark brown and mixed greenish eyes are most common. Arabs also have dark hair. blond (what is called "blond" in Russia) to black.hair can be curly, wavy and straight.The face of the Arabs, as a rule, is oval, but in some regions it is slightly elongated (the population of Egypt and Sudan), the figure is average.Arab female figure resembles a guitar (imagine Shakira). In general, they tend to be overweight, but not overweight. Well built. Sometimes there are skinny girls. In general, women are lighter than men.

Now let's go by region:
Khalij (Gulf Countries)

Olive and beige skin, black and black-brown hair, brown eyes. Sometimes there is a rather dark, chocolate skin.

Sham (Levant)

Beige and olive skin. Sometimes there is white. The eyes are brown, hazel, green-brown, gray-green and bright blue. Hair of all shades of brown. From light brown to black-brown. Sometimes there are blondes. In general, the inhabitants of Lebanon and Syria are the lightest in the region, the inhabitants of Iraq are the darkest (with dark hair and eyes).

North Africa

The most diverse region White, beige, olive and chocolate leather. Eyes - black, brown, gray, green, blue, mixed. Hair - from dark blond to black. The darkest are the inhabitants of Sudan (northern Sudan - Africans live in the south, not Arabs), Southern Egypt, Mauritania, Southern Algeria. They have brown skin (ranging from golden brown to chocolate), hazel or black eyes, and black hair. Then come the Libyans - black-haired, dark-eyed, but with beige or light olive skin. The brightest are the inhabitants of Northern Algeria, among whom there are green-eyed blondes. In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, chestnut and black hair, beige and light olive skin, brown and greenish-mixed eyes are common.

These are the diverse inhabitants of the Arab countries.

Ow, pl. arabes pl. 1. The people of the Semitic ethno-linguistic group. BAS 2. We took the science of rhyming from the Arapov. East rum. 69. I decided to call myself not a European, but a Baghdad Arab. Pant. in. sl. 2 255. This respect is not only for women ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

Modern Encyclopedia

- (self-name al Arab) a group of peoples (Algerians, Egyptians, Moroccans, etc.), the main population of the Arab countries Zap. Asia and North. Africa. The total number of St. 199 million people (1992). Arabic language. Most Muslims... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

ARABS, Arabs, unit. arab, arab, male The people of Arabia. Dictionary Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

ARAB, ov, units arab, a, husband. Inhabitants Western Asia and North African peoples, the Crimea includes Algerians, Egyptians, Yemenis, Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians, etc. | female arab, i. | adj. Arabic, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Arabs- (self-name al Arab) a group of peoples with a total number of 199,000 thousand people. Settlement regions: Africa 125200 thousand people, Asia 70000 thousand people, Europe 2500 thousand people, America 1200 thousand people, Australia and Oceania 100 thousand people. Main countries ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Ov; pl. An extensive group of peoples inhabiting the countries of Southwest Asia in the Persian Gulf and North Africa; representatives of these peoples. ◁ Arab, a; m. Arabka, and; pl. genus. side, dat. bcam; and. * * * Arabs (self-name al Arab), a group ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Arabs Ethnopsychological dictionary

ARAB- representatives of twenty-two states of the Near and Middle East, having common ethnic roots and similar psychology. Arabs are cheerful, cheerful and funny people, distinguished by observation, ingenuity, friendliness. However… Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

Arabs- Africa (self-name al Arab), a group of peoples. They make up the majority of the population of Egypt (Egyptian Arabs), Sudan (Sudanese Arabs), Libya (Libyan Arabs), Tunisia (Tunisian Arabs), Algeria (Algerian Arabs), Morocco (Moroccan Arabs) ... Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"

Books

• Arabs, . Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1897 edition (publishing house ʻpublishing the Bookstore of P.V. Lukovnikov`). IN…
• Arabs, . This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. Reproduced in the original author's spelling of the 1897 edition (publishing house "Edition of the Book ...

And a number of other coastal states. small number Arab population also available in Israel. The Arab world has almost 130 million people, of which 116 million are Arabs.

Many peoples were Arabized through the adoption of the Arabic language and Arabic culture. For almost all of them, Arabization went through Islam, the main religion of the Arab world.

The Arabs are divided into three main groups: Bedouin pastoralists engaged in breeding sheep, goats or camels, peasant farmers and urban dwellers.

The Arab world also includes a number of non-Arab minorities, such as Berbers and Tuaregs, Kurds in Iraq, Jews, Armenians and some peoples. geographical area Sudan. Copts - Christians of Egypt, also speak Arabic, but consider themselves primordially pre-Arab Egyptians.

