There are minority populations
living across the globe. Often times, they are incredible unique, even though they might be in plain view. So in order to lead you down
the path of discovery, We bring you 5 unique minorities
you've never heard of. Many people might believe
the Basque people to be just a subset of the larger French and Spanish
populations they are surrounded by. But nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is,
that the Basque people who live in what is called Basque Country, nestled between France and Spain, are truly unique. The Basque people have retained
distinctive genetic markers that separate them
from the surrounding populations. And perhaps more importantly, they speak a language unrelated
to any other known language in the world. (speaks Basque) The Basque are thought to be
a hold-over from a previous era, before the more populous
and numerous Indo-europeans overran Europe. This unique identity has sometimes
been a problem for the Basque as in the past, organizations such as the ETA, which stands for
Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or "Basque Country & Freedom", would sometimes resort to violence
and terrorism to get their way, seeking a seperate nation state
for the Basque people. Things have calmed down a bit
in the last few decades. And more importantly, the Basque have left their legacy
on other things as well. For example, the Spanish word for "left" is "Izquierda",
and is ultimately derived from the Basque language. The Ainu are a nearly forgotten people living primarily on the northern island
of Hokkaido in Japan. They're thought to be first
inhabitants of the island, though their ultimate history
has been lost to time. They appear physically distinct
from the Japanese in the sense that,
though being Asian genetically, they appear almost European looking, and their culture remains distinct
from Japanese culture as well. The Ainu have always been
hunter-gatherers, hunting the abundance of gain
that was formerly present on the island of Hokkaido. However, over time, through a process of culturual assimilation, and pressure from the
majority Japanese population, much of Ainu culture has disappeared, including the unique language,
which has fewer than 100 speakers left. (speaks Ainu) The reality is,
that the legacy of the Ainu is largely gone,
and has only been preserved in things such as music and traditional art. Like many ancient peoples of the world, the transition from tradition
to modernity has not been kind to the Ainu. The Sami are an indigenous
Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the northernmost parts
of Scandinavia, and parts of northwestern Russia. Although their language is
distantly related to Finnish, the traditions of the Sami,
as well as their cultural practices, remain distinct from those
of their Finnish and Scandinavian neighbors. Like many indigenous peoples, the Sami have struggled
to maintain their way of life, while at the same time, attempting to cope
with the modern reality of Scandinavian culture. Norway in particular,
has been criticized internationally, for the forced "Norwegianisation"
of the Sami people, in an effort to assimilate the Sami
into a monolithic Norwegian culture. Sami are traditional reindeer herders, and receive almost all they need from the reindeer, ranging from meet to fur, and beyond. Traditional garb tends to be colorful red and blue, and designed to keep the wearer warm
in the Arctic climate the Sami hail from. Unlike the Ainu, though the Sami are minority, they have been able to persist
inkling to their ancient heritage. In part, because of the more
accomodating nature of their majority population neighbors, compared to the Japanese,
in places such as Sweden and Finland. The Kashubians are a minority population
within Poland with their own distinct traditions,
language and sense of identity. Most famously, the current president
of the European Council, Donald Tusk, is a Kashubian. Historically, the Kashubians have struggled
to maintain their own identity, next to a competing majority Polish culture, and have had mixed results. During the World War II and Communist era, they were distrusted
by both the Nazis and the Poles and were often considered disloyal, to whatever the political flavor
of the time had been, be it national socialism
or communism. Fortunately for the Kashubians,
in recent years, they've had more success
in garnering cultural recognition. As the language is the only regional language
recognized in Poland, besides Polish. And people tend to be more
open than in former years. The Yakuts are a large tribe of people native to the Sakha Republic
of Russia, or Yakutia, far to the north and east
of what many traditionally think of when they think of Russia. The Yakuts speak a Turkic language distantly related to the Turkish
and Uzbek languages, but that is where the similarites end. Having been geographically
isolated for millennia, the Yakuts have adapted
to the climate of the region. Appearance-wise,
many appear distinctly East Asian. And traditionally, the Yakuts engage either in semi-nomadic hunter-gathering
in the more northern parts of the Sakha Republic. Or animal husbandry
in the more southern parts. Unlike many of the other people spoken of, the Yakuts have their own
region to themselves. And though they retain
their language and culture, the vast majority are bilingual
in both Yakut and Russian, since Russian is required
for job and educational purposes, in addition to having been essential in the Soviet Union's communist
indoctrination process. Strikingly, Yakutia also has the honor of hosting the coldest city in the world. Which is Oymyakon,
where the temperatures can drop to a startling -50 Celsius,
or -58 Fahrenheit. This might seem intolerable to you,
but to the Yakuts, it's just part of everyday life in Siberia. For more top lists just like this, be sure to leave a like and subscribe
if you haven't already. And don't forget to check out
our other lists, and thanks for watching,
and thanks for learning.
