They are found across much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Odisha , West Bengal, Chhattisgahr , Bihar and into parts of Bangladesh. Their language is Mundari, which belongs to the Munda subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family * Mostly Munda people follow the Sarna religion, believing in a god called Singbonga. * However one-fourth of them have adopted Christianity.[citation needed] * The surname of a Munda defines their identity. Many surnames are common among other tribes with minute variations. Surnames are based on natural elements, trees, animals birds or any nature related object which are often found in Chotanagpur region.
* The Santhal (also spelled as Santal (formerly also spelt as Sontal or Sonthal)), are the largest tribal community in India, who live mainly in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Assam. There is also a significant Santhal minority in neighboring Bangladesh, and a small population in Nepal. The Santhals belong to the Proto-Australoid group, and may have arrived in India soon after the Negritos. The name is given because of the similarity of racial type with Australian tribes. There is no precise information as to when this race first came into India. It is found among the prehistoric skulls in the Tinnevelly district, and from references in early Sanskrit literature to Nishads, where they are described as noseless (anash) with dark skin colour and peculiar speech and habits, there can be no doubt that the Proto-Australoid tribes were meant. The Santhals are short in stature, and among them the broad flat nose with a sunken nose ridge is fairly common. They frequently have wavy hair;sometimes it is curly, though it is never frizzy. They share all these characteristics with other primitive tribes in the same group. To the Proto-Australoid races may perhaps be attributed a largest share of totemistic rites,