Ethnic minorities in Poland
Encyclopedia
96.7% of the people of Poland
claim Polish nationality
, and 97.8% declare that they speak Polish
at home (Census 2002). The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world as a result of the radically altered borders after World War II
and the subsequent migrations. This homogeneity is a result of post-World War II
deportations ordered by the Soviet
authorities, who wished to remove the sizeable Polish minorities from Lithuania
, Belarus
and Ukraine
and deportations of Ukrainians from Poland (see territorial changes of Poland
and historical demography of Poland for details). Unlike in many other countries, the rights of ethnic minorities
in Poland are guaranteed directly in the Constitution
(art. 35).
, Poland is also inhabited by numerous national minorities. The following numbers on nationalities are from the Polish census of 2002
.
settled in Poland in the 14th century, and an Armenian colony gradually formed through successive immigrations. According to the Polish census of 2002
, there are 1,082 Armenians in Poland,, although Armenian-oriented sources cite estimates as high as 92,000. The Armenian-Orthodox community converted to Catholicism
in the 18th century. There is still an Armenian church in formerly Polish Lwów (now Lviv
in Ukraine
) with clergy that preach in the Armenian language. The remains of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve the community.
, 48,700 people declared they belong to this group.
They live in close concentrations on south and east area of Białystok, near and in areas adjoining Belarus border.
s live in Poland, many of them in Zelów
or near the Czech
border. Arguably, the most famous Pole with Czech roots is painter Jan Matejko
.
, Silesia, East Prussia
and Lubusz Land
. The current estimates based on the 2002 census gives 147 094 Germans living mainly in the region of Opole
, Katowice
and Częstochowa
(south-west part of Poland).
live in central and southeast Poland, most of whom came in 1949, after the Greek Civil War
. It is estimated that after this conflict, some 14,000 Greeks came to Poland, settling mainly in the town of Zgorzelec
in Lower Silesia
. In the course of the time, most of them returned to their homeland or moved to Germany
. Today, there is an estimated 25,000 Greeks living in Poland. Among famous Poles of Greek origin, are a popular pop singer Eleni Tzoka
, drummer Milo Kurtis (who played in such bands as Maanam
and Voo Voo
), and guitar virtuoso Apostolis Anthimos
from progressive rock band SBB.
. Nazis
sent most of the Jewish population to concentration camps where they were gassed and killed. A number of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust emigrated to Israel. If not for the Holocaust, the Jewish people would probably constitute Poland's largest minority group
. According to the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, at the time of the 2002 census, there were 1,055 Jewish people in Poland. Its representatives live mainly in large cities like Warsaw
, Wrocław, Kraków
and Lublin
.
estimated there are up to 500,000 Kashubians
in Poland. In the Polish census of 2002, however, only 5,100 people declared Kashubian nationality, although 51,000 declared Kashubian as their native language.
in Poland, according to the 2002 census. They live in close concentrations, in Suwałki in the north-east of Poland, and in the territory of Puńsk
commune where they constitute 80% of inhabitants.
in central and southern Poland.
are scattered around the territory of Poland but mostly reside in eastern Poland. There are 3244 Russians in Poland, according to the 2002 census. The HFHR estimated around 13,000-15,000 Russians
are in Poland. This society includes also Old Believers
who are members of the Eastern Old Believers' Church and account for 2,000–3,000 persons living in the south-east of Poland.
migrated to Poland in mass numbers in the mid 15th century. Mostly from the Highlands of Scotland
and mainly Catholic
and Episcopalian
they were fleeing from religious persecution and harsh economic conditions. By the 17th century there were an estimated 30,000 Scots living in Poland. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen and could be found in Polish towns from Krakow to Lublin. To this day there is believed to be many Poles of Scottish ancestry.
estimated there are up to 2,000,000 Silesians in Poland. In the Polish census of 2002, however, about 200,000 people officially declared Silesian nationality, although only about 60,000 declared Silesian as their native language.
live in some areas in southern Poland, to the number of 1710 according to the Polish 2002 census. Polish Slovaks inhabit two small frontier regions in the Spisz and Orawa (south of Poland, near Polish-Slovak border). Larger groups of Slovaks are in Kraków
and Silesia
region.
still exist and still practice Islam
. Some Polish towns, mainly in northeastern Poland (in Podlaskie Voivodeship
) have mosque
s. Tatars arrived as mercenary soldiers beginning in the late 14th century. The Tatar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but the 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring this nationality.
are scattered in various eastern and northern districts. In the Polish census of 2002 27,172 people declared they belong to this group.
