The "Greek Minority" in Albania are Orthodox Vlachs

[tchaiku]

Originally Posted by Amphipolis

Uh… according to the official Albanian data, Greek was the biggest minority (around 2,5%) in the post-war period and now they are 0,9% while Vlachs (Aromanians) are about 0,3%. Gypsies are also 0,3%.

The problem is that the Greek Party has taken more than 4% in elections (that was its’ highest percentage in mid-90s). Orthodox Christians are 6,7%.

Vlach and Hellene does not fit well together. In a historical context; the ancient Hellenes were assimilated in Romans when Christianization took over, before Slavic migration. By the first Millennium the Slavs were the majority in the Byzantine Empire. However to call the region that name it was given is acceptable. In few words you are Vlachs of Northern Epirus.

[tchaiku]

Originally Posted by Amphipolis

Uh… according to the official Albanian data, Greek was the biggest minority (around 2,5%) in the post-war period and now they are 0,9% while Vlachs (Aromanians) are about 0,3%. Gypsies are also 0,3%.

The problem is that the Greek Party has taken more than 4% in elections (that was its’ highest percentage in mid-90s). Orthodox Christians are 6,7%.

Greece uses inflated numbers who has the ethnic Greek minority about 320k-400k (more than 10 percent). Also for the Vlachs:

http://www.forumishqiptar.com/thread...si-grek%C3%AB?

[Carlin]

Arvanito-Vlach song from Mouzakia, Albania (Fier-Φέρικε-Φιέρι) - video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG7nvb1yGCM

[tchaiku]

Prior to the early 20th century, there was a small Greek minority in Southeastern Bulgaria, living largely between Varna to the north, Topolovgrad to the west and the Black Sea to the east, with a scattered rural population in the inland regions of the Strandzha and Sakar mountains.[1] The Greek-inhabited places in Strandzha and Sakar were the town of Topolovgrad and 9 villages: Oreshnik, Kapitan Petko Voyvoda, Sinapovo, Chukarovo, Golyam Manastir, Malak Manastir, Sharkovo, Malko Sharkovo, and Mamarchevo.[4] However, a large part of this population, the so-called Kariots,[5] is regarded by ethnographers (including Konstantin Josef Jireček) as having been only Greek-identifying, but of Bulgarian origin; (see Grecomans).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks_in_Bulgaria#

[Amphipolis]

So, it seems that the Orthodox Church of Albania is still fully functioning in... Greek? Any info or opinions from Albania?

http://www.albaniannews.com/index.php?idm=1106&mod=2

[tchaiku]

Originally Posted by Amphipolis

So, it seems that the Orthodox Church of Albania is still fully functioning in... Greek? Any info or opinions from Albania?

http://www.albaniannews.com/index.php?idm=1106&mod=2

Yes it is.

[Carlin]

Chimariotes are Albanians of Liapi (Lab) tribe, and speak only the Albanian language.










(I believe there might be some Arvanitovlach elements among these Chimariotes and others in this general area.)

[tchaiku]

Originally Posted by Carlin15

Chimariotes are Albanians of Liapi (Lab) tribe, and speak only the Albanian language.










(I believe there might be some Arvanitovlach elements among these Chimariotes and others in this general area.)

Christian Albanian refugees in XV/XVI century in Southern Italy from Himarë (Chimara).

The Arberesh descend from Albanian settlers in Southern Italy and Sicily in the 15" Century. The first settlers arrived during the first decades of the Ottoman Turkish occupation of the Balkans. Many of those first arrivals were from the Himara region of southern Albania and from the Peloponnese region of Greece, which they called Morea.

https://books.google.com/books?id=sU...onnese&f=false

[Carlin]

Thanks tchaiku. Do you have any info/findings regarding the Dropull municipality and nearby villages? Were they also Albanian-speakers and/or Vlach-speakers?

URL - Les albanais en Grèce:
http://journals.openedition.org/balkanologie/474

Les Aroumains constituent le deuxième groupe du sud albanais à bénéficier d'avantages similaires. Ceux-ci sont descendants de pasteurs transhumants qui étaient présents dans toute l'Épire et en Macédoine. Leur particularité dans cette région est l'adoption de la langue grecque. En effet, si la langue domestique est demeurée l'aroumain, les membres de ce groupe savaient / savent le grec, la plupart de leurs terres de parcours se situant dans des régions hellénophones (Dropull, région de Sarandë).

The Aromanians are the second largest group in southern Albania to enjoy similar benefits. These are descendants of transhumant pastoralists who were present throughout Epirus and Macedonia. Their particularity in this region is the adoption of the Greek language. Indeed, if the domestic language remained the Aromanian, the members of this group knew / know the Greek, most of their pasturelands being located in Hellenophone regions (Dropull, Sarandë region).

[tchaiku]

Originally Posted by Carlin15

Thanks tchaiku. Do you have any info/findings regarding the Dropull municipality and nearby villages? Were they also Albanian-speakers and/or Vlach-speakers?

URL - Les albanais en Grèce:
http://journals.openedition.org/balkanologie/474

Les Aroumains constituent le deuxième groupe du sud albanais à bénéficier d'avantages similaires. Ceux-ci sont descendants de pasteurs transhumants qui étaient présents dans toute l'Épire et en Macédoine. Leur particularité dans cette région est l'adoption de la langue grecque. En effet, si la langue domestique est demeurée l'aroumain, les membres de ce groupe savaient / savent le grec, la plupart de leurs terres de parcours se situant dans des régions hellénophones (Dropull, région de Sarandë).

The Aromanians are the second largest group in southern Albania to enjoy similar benefits. These are descendants of transhumant pastoralists who were present throughout Epirus and Macedonia. Their particularity in this region is the adoption of the Greek language. Indeed, if the domestic language remained the Aromanian, the members of this group knew / know the Greek, most of their pasturelands being located in Hellenophone regions (Dropull, Sarandë region).

Not something new, but my post about 'Vlach-Greeks' in Albania (last year) has mentioned Dropull (one of the region that Vlach Grecophones settled).