Tofalars (Тофалары, тофа (tofa) in Russian; formerly known as карагасы, or karagas) are a Turkic-speaking people in the Irkutsk Oblast in Russia. Their origins, language, and culture are close to those of the eastern Tuvans-Todzhins. Before the October Revolution, the Tofalars used to be engaged in nomadic reindeer breeding in taiga and hunting.