The majority of Chuvany live along the Anadyr River and its tributaries, in the villages of Markovo, Tavaivaam, Chuvanskoe, and Lamutskoe in the Chukchi Autonomous Okrug, totalling 1300 people. Some live in the Magadanskaya Oblast and Koryaksi Autonomous Okrug.

Traditionally they were nomadic hunters and reindeer herders. They also had small herds of domesticated reindeer for transportation. By the 19^th century remaining nomadic Chuvans developed large-scale reindeer husbandry like reindeer herding Chukchi, adopting the Chukchi Yaranga dwelling.

Chukotka went through enormous upheavals in the 1990’s and the impact on reindeer husbandry was dire. The livelihood is only beginning to recover after years of decline.