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The Mingrelians
The Mingrelians are an ethnic subgroup of Georgians who predominantly live in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in western Georgia. This region, often referred to simply as Samegrelo, is known for its rich cultural and historical heritage. The Mingrelians are part of the larger Kartvelian-speaking group, and their native language, Mingrelian, belongs to the Kartvelian language family, closely related to Georgian. Although Mingrelian is the primary language for many, most Mingrelians are bilingual, speaking both Mingrelian and Georgian, which is the official language of Georgia. The population of Mingrelians is estimated to be around 400,000, with communities found not only in Georgia but also in neighboring regions such as Abkhazia and…
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The Zans
The Zans are a subethnic group of the Kartvelian people, primarily speaking the Zan languages, which include Mingrelian and Laz. These languages belong to the larger Kartvelian language family, which also includes Georgian and Svan. The Zans are primarily found in the western regions of Georgia, particularly in Samegrelo (historically known as Mingrelia) and parts of Turkey along the Black Sea coast, where the Laz people live. The Zans are divided into two main subgroups: the Mingrelians and the Laz people. The Mingrelians are concentrated in the western Georgian region of Samegrelo, while the Laz people are primarily located in Turkey’s northeastern provinces, such as Rize and Artvin, though there…
