Albanian communities in Greece
Encyclopedia
Albanians in Greece are divided into distinct communities as a result of different waves of migration. Albanians first migrated into Greece during late Middle Ages (late 13th century). The descendants of populations of Albanian origin who settled in Greece during the Middle Ages are the Arvanites
, who have been fully assimilated into the Greek nation and self-identify as Greeks. Today, they still maintain their distinct subdialect of Tosk Albanian
, known as Arvanitika
.
The Cham Albanians
are a group that also migrated to Greece during the same period and formerly inhabited coastal parts of Epirus
, in northwestern Greece. They were expelled from Epirus
during World War II
after large parts of their population collaborated with the Axis occupation forces, while Greek Orthodox Chams remained in Greece
and have assimilated into the Greek nation.
Alongside these two groups, a large wave of economic migrants from Albania
entered Greece after the fall of Communism (1991) and forms the largest expatriate community in the country.
, which formerly inhabited the coastal regions of Epirus, largely corresponding to Thesprotia
. The Chams are primarily distinguished from other Albanian groups by their distinct dialect of Tosk Albanian, the Cham dialect, which is among the most conservative of the Albanian dialects. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire
in Epirus, many Chams converted to Islam, while a minority remained Greek Orthodox. When Epirus joined Greece in 1913, following the Balkan Wars
, Muslim Chams lost the privileged status they enjoyed during Ottoman rule and were subject to discrimination from time to time. During World War II, large parts of the Muslim Chams collaborated with the Axis occupation forces, committing atrocities against the local population. In 1944, when the Axis withdrew, many Muslim Chams fled to Albania or were forcibly expelled by the EDES resistance group.
of, ultimately Albanian
origin who traditionally speak Arvanitika
, a form of Tosk Albanian
. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages
and were the dominant population element of some regions in the south of Greece until the 19th century. Arvanites today self-identify as Greeks
and have largely assimilated into mainstream Greek culture
. Arvanitika is endangered
due to language shift
towards Greek
and large-scale internal migration to the cities in recent decades.
along the border with Turkey
, as a result of migration during the early 20th century. They speak the Northern Tosk subbranch of Tosk Albanian
and are descendants of the Orthodox Albanian population of Eastern Thrace who were forced to migrate during the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
in the 1920s. They are known in Greece as Arvanites, a name applied to all groups of Albanian origin in Greece, but which primarily refers to the southern dialectological group of Arbëreshë
. The Albanian-speakers of Western Thrace and Macedonia use the common Albanian
self-appellation, Shqiptar.
are considered part of the Greek nation:
A small community is concentrated in the Ioannina prefecture
, where they form a majority in two villages of the Konitsa
district. This population speaks the Lab branch
of the Albanian language. The city of Ioannina
in the past had a substantial minority of Albanian-speakers, where a dialect intermediate between Cham and Lab was spoken . Notable Albanian writer, publicist and politician, Faik Konica
, and his brother, Mehmet Konica
, former Albanian Foreign Minister, were both born in Konitsa
.
Another small group of Albanian-speakers, speakers of a Northern Tosk Albanian dialect is to be found in the region of West Macedonia
, in the Florina regional unit. Albanian-speakers form a majority in the villages of Drosopigi, Flampouro
, and Lechovo
.
Arvanites
Arvanites are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a dialect of the Albanian language. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages and were the dominant population element of some regions of the Peloponnese and Attica until the 19th century...
, who have been fully assimilated into the Greek nation and self-identify as Greeks. Today, they still maintain their distinct subdialect of Tosk Albanian
Tosk Albanian
Tosk is the southern dialect of the Albanian language. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is the basis of the standard Albanian language.- Tosks :...
, known as Arvanitika
Arvanitika
Arvanitika also known Arvanitic is the variety of Albanian traditionally spoken by the Arvanites, a population group in Greece...
.
The Cham Albanians
Cham Albanians
Cham Albanians, or Chams , are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their own peculiar cultural identity, which is a mixture of Albanian and Greek influences as well as many...
are a group that also migrated to Greece during the same period and formerly inhabited coastal parts of Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, in northwestern Greece. They were expelled from Epirus
Epirus (region)
Epirus is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë in the north to the Ambracian Gulf in the south...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after large parts of their population collaborated with the Axis occupation forces, while Greek Orthodox Chams remained in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and have assimilated into the Greek nation.
