Kalmyks

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Kalmyks ( ), archaically anglicised as Calmucks (), are the only Mongolic people found in Europe, residing in the easternmost part of the European Plain. The ancestors of Kalmyks were Oirats (Western Mongols) who migrated from their homeland in Dzungaria to Eastern Europe in early modern times, establishing the Kalmyk Khanate in the 17th century. The Kalmyks are primarily descended from the Torghut subgroup of Oirats, but also consist of smaller populations of Dörbets, Khoshuts and Dzungars. Later, a group that settled in the Don region among the Don Cossacks became known as the Buzavas. Up until today the Kalmyks have retained their distinguished sub-ethnic groups, being quite separated from their geographical neighbours in Russia and northeast Caucasus. The Kalmyks are the only traditionally Buddhist ethnic group who are located inside Europe. Through emigration, small Kalmyk communities have been established in the United States, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

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