KHAKAS (Russia, Asia)

Family
Siberian-Turkish

Country
Russia, Asia

Language code
KJH

Continent
Asia

Alternate language names
KHAKHAS, KHAKHASS, ABAKAN TATAR, YENISEI TATAR

Dialect names
SAGAI (SAGAJ), BELTIR, KACHA (KACA), KYZYL, SHOR, KAMASSIAN

Genetic affiliation
Altaic, Turkic, Northern

Geographical region
Khakass AO, north of the Altai Mts., and a few north of the Oblast

Population
57,500 mother tongue speakers (81%) out of an ethnic population of 71,000 in Russia (1979 census); about 10 fluent speakers in China (1988); 57,500 total

Bilingual in
Russian

Status
Work in progress

Remarks
A literary language based primarily on Sagai. Cyrillic script

Total speakers
57,500

Religion
Russian Orthodox

Also in
China