Anthropology

Kabyles: the Berber people of Kabylie, northeastern Algeria Kabyles people Overview of the Kabyle (Kabyles) — a Berber people from the Kabylie highlands of northeastern Algeria, their language, culture, history, and contemporary significance.

Kalash (Kalasha): people, language, and ritual vessel Kalash Kalash or Kalasha can mean the indigenous Kalash people and their language in Chitral, Pakistan, or the kalasha, a sacred pot used in South Asian Hindu rituals symbolizing abundanc…

Kallar (caste) — Tamil caste of the Mukkulathor confederacy Kallar (caste) Kallar is a Tamil caste of southern India, one of the three groups making up the Mukkulathor confederacy. Traditionally associated with martial roles, agriculture and distinct loca…

Kamba people (Akamba) of Kenya Kamba people The Kamba, or Akamba, are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group of eastern Kenya (Ukambani), known for their language, crafts, oral traditions and role in the region's farming, trade and l…

Kanephoros — ancient Greek festival basket-bearer Kanephoros Kanephoros were young, unmarried women in ancient Greece chosen to carry sacred baskets in public religious processions. The office signaled family status and played a visible role…

Karen languages A group of tonal languages of the Karen people of Myanmar and Thailand, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan family; notable for SVO order, analytic grammar, a…

Karlal (Karhral) — Hindko-speaking tribe of the Hazara region Karlal Overview of the Karlal (Karhral) tribe: language, region, social life, history and contemporary situation in the Galyat and surrounding districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Kasana (Gurjar clan) Kasana Kasana is a clan (gotra) associated with the Gurjar community of South Asia, with communities concentrated across parts of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.

Kashmiri people (Koshur): identity, language, history and distribution Kashmiri people Ethnic group of the Kashmir Valley known as Koshur, speakers of the Kashmiri language; overview of origins, language, culture, demographics and contemporary issues.

Kaskaskia: People of the Illiniwek (Illinois) Confederation Kaskaskia The Kaskaskia were an Algonquian-speaking tribe of the Illiniwek (Illinois) Confederation in the Great Lakes and Mississippi valley. First contacted by Europeans in 1667; many desc…

Kavirondo — historical name for the Lake Victoria gulf region and its peoples Kavirondo Kavirondo is a colonial-era name for the region around the Winam Gulf (formerly Kavirondo Gulf) and the diverse peoples who lived there; the term is now largely obsolete and replac…

Kaw (Kanza) people — Indigenous people of the central Plains Kaw people The Kaw (Kanza) are a Siouan-speaking Indigenous people from the central Plains. Known as the People of the South Wind, they gave their name to Kansas and maintain a modern federal…

Kayapo (Mebêngôkre): Indigenous people of the Xingu region, Brazil Kayapo people The Kayapo (Mebêngôkre) are an indigenous people of central Brazil, known for distinctive body paint, featherwork and strong advocacy for rainforest protection. They live along the…

Kenyanthropus platyops: the flat-faced Pliocene hominin from Lake Turkana Kenyanthropus platyops Kenyanthropus platyops is a Pliocene hominin discovered at Lake Turkana (Kenya) in 1999. Its broad, flat face and small molars sparked debate about early hominin diversity and taxo…

Khas people of Nepal Khas people An Indo-Aryan speaking hill community centered in Nepal; historically associated with the medieval Khas kingdom and the spread of the Nepali language, encompassing groups such as B…

Khasi people (Ki Hynñiew trep) Khasi people Indigenous ethnic group of northeastern India, mainly Meghalaya. Speak Khasi (Austroasiatic), follow matrilineal kinship, maintain traditional religion and festivals, with communit…

Khattak (Pashtun tribe of Pakistan) Khattak Khattak are a prominent Pashtun tribe of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, known for their history, Pashto literary tradition and settlements from Akora Khattak along the Indus to dist…

Khattar (clan) — a Potohar tribe of northern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khattar (clan) Khattar is a landowning tribal community of the Potohar plateau in northern Punjab and adjacent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, known for agriculture, local leadership and service…

Khitan language An overview of the extinct Khitan language of the Khitan people, its writing systems, classification debates, surviving corpus, and historical significance in medieval Northeast As…

Khitan people: nomads of northeastern Asia and founders of the Liao state Khitan people The Khitan (Khitai) were a nomadic people from northeastern Asia who established the Liao dynasty and later the Western Liao; they spoke the Khitan language and developed two uniqu…

Khmer people The Khmer are the principal ethnic group of Cambodia, with a distinct language, script, culture and history centered on the Angkorian civilization and Theravada Buddhism.

Kho people (Khowar-speaking Chitralis of northern Pakistan) Kho people An Indo-Aryan ethnic community centered in Chitral, Pakistan, the Kho (Khowar speakers) are largely Sunni Muslim with a distinct mountain culture, language, crafts and musical trad…

Khoisan peoples: San and Khoikhoi — origins, languages, genetics, and distribution Khoisan Overview of the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa, covering their composition (San and Khoikhoi), languages, history, genetics, distribution, cultural notes, and common misconcept…

Khokhar (Punjabi tribal community) Khokhar Khokhar is a Punjabi tribal community historically centered in the Salt Range. Predominantly Muslim and traditionally landowning, Khokhars were influential in medieval Punjab and r…

Kickapoo people The Kickapoo are an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people of North America and Mexico, known for a history of migrations, three federally recognized U.S. tribes, distinct language,…

Kikones (Cicones): a brief account of the Thracian tribe of Ismarus Kikones Kikones (Cicones) were a Thracian people of the southern Thrace coast near Ismarus, known chiefly from Homeric narrative. This article summarizes their location, literary role, and…

Kikuyu people: language, culture, history and contemporary role Kikuyu The Kikuyu are Kenya's largest Bantu-speaking ethnic group, centered on the central highlands. This article outlines their language, social organization, historical development, ec…

Kimbundu (North Mbundu): a Bantu language of northwestern Angola Kimbundu Kimbundu, or North Mbundu, is a major Bantu language of Angola spoken by the Ambundu in the Luanda region and neighbouring provinces. It has distinct grammar, dialects, and cultura…

Klickitat (Native American tribe) Klickitat The Klickitat are a Shahaptian-speaking Indigenous people of the Columbia River Gorge region. This article covers their language, territory, traditional economy, history, and moder…

Korean Americans Korean Americans are U.S. residents of Korean ancestry, largely from South Korea, forming a distinct cultural, economic, and political community with deep transnational ties and di…

Korean Canadians Korean Canadian An overview of Canadians of Korean heritage: history, communities, culture, demographics, and contemporary issues across Canada.

Kowtow: Traditional East Asian Prostration and Its Cultural Roles Kowtow Kowtow is a traditional East Asian act of deep respect—kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground—used historically in family, religious, and imperial contexts and now preser…

Kra–Dai languages A major language family of Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia, including Thai and Lao; overview of branches, features, history, writing systems, and cultural significance.

Kshetri (Chhetri): the Khas Kshatriya community of Nepal Kshetri Kshetri (Chhetri) are a major Nepali caste historically associated with warrior, administrative and landholding roles among the Khas people. Their origins, social role, and modern…

Kukatja (Western Desert people and language) Kukatja Kukatja — an Indigenous Western Desert people and language of central Australia. Coverage includes territory around Balgo and Lake Gregory, linguistic classification, culture, hist…

Kunya: Arabic Honorific Name and Parental Title Kunya Kunya is an Arabic honorific created from abu (father) or umm (mother) plus a child's name; used as a respectful parental or descriptive title across Arabic-speaking and many Islam…

Kurdish people: identity, language, geography and modern history Kurdish people Overview of the Kurds: an Iranian ethnic group of Western Asia, their homeland (Kurdistan), dialects, history, social life, religion, political developments and diaspora.

Kutchi people — community of the Rann of Kutch region Kutchi people The Kutchi are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from the Rann of Kutch area, with distinct language, crafts and traditions across Gujarat and Sindh and a sizable diaspora.

Kven people The Kven are a Finnic ethnic minority in northern Norway with roots in Finnish- and Swedish-speaking communities; they speak the Kven language, maintain distinct cultural tradition…

Kyrgyz people: history, language, culture and modern identity Kyrgyz people Ethnic Turkic people of Central Asia whose historical homeland is Kyrgyzstan; known for nomadic traditions, the epic Manas, horse culture and a majority Sunni Muslim faith.

Labia majora: anatomy, development, function, and clinical considerations Labia majora Overview of the labia majora: external folds of the female vulva, their structure, development, functions, variation, and clinical and cultural relevance.

Langues d'oïl: the northern Gallo‑Romance languages Langues d'oïl Langues d'oïl are the group of Gallo‑Romance varieties that evolved from Latin in northern Roman Gaul; their best‑known descendant is modern French, alongside Norman, Walloon, Pica…

Latin American Canadians Canadians with family origins in Latin America: overview, languages, migration history, demographic profiles, cultural contributions, and distinctions in identity and terminology.

Lenape (Delaware): people, language, territory and history Lenape Overview of the Lenape (Delaware): their language, social organization, traditional territory (Lenapehoking), European contact and displacement, and contemporary communities and re…

Li people (Hlai) — ethnic group of Hainan Island Li people Overview of the Li (Hlai) people of Hainan: names, language, history, cultural traits, and contemporary situation within China’s recognized ethnic groups.

List of countries by Human Development Index (HDI) List of countries by Human Development Index Overview and explanation of the Human Development Index, how countries are grouped, its origins, methodology, uses, and limitations; includes coverage notes and commonly used varia…

Ethnic groups of China: overview and the 56 recognized nationalities List of ethnic groups in China Summary of China's officially recognized ethnic groups (56 nationalities), their terminology, major peoples, geographic distribution, historical background and cultural significanc…

Llanito (Yanito): the vernacular of Gibraltar Llanito Llanito, or Yanito, is the everyday speech of Gibraltar: a form of Spanish heavily mixed with English and other languages, notable for code-switching and serving as a local identit…