Ethnic Groups and Languages

The Middle East is home to numerous ethnic groups, including Arabs, Turks, Persians, Jews, Armenians, Egyptians, Kurds, Greeks, Assyrians, Azeris, Circassians, Berbers, Nubians, Samaritans, and Turkmens.

The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions, most of which originated there. Islam in its many forms (including Druze and Sufism) is by far the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths, such as Judaism and Christianity, are also important. Additional religions include Baha’i, and Zoroastrianism.

Arabic, Persian and Turkic languages, in all their varieties, are the most widely spoken languages in a region stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan. Other languages spoken in the region include Armenian, Syriac (a form of Aramaic), Azeri, Berber languages, Circassian, Georgian, Gilaki and Mazandarani languages, Hebrew and Kurdish. SAT-7 is broadcasting in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish, and has occasionally aired programs in local dialects including Moroccan, Kabylie, Azeri and Dari.