Alongside these two groups, a large wave of economic migrants from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
entered Greece after the fall of Communism (1991) and forms the largest expatriate community in the country.
Cham Albanians
Groups of Albanians first settled in Epirus during the late Middle Ages. Some of their descendants form the Cham AlbaniansCham Albanians
Cham Albanians, or Chams , are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their own peculiar cultural identity, which is a mixture of Albanian and Greek influences as well as many...
, which formerly inhabited the coastal regions of Epirus, largely corresponding to Thesprotia
Thesprotia
Thesprotia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.-History:...
. The Chams are primarily distinguished from other Albanian groups by their distinct dialect of Tosk Albanian, the Cham dialect, which is among the most conservative of the Albanian dialects. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in Epirus, many Chams converted to Islam, while a minority remained Greek Orthodox. When Epirus joined Greece in 1913, following the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, Muslim Chams lost the privileged status they enjoyed during Ottoman rule and were subject to discrimination from time to time. During World War II, large parts of the Muslim Chams collaborated with the Axis occupation forces, committing atrocities against the local population. In 1944, when the Axis withdrew, many Muslim Chams fled to Albania or were forcibly expelled by the EDES resistance group.
Arvanites
In addition to the formerly sizeable communities in Epirus, there exist in Greece communities of Albanian origin who no longer identify as such. Although they retain a distinct Arvanitic ethnical identity, nationally they identify as Greeks. These are communities created by Albanian settlers during the Middle Ages (Arvanites) and during the first half of 20th century (Albanian-speakers of Northeastern Greece). Today they retain their dialect of the Albanian language and cultural similarities with Albanians, but refuse any national connection with them and do not consider themselves an ethnic minority.Arvanites
The main part of this groups is composed of the Southern Greek dialectological group of Arbëreshë speakers, known as Arvanites. They are a population group in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
of, ultimately Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
origin who traditionally speak Arvanitika
Arvanitika
Arvanitika also known Arvanitic is the variety of Albanian traditionally spoken by the Arvanites, a population group in Greece...
, a form of Tosk Albanian
Tosk Albanian
Tosk is the southern dialect of the Albanian language. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is the basis of the standard Albanian language.- Tosks :...
. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and were the dominant population element of some regions in the south of Greece until the 19th century. Arvanites today self-identify as Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and have largely assimilated into mainstream Greek culture
Culture of Greece
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire...
. Arvanitika is endangered
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
due to language shift
Language shift
Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or language replacement or assimilation, is the progressive process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. The rate of assimilation is the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue who speak...
towards Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and large-scale internal migration to the cities in recent decades.
Albanian-speakers of Western Thrace
Another small group is to be found in northeastern Greece, in Greek Macedonia and Western ThraceWestern Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
along the border with Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, as a result of migration during the early 20th century. They speak the Northern Tosk subbranch of Tosk Albanian
Tosk Albanian
Tosk is the southern dialect of the Albanian language. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is the basis of the standard Albanian language.- Tosks :...
and are descendants of the Orthodox Albanian population of Eastern Thrace who were forced to migrate during the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
in the 1920s. They are known in Greece as Arvanites, a name applied to all groups of Albanian origin in Greece, but which primarily refers to the southern dialectological group of Arbëreshë
Arvanites
Arvanites are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a dialect of the Albanian language. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages and were the dominant population element of some regions of the Peloponnese and Attica until the 19th century...
. The Albanian-speakers of Western Thrace and Macedonia use the common Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
self-appellation, Shqiptar.
Albanian (Arvanitika) speaking communities in Northwestern Greece
The small Arvanite-speaking communities in Epirus and the Florina PrefectureFlorina Prefecture
Florina is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of West Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Florina.-Geography:Florina borders the regional units of Pella to the east, Kozani to the south and Kastoriá to the southwest...
are considered part of the Greek nation:
A small community is concentrated in the Ioannina prefecture
Ioannina Prefecture
Ioannina is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the city of Ioannina. It is the largest regional unit in Epirus, and one of the largest regional units of Greece.-Geography:...
