Cultural diversity: Biological diversity

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Indigenous peoples everywhere are under threat today. One indicator of the loss of human cultural diversity is the loss of language. Linguists predict that almost half the world´s 6000 languages will die out in the next century. When they do, these cultures will also take with them traditional knowledge that is invaluable.

The world´s 250 million indigenous peoples live in about 70 countries and are marginalised wherever they are. They are also known as First Peoples, Indians, Natives, Aborigines, Nomads, Tribal?, First Nations, Minority Nationalities (China) and Small Peoples (Russia). But they are not just the first-comers to a land. The term is usually used more broadly, to include other marginalised groups such as the nomadic peoples of Africa. British anthropologist Andrew Gray says that, compared with the number of national state cultures, indigenous peoples constitute 90 to 95 per cent of global cultural diversity and "therefore represent the diversity of human existence, even though they constitute a numerical minority".

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