The Alawites of Lebanon, numbering approximately 82,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a small religious minority belonging to Alawite Islam, a heterodox branch historically associated with Shiʿa Islam. In Lebanon, they form a distinct community with roots in northern coastal Syria, concentrated mainly in Tripoli and nearby areas. They are an Indigenous people, in the Arab, Levant people cluster of the Arab Peoples affinity bloc. Their primary religion is Islam - Shia. They primarily speak Arabic, Levantine.