, Britons, Turks
, Hungarians, French
, Italians, Serbs
, Croats
, Bulgarians
, Romanians
, Georgians
, Africans, Palestinians, other Arabs, Kurds, Scandinavians
, Chechens and Vietnamese
, who constitute small ethnic communities within major cities such as Warsaw
, Kraków
, and Gdańsk
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
claim Polish nationality
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, and 97.8% declare that they speak Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
at home (Census 2002). The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world as a result of the radically altered borders after 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...
and the subsequent migrations. This homogeneity is a result of post-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...
deportations ordered by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
authorities, who wished to remove the sizeable Polish minorities from Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and deportations of Ukrainians from Poland (see territorial changes of Poland
Territorial changes of Poland
Poland is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and historical demography of Poland for details). Unlike in many other countries, the rights of ethnic minorities
Minority rights
The term Minority Rights embodies two separate concepts: first, normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or sexual minorities, and second, collective rights accorded to minority groups...
in Poland are guaranteed directly in the Constitution
Constitution of Poland
The current Constitution of Poland was adopted on 2 April 1997. Formally known as the Constitution of the Republic of Poland , it replaced the temporary amendments put into place in 1992 designed to reverse the effects of Communism, establishing the nation as "a democratic state ruled by law and...
(art. 35).
Declared nationality
Other than the PolesPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, Poland is also inhabited by numerous national minorities. The following numbers on nationalities are from the Polish census of 2002
Polish census of 2002
- Significant ethnic minorities :In addition to Poles, ethnic groups of more than 25,000 people compose the following:-References:...
.
- 38,230,080 Total population of Poland
- 36,983,720 Polish
- 774,885 Nationality not specified
- 471,475 Non-Polish, or multi-racial, including nationalities with more than 1,000 people:
- 173,153 SilesianSilesiansSilesians , are the inhabitants of Silesia in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. A small diaspora community also exists in Karnes County, Texas in the USA....
- 152,897 GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- 48,737 BelarusianBelarusiansBelarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
- 30,957 UkrainianUkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
- 12,855 Roma
- 6,103 RussianRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
- 5,863 Lemko
- 5,846 LithuanianLithuaniansLithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
- 5,062 KashubianKashubiansKashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....
- 2,001 SlovakSlovaksThe Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
- 1,808 VietnameseVietnamese peopleThe Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
- 1,633 FrenchFrench peopleThe French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
- 1,541 AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
- 1,404 GreekGreeksThe 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....
- 1,367 Italian
- 1,133 Jews
- 1,112 BulgarianBulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
- 1,082 ArmenianArmeniansArmenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
- 173,153 Silesian
Armenians
Around 50,000 ArmeniansArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
settled in Poland in the 14th century, and an Armenian colony gradually formed through successive immigrations. According to the Polish census of 2002
Polish census of 2002
- Significant ethnic minorities :In addition to Poles, ethnic groups of more than 25,000 people compose the following:-References:...
, there are 1,082 Armenians in Poland,, although Armenian-oriented sources cite estimates as high as 92,000. The Armenian-Orthodox community converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
in the 18th century. There is still an Armenian church in formerly Polish Lwów (now Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) with clergy that preach in the Armenian language. The remains of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve the community.
Belarusians
In the Polish census of 2002Polish census of 2002
- Significant ethnic minorities :In addition to Poles, ethnic groups of more than 25,000 people compose the following:-References:...
, 48,700 people declared they belong to this group.
They live in close concentrations on south and east area of Białystok, near and in areas adjoining Belarus border.
Czechs
According to the Polish census of 2002, 386 CzechCzech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
s live in Poland, many of them in Zelów
Zelów
Zelów is a town in Bełchatów County, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland, with 8,307 inhabitants .- Jews in Zelow :2,000 Jews lived in Zelow before the 2nd world war. Most of them were executed in Chełmno, and others were deported to Łódź Ghetto and from there to the death camps....
or near the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
border. Arguably, the most famous Pole with Czech roots is painter Jan Matejko
Jan Matejko
Jan Matejko was a Polish painter known for paintings of notable historical Polish political and military events. His most famous works include oil on canvas paintings like Battle of Grunwald, paintings of numerous other battles and court scenes, and a gallery of Polish kings...
.
Germans
Germans remain in PomeraniaPomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, Silesia, East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
and Lubusz Land
Lubusz Land
Lubusz Land is a historical region and cultural landscape in Poland and Germany, on both sides of the Oder river.Originally the settlement area of the West Slavic Leubuzzi, a Veleti tribe, the swampy area was located east of Mark Brandenburg and west of Greater Poland, south of Pomerania and north...
. The current estimates based on the 2002 census gives 147 094 Germans living mainly in the region of Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
, Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
and Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
(south-west part of Poland).
Greeks
Some 4 - 5,000 GreeksGreeks
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....
live in central and southeast Poland, most of whom came in 1949, after the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
. It is estimated that after this conflict, some 14,000 Greeks came to Poland, settling mainly in the town of Zgorzelec
Zgorzelec
Zgorzelec is a town in south-western Poland with 33,278 inhabitants . It lies in Lower Silesian Voivodeship . It is the seat of Zgorzelec County, and also of the smaller district of Gmina Zgorzelec...
in Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
. In the course of the time, most of them returned to their homeland or moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Today, there is an estimated 25,000 Greeks living in Poland. Among famous Poles of Greek origin, are a popular pop singer Eleni Tzoka
Eleni Tzoka
Eleni Tzoka is a Polish female singer of Greek descent.-Biography:Tzoka was born to a Greek family which emigrated to Poland in the 1950s. At an early age, she was familiarized with music by her parents and numerous siblings who would constantly play or sing...
