Greeks in North Macedonia
Total population | |
---|---|
294 | |
Languages | |
Greek and Macedonian | |
Religion | |
Eastern Orthodox Church | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Ethnic Greeks |
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Greeks (Macedonian: Грци, Grci [ɡr̩t͡si]) in North Macedonia form a small community numbering 294 individuals per 2021 census.[1]
History
[edit]Refugees from the Greek Civil War
[edit]Greeks are mainly settled now in the cities of Gevgelija (Greek: Γευγελή, Gevgelī́) and Bitola (Greek: Μοναστήρι, Monastī́ri).[2] Today this community is a remnant from the times of Communist Yugoslavia. Then many Greek communists fled Greece due to the Greek Civil War as political refugees.[3] Today here live mostly their descendants.[4] Ethnologue cites Greek as an "immigrant language" in North Macedonia.[5] In 2002, 422 individuals declared themselves as Greeks in the census.[6] The 2021 census recorded only 294 individuals declaring their ethnicity as Greek.[1]
Trivia
[edit]There is a historical controversy surrounding a Greek minority within North Macedonia, that stems from the late 19th and early 20th century Ottoman era statistical treatment of Aromanian and Slavic-speaking population groups in the area, which partially used to identify themselves as Greeks as part of the Rum millet.[7] A large number of Aromanians and Slavic-speakers with Greek identity left the region after the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and First World War (1914-1918) and settled in Greece.[8]
Notable historical personalities
[edit]The following Aromanian and Slavic people were born during Ottoman times in what is today North Macedonia and identified as Greek after the rise of nationalism in the Ottoman Empire:
- Theodoros Adam, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Charalambos Boufidis, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Petros Christou (1887-1908), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Georgios Karaiskakis (-1910), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Evangelos Koukoudeas, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Eleni Karinte, first love of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
- Dimitrios Lalas (1844/48-1911), composer and musician
- Georgios Modis (1887-1975), jurist, politician, writer and participant in the Macedonian Struggle
- Theodoros Modis, merchant, scholar and participant in the Macedonian Struggle
- Traianos Nallis (1874-?), politician
- Pantelis Papaioannou (c.1880-1907), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Theofylaktos Papakonstantinou (1905-1991), writer and politician
- Anastasios Pichion (1836-1913), educator and participant the Macedonian Struggle
- Michail Sapkas (1873-1956), politician and doctor
- Dimitrios Semsis (1883-1950), violinist
- Michael Sionidis (1870-1935), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Alexandros Svolos (1892-1956), President of Political Committee of National Liberation during WW2
- Dimitrios Tsapanos (1882/1883-?), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Dimitrios Tsitsimis, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
- Georgios Vafopoulos (1903-1996), poet, writer, teacher and journalist
- Antonios Zois (1869-1941), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle
See also
[edit]- Greece–North Macedonia relations
- Grecomans
- Macedonians (Greeks)
- Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia
- Aromanians in North Macedonia
References
[edit]- ^ a b Samartzis, Nonda. "Macedonia 2021 census" (PDF). Transitions Online. Retrieved 2023-01-05.
- ^ Cowan, Jane K. (2000). Macedonia: The Politics of Identity and Difference. London; Sterling, Virginia: Pluto Press. p. 118. ISBN 9780745315898. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Pg.440 Minahan, James (2000). One Europe, many nations. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313309847.
- ^ Koutsoukalēs, Alekos (1998). To chroniko mias tragōdias, 1945-1949. Iōlkos. ISBN 9789604260935. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ Gordon, Raymond G. Jr., ed. (2005). "Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition". SIL International. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ^ Stavrova, Biljana; Alagjozovski, Robert (2003-09-12). "Macedonia's census opens new doors". Transitions Online. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Roudometof, Victor (1996). "Nationalism and Identity Politics in the Balkans: Greece and the Macedonian Question". Journal of Modern Greek Studies. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Clogg (2002). Minorities in Greece: Aspects of a Plural Society. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-85065-705-7. Retrieved 2008-11-08.