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Lamazhaa Ch. K. National Character of the Mongol-speaking Peoples of Central Asia

The article presents a literature on the national character of some Central Asia peoples.

The term ‘Central Asia’ refers to the area of ​​application of nomadic farming (in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia of China, in Russian republics of Altai, Tuva, Khakassia, Buryatia, partly in Irkutsk and Chita regions). This area has created many cattle-breeding cultures (including nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures) that have a number of similarities in the social structure and economic complexes — Turkic-speaking and Mongol-speaking.

The national character of a particular nation appears to us as a complete image of typical characteristics that members of a people admit as their own (the ‘inside’ national character). This image may not coincide with the image that other peoples have about this very society. Moreover, it is possible to distinguish the opinions of those who live in the autochthonous cultural environment since birth, or just a lot of years, and those who have come to the region for a particular purpose and have a certain stereotype about the society (‘outside’ national character).

This article deals with the questions on the national character of the Mongol peoples of the region: the Mongols, the Buryats, the Kalmyks.

It is noted that the closeness to nature, a kind of fusion with it, tribal organization of the society, traditionalism refer to the constant of nomadic cultures of these peoples. However, there are some unique features due to the history troubles, historical memory, and to the time and character of the interaction with other ethnic groups (including cognate nomadic cultures).

Keywords: national character, Central Asia, the Mongols, the Buryats, the Kalmyks.

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