• Other Vlachs
 

Aromanians (also called: Macedo-Romanians or Aroumans; in Aromanian they call themselves Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are a people living throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Romania (Dobruja). They are the second most populous group of Vlachs, behind modern-day Romanians. Main areas inhabited by Yoruk tribes in Anatolia The Yörük are a Turkic-speaking people primarily inhabiting the mountains of the southeast European Balkan peninsula and Anatolia. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

They speak the Aromanian language, a Romance language related to Romanian, sometimes classified as a dialect of it.^[6] Due to the common language foundations, dating from the times of Latin language, historians believe that the language link with Romanian was interrupted between the 7th and 9th century, after the most important features of the Proto-Romanian language were formed. Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was the century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... Common Romanian (also known as Proto-Romanian) is a hypothetical language considered to have been spoken by the Romanians after the breakdown of the Roman Empire and before it was broken into modern Balkan Romance languages and dialects: Romanian Aromanian Megleno-Romanian Istro-Romanian The place where this language was...

Names and Classification

Main article: Names of the Aromanians

The name Armãn - EN Aromanian, just as Romanian, derives directly from Latin Romanus ("Roman") through regular sound changes. Adding "a" in front of certain words that begin with a consonant is a feature of the Aromanian language. In Albania, the most common form is rrãmãnji or rrãmenji. This is one position considering the name, but recent studies have shown that it may be viewed from a different perspective.The name AROMANUS can be viewed from the Greco-Roman language whose mixture existed in the Balkans during the Roman conquest. Hence A-ROMANUS would have a completely different meaning: A- well-known Greek negation (also used in some English words) and ROMANUS (Roman) meaning a non-Roman, denoting the ancestry (Thraco-Illyro-Macedonian) of the Aromanians.^[7] There are several names of Aromanians used throughout the Balkans, both autonyms (like armân) and exonyms (like Vlach). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Nominated according to the geographic area, Aromanians are grouped into several "branches": "Pindians" (Aromanian "Pindenji" concentrated around the Pindus Mountains in the south-western of the Republic of Macedonia, northern Epirus, and western Thessaly), "Gramustians" (Aromanian "Yrãmushcianji" from Gramos Mountains, concentrated in the western of the Greek province of Macedonia and the northernmost of Epirus), "Muzachiars" (Aromanian "Muzachirenji" from Muzachia) and "Farsherots" (Aromanian "Fãrshirots" from Pharsala, concentrated in south of Epirus, in Aetolia-Acarnania, area known in the Middle Ages as Small Wallachia). The first three groups call themselves Armãnj, while the Farsherots (with a distinct dialect) call themselves Rrãmãnj. There is also a tendency to state the "Moscopolitans" (Aromanian "Moscopolenji" from Moscopole) as a separate group out of the "Farsherots". All three are called Vlahi in Greek. Vlachs was a term used in the Medieval Balkans, as an exonym for all the Romanic people of the region, but nowadays, it is commonly used only for the Aromanians and Meglenites, the Romanians being named Vlachs only in historical context (mostly because of Wallachia). The term Vlach has had its form changed into the following languages: Macedonian: Vlasi, Albanian: Vllehe and Turkish: Ulahlar. Interesting to note that the term Vlach also meant "bandit" or "rebel" in medieval historiography. Vlach was further a name used by the Ottomans to denote Christians in Bosnia. Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... The Pindus (Greek: Πίνδος, Albanian: Pino) mountains are a range located in northern Greece, roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2636 m (8650 ft), along the border of Thessaly and Epirus. ... The flag of the Provisional Government of Northern Epirus in 1914. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... Gramos (Γράμος) is a community in the Kastoria Prefecture, Greece. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... Muzachia (Aromanian Muzachia, Albanian Muzaqi) a part of modern day Albania was a place predominantly inhabited by Aromanians. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... Farsala (Greek: Φάρσαλα), ancient times: Pharsalus is one of the largest cities in the prefecture and is also a municipality as well as a province. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... Voskopojë (Albanian with definite article Voskopoja; Aromanian: Moscopole; Aromanian with definite article Moscopolea; Greek: Μοσχόπολις, Moscopolis or Moschopolis; Serbian: Moskopolje;) is a small village currently in south-eastern Albania. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An exonym is a name for a place or people that is created by people outside of that place and is different from the name used in the native language. ... Meglenites (also known as: Megleno-Romanians in Romania or Vlachs in their home countries; they call themselves Vlaşi) are a linguistic community living in a few villages in the Meglen region of the Kilkis prefecture of Macedonia (Greece) and neighbouring areas of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... This article is about a geographic region of Bosnia. ...

