Demographics Macedonia_(region)

distribution of races in balkan peninsula , asia minor in 1910 (historical atlas william r. shepherd, new york)



distribution of races in balkan peninsula , asia minor in 1918 (national geographic)

during medieval , modern times, macedonia has been known balkan region inhabited ethnic greeks, albanians, vlachs, serbs, bulgarians, jews, , turks. today, frontier region several different cultures meet, macedonia has extremely diverse demographic profile.

macedonian greeks self-identify culturally , regionally macedonians (greek: Μακεδόνες, makedónes). form majority of region s population (~51%). number approximately 2,500,000 and, today, live entirely in greek macedonia. greek macedonian population mixed, other indigenous groups , large influx of greek refugees descending asia minor, pontic greeks, , east thracian greeks in 20th century. due population exchange between greece , turkey, during on 1.2 million orthodox christian refugees turkey settled in greece, 638,000 of whom settled in greek province of macedonia. smaller greek minorities exist in bulgaria , republic of macedonia, although numbers difficult ascertain. in official census results, 86 persons declared greeks in bulgarian macedonia (blagoevgrad province) in 2001, out of total of 3,408 in bulgaria; while 442 persons described greeks in 2002 census in republic of macedonia.
ethnic macedonians self-identify macedonians (macedonian: Македонци, makedonci) in ethnic sense in regional sense. second largest ethnic group in region. because of slavic origin known macedonian slavs , slav macedonians (greek: Σλαβομακεδόνες, slavomakedones ). form majority of population in republic of macedonia according 2002 census, approximately 1,300,000 people declared macedonians. according latest bulgarian census held in 2001, there 3,117 people declaring ethnic macedonians in blagoevgrad province of bulgaria (pirin macedonia). official number of ethnic macedonians in bulgaria 5,071. relatively small number of ethnic macedonians exist among slavic-speakers of greek macedonia. there has not been census in greece on question of mother tongue since 1951, when census recorded 41,017 slavic-speakers, in west macedonia periphery of greece. linguistic classification of slavic dialects spoken these people can either bulgarian or macedonian, although people call language slavic . of these people declare ethnic greeks (slavophone greeks), although there small groups espousing ethnic macedonian , bulgarian national identities. in 1989 albanian census, approximately 5,000 albanian citizens declared macedonians.
macedonian bulgarians ethnic bulgarians self-identify regionally macedonians (bulgarian: mакедонци, makedontsi). represent bulk of population of bulgarian macedonia (also known pirin macedonia ). number approximately 370,000 in blagoevgrad province situated. there small bulgarian-identifying groups in albania, greece , republic of macedonia uncertain size. in republic of macedonia, 1,417 people claimed bulgarian ethnic identity in 2002 census. paradoxically, during last few years around 60,000 macedonians have applied bulgarian citizenship , 10,000 ethnic macedonians have obtained bulgarian passports. bulgaria s admission european union evidently powerful motivation factor. in order obtain must sign statement proving bulgarian origin, not recognizing rights minority.
albanians major ethnic group in region. ethnic albanians make majority in northern , western parts of republic of macedonia, , account 25.2% of total population of republic of macedonia, according 2002 census.
smaller numbers of turks, bosniaks, roma, serbs, vlachs (aromanians , megleno-romanians), egyptians, armenians , jews (sephardim , romaniotes) can found in macedonia.

religion

most present-day inhabitants of region eastern orthodox christians, principally of greek orthodox, bulgarian orthodox, serbian orthodox , macedonian orthodox churches. notable muslim minorities present among albanian, bulgarian (pomaks), macedonian (torbeš), bosniak, , turkish populations.