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The Volga Finns are a group of Finno-Ugric peoples whose languages likely began to differentiate around 1200 BCE. Today, they are primarily composed of the Mordvins and the Mari people. The Mordvins reside in a region near the middle reaches of the Volga River and are further divided into Moksha and Erzya subgroups. The Mari people live in the vicinity where the Volga and Kama rivers converge. These groups are part of the larger Finno-Ugric language family, which is related to the Samoyed languages, forming the Uralic language family. Historically, the Finno-Ugric peoples are believed to have originated in the region between the Ural Mountains and the middle Volga River.12

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