Major populations

The majority of the Bedouins live in Arabia and the neighboring desert regions of Jordan, Syria and Iraq, while some Bedouins live in Egypt and the northern Sahara. Their number is from 4 to 5 million. The Bedouins lead a strictly tribal and nomadic lifestyle. The tribe and each of its parts is headed by a sheikh, who is considered senior in wisdom and experience. The Bedouin are mainly engaged in camel breeding and sheep and goat breeding.

There are both Christians and Shia Muslims among the Bedouin, but the majority belong nominally to either Wahhabi Muslims or Sunni Muslims. The Bedouins are not as religious as the Muslims of villages and cities, but at the same time they regularly perform the five daily prayers prescribed by Islam. Because most Bedouins are illiterate, they cannot read the Qur'an themselves and must rely on the oral transmission of religious ideas. Together with many residents of villages and cities, they share a belief in evil eye and evil spirits as the cause of illness and misfortune, as well as the healing and protective powers of the tombs of various Muslim saints.

About 70% of Arabs live in villages and are peasants. Most Arab peasants have a deeply developed sense of belonging to their village, the inhabitants of which usually help each other in case of an external threat. They are also united by religious holidays or funerals. But most of the time, the villagers are divided into separate groups.

Arab cities are commercial, industrial, administrative and religious centers. Some of them are in many ways similar to European metropolitan areas with large buildings, wide streets and busy car traffic. The traditional Arab city, and those old districts of modern cities that still exist, are characterized by narrow streets and closely built houses, often with shops and workshops on the ground floors.

Story

Historical evidence from Mesopotamia begins to separate the Arabs from their other Semitic neighbors no earlier than the first millennium BC. At that time, the Arabs of southern Arabia had already established flourishing cities and kingdoms, such as Saba at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Western Arabia in the era of Christianity was inhabited by townspeople and nomads who spoke Arabic and considered their origins to go back to the biblical patriarchs (usually to Ismail, see also Hagar), and in the city of Mecca they worshiped idols in a temple, first built, presumably, by Abraham .

And a hundred years after the death of Muhammad, the territory of Islam spread already from Spain through North Africa and southwest Asia to the borders of India. The spread of Islam provided the Arabs with a network of useful contacts for them, and together with dependent peoples - Christians, Jews, Persians, etc. - they built one of the greatest civilizations.

01/04/2019 - last check, information is up to date

The currency of the United Arab Emirates is the "UAE dirham", the junior monetary unit is the "fils". 1 UAE dirham = 100 UAE fils. We will talk about the currency of the United Arab Emirates in detail in this article.

Symbols and designations

The official designation of the UAE dirham according to ISO 4217 is AED. In documents and on the scoreboard in banks and exchangers, this designation is most often found.

On the price tags in shops, cafes and restaurants they write “DH”, “Dh” or “Dhs”.

In English sources, the phrase “Emirati Dirham” is found, which literally translates as “Emirati Dirham”.

The dirham and fils also have Arabic designations (see pictures below). Fortunately for tourists, big cities they are not found, they can occasionally be found only in small settlements.

The current exchange rate of the UAE dirham

The dirham is pegged to the US dollar.

1 AED = 0.272294 USD.

1 USD = 3.6725 AED.

Naturally, the exchange rates against the euro, ruble and other currencies are floating. See the current exchange rates in the table below.

Features for tourists

Prices in United Arab Emirates it is customary to round up to 25 fils;

Coins of 10, 5 and 1 fils are officially in circulation, although they are rare. The 1 fils coin has already become rare. If you receive these coins as change, then they may not be accepted in other stores. Take only as;

In 2012-2014, coins of 25, 50 fils and 1 dirham began to be minted from nickel-plated steel, previously they were from copper-nickel alloy. Old and new coins are slightly different in weight and size, don't be surprised.

On the coins, the denomination is written only in Indo-Arabic numerals, there are no numbers familiar to us. Memorizing Hindu-Arabic numerals is easy: 1 is a stick, 5 is a circle, 0 is a dot, 10 is a stick and a dot, 50 is a circle and a dot. Brief instructions in the picture on the left.

On banknotes, the denomination is written in Indo-Arabic numerals on one side and the numbers familiar to us on the other. We advise you to always turn the banknotes with the side with the usual numbers when counting money. Always look at the numbers, the colors of some banknotes are very similar.

The 50 fils coin of the old issue (it was in circulation from 1973 to 1989) was identical in weight and size to the modern 1 dirham coin. There are cases of tourist fraud associated with this. Fortunately, the money of the 1973 model is almost never found.

In the United Arab Emirates, there is the concept of “tourist dirham”. This is not money, but a special fee from tourists. It is AED 15 per room per night. B - from 7 to 20 AED per room per night (depending on the number of stars at the hotel).

How and where to change money

By law, trade in the United Arab Emirates is carried out in dirhams. In fact, many merchants and restaurants accept dollars and euros, but at a terrible rate. In order not to overpay, it is better to exchange dollars and euros for dirhams.