The Tozhu. General Information: Endonyms, Ethnographic Groups, Population, Settlement

According to the results of the All-Russian Population Census of 2010, the number of Tuvinians-Todzha was 1,858 people , and according to the 2020 census - 7,278 people. Tuvans-Todzha live compactly in the Todzha kozhuun of the Republic of Tyva.

The total number of Tozhu , according to the 2020 All-Russian Population Census, is 7,293 people (3,558 men and 3,735 women).

As of September 1, 2022, according to the Federal State Statistics Service, the population (permanent residents) of the Tozhu district of the Republic of Tyva was 6649 persons, of which 2891 were men (43.48%) and 3758 women (56.52%). In the Mongun-Tainigsky district, there were 6100 persons, of which 2652 were men (43.48%) and 3448 were women (56.52%). In the Tere-Kholsky district, there were 1994 persons, of which 867 were men (43.48%) and 1127 were women (56.52%).

The original of the Tozhu (the Tozhu Tuvan people) is tozhu or tozhu-kizhi.  The pre-revolutionary sources often identify this group as Soyots or Soyons. Their traditional activities are reindeer herding, hunting, and gathering. Their total number according to the All-Russian Population Census of 2010 is 1856 persons, of which 82 reside in the Tozhinsky district of the Republic of Tyva, and 1774 – in the Tere-Kholsky district.

The modern Tozhu language is a dialect of the Tuva language, which belongs to the northeastern group of Turkic languages of the Altai language family. The Tozhu dialect differs from the modern Tuva literary language, for the latter is based on a Central Asian dialect. In 1994, the Tozhu Tuvans acquired the minority statu. In 2002, they were included in the All-Russian Population Census with 4.435 people identifying themselves as Tozhu Tuvans.

Currently, the Tozhu reside in four districts (kozhuuns) of the Republic of Tyva: the Tozhu (rural settlements Azas, Iy, Systyg-Khem, Chazylar), the Mongun-Taiginsky (rural settlements Mogen-Buren, Toolaylyg), the Tere-Kholsky (rural settlements Shynaa, Kargy, Balyktyg, Emi) and the Erzinsky (rural settlement of Bai-Dag) districts.

Contemporary scholars recorded the following names of tribal groups (clans) of the Tozhinsky district: Ak, Urat, Soyan, Balykchy, Kol, Baraan, and Khoyuk. Since ancient times, the Ak clan lived in Kham-Syra and Iy, the Balykchy - on the shores of Lake Azas, the Chogdu and Kol in Adyr-Kezhig (kol means “the main”). The Chogdu (Choodu) clan is further divided into Ak-Chogdu and Kara Chogdu.