Russia’s vast territory is home to a diverse, multi-ethnic population, though a huge majority of this population (81%) are ethnic Russians. Modern Russians formed from East Slavic tribes (Rus’), but little is known about these tribes outside of archaeological remains. Rus’ comes from the Old Norse word for “men who row”, and probably referred to Norsemen who arrived in the region from Sweden. The Kievan Rus’, a loose federation of states which grew from the East Slavic tribes, and from which the name “Russia” is derived, are the ancestors of modern Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.