Maya peoples

This article is about the ethnic group. For the historical civilization, see Maya civilization.
"Mayans" redirects here. For the television series, see Mayans M.C.
"Mayas" redirects here. For the Indonesian ethnic group also known as "May-as", see Sibuyanon.

Maya
Flag of the Mayan people
Maya women in traditional dress, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Total population
c. More than 8 million (2018)
[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Parts of modern-day countries of Guatemala, Mexico, United States, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador
 Guatemala7,140,503 (2018)[3]
 Mexico1,475,575 (2000)[4]
 United States500,000 (2011)[5][6]
 Belize30,107 (2010)[7][8]
 El Salvador600,000 (2017)[9]
 Honduras33,256 (2013)[10]
Languages
Mayan languages, English, Spanish, and Kriol
Religion
Christianity and Maya religion
The Maya area within Mesoamerica

The Maya (/ˈmaɪə/) are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and westernmost El Salvador and Honduras.

"Maya" is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region; however, the term was not historically used by the indigenous populations themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity.[11]

It is estimated that seven million Maya were living in this area at the start of the 21st century.[1][2] Guatemala, southern Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras have managed to maintain numerous remnants of their ancient cultural heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority westernised mestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others continue a more traditional, culturally distinct life, often speaking one of the Mayan languages as a primary language.

  1. ^ a b Lorenzo Ochoa; Patricia Martel(dir.) (2002). Lengua y cultura mayas (in Spanish). UNAM. p. 170. ISBN 9703200893. El "Pueblo Maya" lo constituyen actualmente algo menos de 6 millones de hablantes de 25 idiomas
  2. ^ a b Nations, James D. (1 January 2010). The Maya Tropical Forest: People, Parks, and Ancient Cities. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-77877-1.
  3. ^ Resultados Del Censo 2018
  4. ^ "Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas. México". Cdi.gob.mx. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  5. ^ "Living Across Borders: Guatemala Maya Immigrants in the US South".
  6. ^ "Maya in the US – the Maya Heritage Community Project (By Alan LeBaron, PHD)". July 2018.
  7. ^ UN Demographic Yearbooks
  8. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2012-06-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "National Salvadoran Indigenous Coordination Council (CCNIS) and CONCULTURA (National Council for Art and Culture at the Ministry of Education )". Minority Rights Group.
  10. ^ "Honduras - World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples". Minority Rights Group. 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  11. ^ Restall, Matthew; Asselbergs, Florine (2007). Invading Guatemala : Spanish, Nahua, and Maya Accounts of the Conquest Wars. Pennsylvania State University Press. p. 4. ISBN 9780271027586. We call this civilization "Maya", although the term would not have meant anything to the Mayas in Guatemala (it was a Yucatec Maya word) and there was never a common sense of identity or political unity among all the various groups we call Maya.