Arab

Arab refers to an ethnolinguistic group and cultural identity associated with the Arabic language and the communities that inhabit the Arab world. The term centers on people who speak Arabic and share a set of cultural or historical ties, but it is not a single nation or a uniformly homogeneous ethnicity. The Arab world comprises 22 member states of the Arab League, located in North Africa and the Middle East, with hundreds of millions of residents and a broad global diaspora.

Language is central to Arab identity. Arabic is a Semitic language with many regional dialects; Modern Standard Arabic is used in writing and formal communication, while everyday speech varies widely across regions. Diglossia—using different varieties of the language in different contexts—is common.

Arab identity is diverse in ethnicity, religion, and practice. While the majority are Muslim (including Sunni and Shia communities), there are also Christian and other religious communities within Arab-speaking populations. Arabs are defined by linguistic and cultural ties rather than a single religion, and there are Arabized or Arabic-speaking populations who are not ethnically Arab, as well as non-Arab ethnic groups within Arab-speaking countries.

Historically, the term arose with the spread of the Arabic language and the rise of Arab Muslim caliphates. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Arab nationalism emphasized shared language and culture across diverse peoples. The Arab League, established in 1945, reflects political cooperation among Arab states.

Arab culture encompasses literature, music, cuisine, and arts across a wide geographic and historical range, with regional varieties shaping a rich and pluralistic tradition.