A group (or culture) is a collection of people whose members identify in some fashion with each other. They may have a common heritage. This common heritage may consist of a common language, a common culture, a shared religion or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or association.
Another definition is "...a highly biologically self-perpetuating group sharing an interest in a homeland connected with a specific geographical area, a common language and traditions, including food preferences, and a common religious faith”. The concept of ethnicity differs from the closely related term race in that "race" refers to grouping based mostly upon biological criteria, while "ethnicity" also encompasses additional cultural factors.
Members of an ethnic group are usually conscious of belonging to that ethnic group. Moreover ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness.
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