The peoples of the Caucasus, or Caucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50 ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus. By language group Language families indigenous to the Caucasus Caucasians who speak languages which have long been indigenous to the region are generally classified into three groups: Kartvelian peoples, Northeast Caucasian peoples and Northwest Caucasian peoples. Kartvelian languages Georgians Dvals Ingiloys Zans Lazs Mingrelians Svans Northeast Caucasian languages Avar–Andic peoples: Andis Akhvakhs Avars Bagvalals Botlikhs Chamalals Godoberis Karatas Tindis Dargins Dargwa Kajtak Kubachi Itsari Chirag Khinalugs Laks Lezgic peoples: Aguls Archin Budukhs Jeks Kryts Lezgins Rutuls Tabasarans Tsakhurs Udis Nakh peoples: Arshtins Bats Chechens Kists Durdzuks Ingush Malkh Tsezic (Didoic) peoples: Bezhtas Hinukhs Hunzibs Khwarshis Tsez Northwest Caucasian languages Abazins Abkhazians Circassians Abzakhs Besleneys Bzhedugs Chemirgoys Kabardians Natukhajs Shapsugs Ubykhs The largest peoples speaking languages which belong to the Caucasian language families and who are currently resident in the Caucasus are the Georgians (3,200,000), the Chechens (2,000,000), the Avars (1,500,000), the Lezgins (about 1,000,000) and the Kabardians (600,000), while outside the Caucasus, the largest people of Caucasian origin, in diaspora in more than 40 countries (such as Jordan, Turkey, the countries of Europe, Syria, and the United States) are the Circassians with about 3,000,000-4,000,000 speakers. Georgians are the only Caucasian people who have their own undisputedly independent state—Georgia. Abkhazia's status is disputed. Other Caucasian peoples have republics within Russia: Adyghe (Adygea), Cherkess (Karachay-Cherkessia), Kabardians (Kabardino-Balkaria), Ingush (Ingushetia), Chechens (Chechnya), while other Northeast Caucasian peoples mostly live in Dagestan. Indo-European Caucasians that speak languages belonging to the Indo-European language family: Armenians Germans Hellenic group: Caucasus Greeks, including Turkish-speaking Christian Greeks of Georgia or Urums, and historically the Latins† Pontic Greeks Iranian group: Gilaks† Mazanderanis† Ossetians Digors Talysh Tats Kurds Yazidis Slavic group: Russians, including Cossacks, Doukhobors, and Molokans †Although these two groups do not have any inhabitants physically living anywhere in the Caucasus, genetic tests have proven their affinity to Caucasian populations and shown that their ancestors originated from the Caucasus. Armenians number 3,215,800 in their native Armenia, though approximately 8 million live outside the republic, forming the Armenian diaspora. Elsewhere in the region, they reside in Artsakh (which is a de facto independent republic, though not recognised internationally), Georgia (primarily Samtskhe–Javakheti, Tbilisi, and Abkhazia), and the Russian North Caucasus. The Ossetians live in North Ossetia–Alania (an autonomous republic within Russia) and in South Ossetia, which is de facto independent, but