, where they form a majority in two villages of the Konitsa
Konitsa
Konitsa is a town in Epirus, Greece, near the Albanian border. It lies amphi-theatre shaped on a mountain slope of the Pindos mountain range, overlooking the valley where the river Aoos meets the river Voidomatis. The valley is used for farming. Konitsa is a regional centre for many small Pindos...
district. This population speaks the Lab branch
Labëria
Labëria is a region in southern Albania roughly reaching from Vlorë south to the Greek border near Sarandë, incorporating Gjirokastër and extending east to the city of Tepelenë. The people of Labëria are known as Labs, who have their own tradition of songs, dances and costumes....
of the Albanian language. The city of Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
in the past had a substantial minority of Albanian-speakers, where a dialect intermediate between Cham and Lab was spoken . Notable Albanian writer, publicist and politician, Faik Konica
Faik Konica
Faik Konica , born in Konitsa, was one of the greatest figures of Albanian culture in the early decades of the twentieth century. Prewar Albanian minister to Washington, his literary review, Albania, became the focal publication of Albanian writers living abroad...
, and his brother, Mehmet Konica
Mehmet Konica
Mehmet Konica, was a twice Foreign Minister of Albania . He was the brother of the Albanian writer Faik Konica....
, former Albanian Foreign Minister, were both born in Konitsa
Konitsa
Konitsa is a town in Epirus, Greece, near the Albanian border. It lies amphi-theatre shaped on a mountain slope of the Pindos mountain range, overlooking the valley where the river Aoos meets the river Voidomatis. The valley is used for farming. Konitsa is a regional centre for many small Pindos...
.
Another small group of Albanian-speakers, speakers of a Northern Tosk Albanian dialect is to be found in the region of West Macedonia
West Macedonia
West Macedonia is one of the thirteen regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Greek Macedonia. It is divided into the regional units of Florina, Grevena, Kastoria, and Kozani.-Geography:...
, in the Florina regional unit. Albanian-speakers form a majority in the villages of Drosopigi, Flampouro
Flampouro (Florina)
Flampouro is a village in the central part of Florina prefecture, northern Greece, part of the Perasma municipality. The original indigenous name for the village of Flambouro is Negovani and means "cold water" The village's year round population is estimated at 500 people, but in the summer it...
, and Lechovo
Lechovo
Lechovo is a village and a former community in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Amyntaio, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 1,227 . The picturesque village is set amongst the mountains of Northern...
.
Immigrants
After the fall of the communist regime in Albania in late 1990 and early 1991, a large number of economic migrants from Albania arrived in Greece, mostly illegally, and seeking employment. Recent economic migrants from Albania are estimated to account for 60-65% of the total number of immigrants in the country. According to the 2001 census, there are 443,550 holders of Albanian citizenship in Greece.See also
- AlbaniansAlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
- Minorities in GreeceMinorities in GreeceIndigenous minorities in Greece are small in size compared to regional standards. The country is largely ethnically homogeneous. This is mainly due to the population exchanges between Greece and neighboring Turkey and Bulgaria , which removed most Muslims and those Christian Slavs who did not...
- Albanians in the Republic of MacedoniaAlbanians in the Republic of MacedoniaAlbanians are the largest ethnic minority in the Republic of Macedonia. Of the 2,022,547 citizens of Macedonia, 509,083, or 25%, are Albanian according to the latest national census in 2002. The Albanian minority lives mostly in the north-western part of the country...
- Albanians in KosovoAlbanians in KosovoAlbanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo . According to the 1991 Serbian census, boycotted by Albanians, there were 1,596,072 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or 81.6% of population...
- Albanians in Central SerbiaAlbanians in Central SerbiaAccording to the 2002 census, there are 61,647 Albanians in Serbia if the Kosovo Albanians are not counted. Of those, 59,952 lived in former Central Serbia, mostly in the Preševo Valley, at the far south of Serbia near the border with Kosovo...
- Albanians in MontenegroAlbanians in MontenegroAlbanians in Montenegro constitute 4.91% of the county's total population. They mainly live in South-Eastern Montenegro, in the region commonly known as Malesija as well as in the municipality of Ulcinj .-Geography:...