, drummer Milo Kurtis (who played in such bands as Maanam
Maanam
Maanam is a popular Polish rock band, formed by Marek Jackowski, Kora and Milo Kurtis in 1976. Originally an acoustic outfit, the band went electric in 1980, and since then has recorded some of the best-selling singles and albums in Poland over the past 25 years.During the first half of the...
and Voo Voo
Voo Voo
-Band members:* Wojciech Waglewski - guitar, main vocals, and lyrics. Founder and leader of the band, its name comes from his initials. Father of Bartosz Waglewski and Piotr Waglewski, better known as Fisz and Emade. He also plays with the bands "Osjan" and "Gaya"....
), and guitar virtuoso Apostolis Anthimos
Apostolis Anthimos
Apostolis Anthimos is a jazz / rock oriented guitarist, drummer and keyboard player of Greek origin.He is a member of the Polish progressive rock band SBB....
from progressive rock band SBB.
Jews
The Jewish community, once numbering 3,474,000, was almost entirely wiped out, due to the HolocaustThe Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
sent most of the Jewish population to concentration camps where they were gassed and killed. A number of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust emigrated to Israel. If not for the Holocaust, the Jewish people would probably constitute Poland's largest minority group
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
. According to the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, at the time of the 2002 census, there were 1,055 Jewish people in Poland. Its representatives live mainly in large cities like Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Wrocław, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
.
Kashubians
INTERREGInterreg
Interreg is an initiative that aims to stimulate cooperation between regions in the European Union. It started in 1989, and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund...
estimated there are up to 500,000 Kashubians
Kashubians
Kashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....
in Poland. In the Polish census of 2002, however, only 5,100 people declared Kashubian nationality, although 51,000 declared Kashubian as their native language.
Lithuanians
There are 5,639 LithuaniansLithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
in Poland, according to the 2002 census. They live in close concentrations, in Suwałki in the north-east of Poland, and in the territory of Puńsk
Punsk
Puńsk is a village with 1,050 inhabitants in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. Over 80% of the population of Puńsk is Lithuanian. It lies in the northeastern part of Poland, only from the border with Lithuania....
commune where they constitute 80% of inhabitants.
Macedonians(FYR)
There are 4,000 to 5,000 MacedoniansMacedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
in central and southern Poland.
Roma
There are 12,731 Roma in Poland, according to the 2002 census. They are dispersed and live on the area of the whole country, although their more numerous concentrations are in the south of Poland.Russians
RussiansRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
are scattered around the territory of Poland but mostly reside in eastern Poland. There are 3244 Russians in Poland, according to the 2002 census. The HFHR estimated around 13,000-15,000 Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
are in Poland. This society includes also Old Believers
Old Believers
In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
who are members of the Eastern Old Believers' Church and account for 2,000–3,000 persons living in the south-east of Poland.
Scots
Scottish peopleScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
migrated to Poland in mass numbers in the mid 15th century. Mostly from the Highlands of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and mainly Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
they were fleeing from religious persecution and harsh economic conditions. By the 17th century there were an estimated 30,000 Scots living in Poland. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen and could be found in Polish towns from Krakow to Lublin. To this day there is believed to be many Poles of Scottish ancestry.
Silesians
INTERREGInterreg
Interreg is an initiative that aims to stimulate cooperation between regions in the European Union. It started in 1989, and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund...
estimated there are up to 2,000,000 Silesians in Poland. In the Polish census of 2002, however, about 200,000 people officially declared Silesian nationality, although only about 60,000 declared Silesian as their native language.
Slovaks
SlovaksSlovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
live in some areas in southern Poland, to the number of 1710 according to the Polish 2002 census. Polish Slovaks inhabit two small frontier regions in the Spisz and Orawa (south of Poland, near Polish-Slovak border). Larger groups of Slovaks are in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
region.
Tatars
Small populations of Polish Lipka TatarsLipka Tatars
The Lipka Tatars are a group of Tatars who originally settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the beginning of 14th century. The first settlers tried to preserve their shamanistic religion and sought asylum amongst the non-Christian Lithuanians...
still exist and still practice Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Some Polish towns, mainly in northeastern Poland (in Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship
Podlaskie Voivodeship , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. It borders on Masovian Voivodeship to the west, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to the northwest, Lublin Voivodeship to the south, the Belarusssian Voblasts of Grodno and Brest to the east, the Lithuanian Counties of Alytus and...
) have mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s. Tatars arrived as mercenary soldiers beginning in the late 14th century. The Tatar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but the 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring this nationality.
Ukrainians
UkrainiansUkrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
are scattered in various eastern and northern districts. In the Polish census of 2002 27,172 people declared they belong to this group.
Other
There are also national groups of AmericansUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Britons, Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, Hungarians, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Italians, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, Georgians
Georgian people
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, Africans, Palestinians, other Arabs, Kurds, Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
, Chechens and Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
, who constitute small ethnic communities within major cities such as Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, and Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
.
External links
- Ethnic and national minorities in Poland, Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration