The Old Order Amish today are a German-speaking religious sect who have maintained a distinctive, consistently traditional way of life since their migration to North America in the eighteenth century. The Amish emerge as unique, not only because of their austere lifestyle but also because they have steadfastly maintained it despite the all-pervasive forces of twentieth and twenty-first century modernization. Today, there are Old Order Amish communities in some 20 states, a Canadian province, and several Latin American countries. There are an estimated several hundred thousand Old Order Amish today, with the largest settlements in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.