The Gramustians and Pindians are nicknamed in Greece Koutsovlachs meaning "limping Vlachs". (This name has been noticed also among the Slavic peoples, especially in the folk stories cf. Marko Cepenkov). Another name used to refer to the Aromanians (mainly in the Slavic countries such as Serbia and Bulgaria) is "tsintsar" (also spelled tzintzar, cincar or similar), which is derived from the way the Aromanians say the word 'five': "tsintsi". Some Vlachs are called "Arvanitovlachoi" (usually for the Farsherots, Moscopolitans and Muzachiars), meaning Albanian Vlachs, referring to the place from where they originate. Albanians also call them "Chobans" (from Turkish Çoban meaning shepherd), a word also used to refer to them in Greek ("chobani" "τσομπάνοι"). Marko Kostov Cepenkov (Bulgarian: ) (born in Prilep, present-day Republic of Macedonia 1829 - 1920 in Sofia, Bulgaria) was a Bulgarian folklorist from Macedonia. ...

Origins

Aromanian shepherd in traditional clothes, photo from the early 1900s, Archive: Manachia Brothers

The Jireček Line

It is hypothesized that these Vlachs originated from the Roman colonisation of the Balkans and are the descendants of latinised native peoples and Roman legionaries who had settled in the Balkans. The fact that the Roman colonisation of Epirus and Macedonia began earlier and lasted longer than that of Dacia would suggest that the Aromanian Vlachs may have preceded the Romanians in Balkan history. Vlach Shepherd in traditional clothes This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Vlach Shepherd in traditional clothes This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... // Public flight demonstration of an airplane by Alberto Santos-Dumont in Paris, November 12, 1906. ... I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ... I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ... The Jireček Line The Jireček Line is an imaginary line that divided in the ancient Balkans, until the 4th century, the influences of the Latin (in North) and Greek (in South) languages. ...

There are many theories regarding the origins of the Aromanians. In Greece, they are believed to be descending from a local Greek population that was Latinised immediately following the Roman conquest of Greece, or later, during the first centuries of the Byzantine Empire when Latin continued to be the official language. On the contrary, in other neighboring countries they are considered to be the descendants of Latinised Illyrian and Thracian peoples who emigrated to the south after the slavic invasions of the Balkans. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Roman Greece is the period of Greek history following the Roman victory over the Corinthians at the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC until the reestablishment of the city of Byzantium and the naming of the city by Emperor Constantine I as the capital of the Roman Empire (as Nova... Byzantine redirects here. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ...

In total, the main theories regarding the origins of Aromanians describe them as:

• Descendants of the Proto-Romanians (romanized Thracians and/or Illyrians)

or Common Romanian (also known as Proto-Romanian) is a hypothetical language considered to have been spoken by the Romanians after the breakdown of the Roman Empire and before it was broken into modern Eastern Romance languages and dialects: Romanian Aromanian Megleno-Romanian Istro-Romanian The place where this language was... The term Thraco-Roman refers to the culture and language of the Thracian peoples who were incorporated into the Roman Empire, and fell under the Roman sphere of influence. ... Illyria (disambiguation) Illyrians has come to refer to a broad, ill-defined Indo-European[1] group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans (Illyria, roughly from northern Epirus to southern Pannonia) and even perhaps parts of Southern Italy in classical times into the Common era, and spoke Illyrian languages. ...

• The descendants of Roman colonizers and soldiers, who would receive agricultural lands as payments for their services.

or Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...

• Latinized Greeks

It is however clear that until the 7th - 9th century, Romanians and Aromanians spoke the same eastern variant of Vulgar Latin, often known as Proto-Romanian. This term was not accepted by many linguists because it denotes a form of only the Romanian language thus supporting only the Romanian theory. This in fact puts the other two languages which developed from this form of Vulgar Latin: the Meglenite and the Istrian languages. Hence it is more proper, politically and historically correct to use the term Balkan Latin proposed by many Modern linguists like for example Kostas Dinas and Nikolaos Katsanis. Vulgar Latin, as in this political graffito at Pompeii, was the speech of ordinary people of the Roman Empire — different from the classical Latin used by the Roman elite. ... Common Romanian (also known as Proto-Romanian) is a hypothetical language considered to have been spoken by the Romanians after the breakdown of the Roman Empire and before it was broken into modern Eastern Romance languages and dialects: Romanian Aromanian Megleno-Romanian Istro-Romanian The place where this language was... Romanian (limba română, IPA: ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people[1], primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... Common Romanian (also known as Proto-Romanian) is a hypothetical language considered to have been spoken by the Romanians after the breakdown of the Roman Empire and before it was broken into modern Balkan Romance languages and dialects: Romanian Aromanian Megleno-Romanian Istro-Romanian The place where this language was...

History

Main article: History of the Aromanians

Ethnic map of the Balkans prior to the First Balkan War by Paul Vidal de la Blache.

In the Middle Ages, Aromanians created semi-autonomous states on the territory of modern Greece, such as Great Wallachia, Small Wallachia and Upper Wallachia. Benjamin of Tudela, a Spanish Jew who travelled through south-eastern Europe and the Middle East between 1159 and 1173, alludes to the Vlachs in The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela. He claimed that they enjoyed some measure of independence on their Valachian mountain tops. This article is about the history of the Aromanians. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 596 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1258 × 1266 pixel, file size: 346 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Carte ethnique des Balkans Source: Histoire Et Géographie - Atlas Général Vidal-Lablache, Librairie Armand Colin, Paris, 1898 Author: Scan... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 596 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1258 × 1266 pixel, file size: 346 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Carte ethnique des Balkans Source: Histoire Et Géographie - Atlas Général Vidal-Lablache, Librairie Armand Colin, Paris, 1898 Author: Scan... Combatants Ottoman Empire Balkan League: Bulgaria Greece Montenegro Serbia Commanders Nazim Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Esat Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Vladimir Vazov, Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis King Nicholas I, Prince Danilo Petrović, Mitar Martinović, Janko Vukotić Radomir Putnik, Petar Bojovi... Paul Vidal de la Blache (Pézenas, 1845 - Tamaris, 1918) was a French regional geographer. ... Byzantine Empire (in pink) and Wallachian Thessaly (in dark blue) Great Wallachia (Greek: Megale Vlachia; Romanian: Vlahia Mare), also Thessaly Wallachia, was a medieval state (12th and 13th century) of the Aromanian (Vlach) shepherds, which included the Thessaly region of Greece, the southern and central ranges of Pindus and extending...

Aromanians played an important role in the independence wars of various Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Albania and Greece, against the Ottoman Empire. But also in 1905 the Aromanians were acknowledged as a separate nation (millet) of the Ottoman Empire, allowing them to have their own schools and liturgy in their own Aromanian language. This happened during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid the Second, when the Aromanians even got their own representatives in the Great Gate. The day of the signing of the so-called Aromanian Iradeo or Turkish Irade, 23 of May is celebrated as the National Day of the Aromanians from the whole world and is celebrated as an official holiday in the Republic of Macedonia. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... Abdülhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی , Turkish: ) (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ... Aromanian (also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach in most other countries; in Aromanian: limba armãneascã, armãneshce or armãneashti) is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ...

In 1941, after the Nazi occupation of Greece, some Aromanian nationalists created an autonomous Vlach state under Fascist Italian control: the Principality of Pindus. Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism, or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state. ... The Principality of Pindus (also Pindo or Pindos) (in Aromanian: Principatu di la Pind) and Duchy of Macedonia was an autonomous state set up under fascist Italian and Bulgarian control in northwest Greece and southern Yugoslavia during the Second World War and Greek Civil War. ...

After the fall of Communism, the Aromanian nation formed its own cultural and political societies in the Balkans and started its new national re-awakening.

Culture

Traditional Culture

See also:

• Caloian
• List of prominent Aromanians

To be completed Caloian is a rain ritual in Romania, similar in some ways with Paparuda. ... This is a list in progress of world famous or important Aromanians and people having Aromanian ancestry. ...

Aromanians today

In Greece

Map of Balkans with regions inhabited by Aromanians in red

In Greece, Aromanians are not regarded as an ethnic minority, but are considered "Latin-speaking Greeks" (i.e. Greeks that speak a Romance language), as cognate with Slav minorities which are called "Slavophone Greeks" (i.e. Greeks that speak a Slavic language, or the Arvanites which have been called "Albanophone Greeks" (i.e. Albanian-speaking Greeks), since none of them express a non-Greek national identity. Generally, the use of the minority languages has been discouraged,^[8] although recently, there have been efforts from the Greek presidency to preserve endangered languages (including Aromanian). Image File history File links Map-balkans-vlachs. ... Image File history File links Map-balkans-vlachs. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) comprise the languages of the Slavic peoples. ... Arvanites (Greek: Αρβανίτες, see also below about names) are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a form of Albanian. ...

It is difficult to estimate the exact number of Aromanians, as no Greek census has recorded mother tongue statistics since 1951. Estimates on the number of Aromanians in Greece range between 200,000 to 700,000.^[9]

The majority of the Aromanian population lives in northern Greece, in scattered rural communities. The main areas inhabited by these populations are the Pindus Mountains, around Lake Prespa, and around the mountains of Olympus and Vermion. The Vermion Mountains are a mountain range in Imathia Prefecture in west-central Greek Macedonia. ...

The Aromanians today have a representative in the European Bureau for Lesser Spoken Languages in Greece.

In Albania

The second largest Aromanian community lives in Albania, counting between 100,000 and 200,000 people. There are currently timid attempts to establish education in their native language in the town of Divjaka. The Aromanians, under the name "Vlachs", are a recognized national minority in the Albanian constitution. In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that forms less than half of the population. ...

For the last years there seems to be a renewal of the former policies of supporting and sponsoring of Romanian schools on the behalf of the Vlachs of Albania. As a recent article in the Romanian media points out, the kindergarten, primary and secondary schools in the Albanian town of Divjaka where the local Vlach pupils are taught classes both in Aromanian and Romanian were granted substantial help directly from the Romanian government. The only Aromanian language church in Albania, the 'Schimbarea la fata' of Korçë (Curceao in Aromanian) was given 2 billion lei help from the Romanian government too. Many of the Albanian Aromanians have immigratted to Greece as homogeneis, since they are considered part of the Greek minority in Albania. Korçë (Albanian: Korçë or Korça, Greek: Κορυτσά Koritsá , Italian: Corizza, South Slavic: Корча, Korcha or Корче, Korče, Aromanian: Curceaua, Turkish: Görice) is a major city in south-eastern Albania, located at near the border with Greece. ...

In the Republic of Macedonia

According to official government figures (census 2002), there are 9,695 Aromanians or Vlachs as they are officially called in the Republic of Macedonia, even though other sources estimate their numbers as high as 100.000 according to their associations'and other estimates [5]. The Aromanians are recognized as an ethnic minority, and are hence represented in parliament and enjoy ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious rights and the right to education in their language. For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ...

They have also received financial support from the Romanian government, which made recognition of the Republic of Macedonia's independence conditional on the extension of minority rights to the Aromanians. There are Aromanian cultural societies such as Union for Aromanian Culture from Macedonia, The Aromanian League of Macedonia, The International League of Aromanians, Comuna Armãneascã Frats Manachia (The Aromanian Community Manachia Brothers Bitola), Partia-a Armãnjlor di tu Machedonia (The Party of the Aromanians from Macedonia) and Unia Democraticã-a Armãnjlor di tu Machedonia (The Democratic Union of the Aromanians from Macedonia).

There are optional Aromanian classes in primary schools and the state funds some Aromanian published works (magazines and books) as well as works that speak of the Aromanian culture, language and history. The latter is mostly done by the first Aromanian Scientific Society "Constantin Belemace" - Skopje, which has organized Symposiums on the Aromanian history and has published the papers of the Symposiums.

In Bulgaria

In Bulgaria most Aromanians were concentrated in the region south-west of Sofia, in the region called Pirin, formerly part of the Ottoman Empire until 1913. After 1913, a massive campaign of bulgarisation started under the auspice of the Bulgarian Government.^{[citation needed]} Due to this reasons, a large part of these Aromanians moved to the Southern Dobruja, part of the Kingdom of Romania since the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913, and after its reinclusion in Bulgaria with the Treaty of Craiova of 1940, moved to Northern Dobruja. Another group moved to northern Greece. Nowadays, the largest group of Aromanians in Bulgaria is found in the southern mountainous area, around Peshtera. Besides Aromanians, in the northern part, Bulgaria also hosts an ethnic Romanian minority, along the Danube, from Vidin to Rousse. To the border with Serbia, there are other groups of Vlachs (see Vlachs of Serbia), who speak a language identical to modern Romanian, although they prefer to call it "Vlach" (see Vlach language (Serbia)). This article is about the capital of Bulgaria. ... Vihren from the south Kamenitsa Peak and the lake Tevno ezero Pirin range as seen from Kalimantsi village The Gazey peak looked from Polejan and the Upper Gazey Lake The Pirin Mountains (Bulgarian: Пирин) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with Vihren (2,914 m high) the highest peak, situated... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Southern Dobruja (Южна Добруджа, Yuzhna Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobrogea de sud or Cadrilater in Romanian) is an area of north-eastern Bulgaria comprising the administrative districts named for its two principal cities of Dobrich and Silistra. ... From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two vassal principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia) under a single prince to a full-fledged independent kingdom with a Hohenzollern monarchy. ... The Treaty of Bucharest was concluded on August 10, 1913, by the delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece. ... The Treaty of Craiova was signed on September 7, 1940 between Romania and Bulgaria. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted Northern Dobruja (Dobrogea in Romanian; Северна Добруджа, Severna Dobrudzha in Bulgarian) is the part of Dobruja that is part of Romania. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Vidin (Bulgarian: Видин; Romanian: Vidin, Diiu) is a town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. ... Dohodno Zdanie is a theatre building which is considered a symbol of the city Rousse (also transliterated as Ruse or Russe; Bulgarian: ; formerly also Rustchuk) is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of 176,115. ... It has been suggested that Official status of Romanian language in Vojvodina be merged into this article or section. ... Romanian (limba română, IPA: ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people[1], primarily in Romania and Moldova. ...

After the fall of communism in 1989, Aromanians, Romanians and Vlachs have started initiatives to organize themselves under one common association.^[10][11][12]

According to the 1926 official census, there were: 69.080 Romanians, 5.324 Aromanians, 3.777 Cutzovlachs, and 1.551 "Tsintsars".

According to the 2001 census, there are 10,566 Vlachs (Aromanians) in Bulgaria [6].

In Romania

Romanian and Aromanian shepherds on Mount Larga, in the Carpathians. 1927.
See Picture Gallery.

Since the Middle Ages, due to the Turkish occupation and the destruction of their cities, such as Moscopole, many Aromanians fled their homeland in the Balkans to settle the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, which had a similar language and a certain degree of autonomy from the Turks. These immigrant Aromanians were more or less assimilated into the Romanian population. Image File history File links Papahagit2. ... Image File history File links Papahagit2. ... Satellite image of the Carpathians. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Voskopojë (Albanian with definite article Voskopoja; Aromanian: Moscopole; Aromanian with definite article Moscopolea; Greek: Μοσχόπολις, Moscopolis or Moschopolis; Serbian: Moskopolje;) is a small village currently in south-eastern Albania. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ...

In 1925, 47 years after Dobruja was incorporated into Romania, King Carol II of Romania gave the Aromanians land and privilleges to settle in this region, in order to achieve relative majority of vlach-speakers in a region formerly inhabited mostly by Bulgarians, which resulted in a significant migration of Aromanians into Romania. Today, the 25% of the population of the region are descendants of Aromanian immigrants (especially from Thessaly, Greek Macedonia and Vardar Macedonia).^{[citation needed]} Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... Carol II of Romania, (15 October 1893 – 4 April 1953) reigned as King of Romania from June 8, 1930 until September 6, 1940. ... Map showing Thessaly periphery in Greece Thessaly (Θεσσαλια; modern Greek Thessalía; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is one of the 13 peripheries of Greece, and is further sub-divided into 4 prefectures. ... This article is about the region of Greece. ... Vardar Macedonia (Macedonian: Вардарска Македонија, Vardarska Makedonija; Bulgarian: Вардарска Македония, Vardarska Makedoniya), also known as Southern Serbia]/Old Serbia (Serbian:Јужна Србија / Стара Србија, Južna Srbija / Stara Srbija) is the north-western area of the Macedonia region. ...

There are currently between 25,000 and 50,000 Aromanians in Romania, most of which are concentrated in Dobruja, although Aromanian associations place the total number of people of Aromanian descent in Romania as high as 250,000. Due to their cultural closeness to ethnic Romanians, most of them do not consider themselves to be a distinct ethnic minority but rather a "cultural minority"^{[citation needed]}. Recently, there has been a growing movement in Romania, both by Aromanians and by Romanian lawmakers, to recognize the Aromanians either as a separate cultural group or as a separate ethnic group, and extend to them the rights of other minorities in Romania, such as mother-tongue education and representatives in parliament. Languages Romanian language Religions Predominantly Romanian Orthodox, but also including Romanian Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Atheist. ...

In Serbia

There are currently 15,000 Aromanians in Serbia. The majority of Aromanians in Serbia do not speak Aromanian. Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ...

Diaspora

Except for the Balkan countries, there are also communities and groups of Aromanian emigrants living in the United States, Canada, France and Germany.

In Germany, at Freiburg, is situated one of the most important Aromanian organisations, the Union for Culture and Language of the Aromanians, and one of the largest libraries in Aromanian language. This article refers to the city in Baden-Württemberg. ...

In the United States, The Society Fărşărotul, is one of the oldest and most known associations of Aromanians, founded in 1903 by Nicolae Cican, an Aromanian native of Albania.

In France, the Aromanians are grouped in the Trâ Armânami cultural association.

Identity crisis

Aromanians have played a major role in the history of almost all modern Balkan states, especially Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Republic of Macedonia, Romania. Prominent Aromanians include Pitu Guli, also known as "Peter the Vlach", (Macedonian Slav revolutionary), Ioannis Kolettis (prime minister of Greece), Evangelos Averof (minister of Defence of Greece), Andrei Şaguna, ( Romanian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Transylvania and Romanian patriot), the Ghica family (Wallachian and Moldavian voivodes and Romanian Prime Ministers), etc. See List of prominent Aromanians. Pitu Guli (Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian: Питу Гули), also called Dimitrios Gouli and Peto the Vlach (1865, Krushevo - present day Republic of Macedonia—1903, Krushevo) was an ethnic Aromanian (Vlach) revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia, a local leader of, what is commonly referred to, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO). ... Ioannis Kolettis (1773-1847) - Athens, National Historical Museum Ioannis Kolettis (1773-1847) was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence. ... Andrei Åžaguna (1809, Miskolc, Hungary—1873, Sibiu) was a Metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania, and one of the Romanian community political leaders in the Habsburg Monarchy, especially active during the 1848 Revolution. ... The Romanian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... Ghica family was a Romanian noble family. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... This is a list in progress of world famous or important Aromanians and people having Aromanian ancestry. ...

In Greece there has been development of a Greco-Vlach identity on the part of many Aromanians. Aromanians from outside Greece sometimes view this as a result a longstanding government-supported process of linguistic assimilation ; some Greek Aromanians, at the same time, dispute this, often describing themselves as 'latin-speaking Greeks'.

Besides the geographical/linguistic classification, another classification here divides the Aromanians into two branches: an anti-Greek and a philo-Greek faction. The greekophiles have been pejoratively called by the rest of the Aromanians as Grecomans respective "cataoni", "katchani" or "caciauni". Interesting to note is that the Sarakatsani, according to Romanian scholars, are a tribe of Aromanians, completely Hellenised at some point in the 18th and 19th centuries. They themselves, however, tend to reject any such connection to the Aromanians. Grecomans (Bulgarian: гъркомани, Macedonian: гркомани, Romanian: grecomani, Albanian: grekomani) is a pejorative term used in Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania and Albania[1] for people of Arvanitic. ... For the dog breed, see Bulgarian Shepherd Dog. ...

A hellenisation of the minorities of Greece dates back centuries , Aromanians from outside Greece prefer to argue, noticed by historians and observers of the Greek society.

As opposed to the Greek influence, the Romanian influence has been regarded as a problem in the Republic of Macedonia, and the Aromanians who support the propaganda coming from Bucharest have been called valahuts or rumanofilji. Nickname: Motto: Patria si Dreptul Meu (My Country and My Right) Location of Bucharest within Romania (in red) Coordinates: , Country County Founded 1459 (first official record) Government  - Mayor Adriean Videanu Area  - City 228 km²  (88 sq mi)  - Metro 238 km² (91. ...

Aromanians from Serres.

Many Aromanians of Greece have locally specific ideas regarding their origin and role in Greek society and history. Many identify themselves as heirs of the Byzantine tradition, while pro-Greek vlachs argue that the Greek language of the Byzantine empire has a bearing on links to Greek culture. The early history of the Aromanians in Greece includes several struggles, usually for social reasons, and Aromanians in several countries have a tradition of rebellion and penchant for separateness and secession. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Serres (Greek: Σέρρες, older form: Σέρραι, Turkish: Serez or Siroz, Slavic: Серез/Serez, Сяр/Syar or Сер/Ser) is a city in the Greek region of Macedonia. ... Byzantine redirects here. ...

According to Kekaumenos they are descendants of Thracian tribes,^[13] that became part of the Byzantine Empire. Since these times, the history of the Vlachs, who were constantly regarded as a nuisance by the Greeks,^[14] whose history was marked by permanent rebellions and struggle against the imperial rule. Great Wallachia existed until 980 when emperor Basil II conferred the domination over the Vlachs of Thessaly on one Nicoulitza. The revolt of the Vlachs in 1066 under their chieftain Verivoi, as attested by the Byzantine historian Kekaumenos, would provide total independence. Nicetas Choniates, Benjamin of Tudela,^[15] Geoffroy de Villehardouin, Henri de Valenciennes, Robert de Clary, and other sources accounts the existence of this Great Wallachia, comprising Thessaly, as opposed to other two "Wallachias", Little Wallachia in Acarnania and Aetolia, and an Upper Wallachia in Epirus. This coincides with the period of the first Vlachian state entities across the Balkan Peninsula: Great Wallachia, the Vlach-Bulgar Empire, Wallachia and Moldavia. Benjamin of Tudela, a Spanish Jew who visited Thessaly in 1173, describes the Vlachs as living in the mountains and coming down from them to attack the Greeks. In relation with the Byzantine Empire, he adds: "no Emperor can conquer them".^[16] Interesting to note that Benjamin of Tudela did not describe them as a separate ethnic group, but as a group of rebels, who may have had Jewish origins. Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... Kekaumenos is the family name of the otherwise anonymous Byzantine author of a Strategikon composed c. ... Nicetas Choniates (c. ... Map of the route Benjamin of Tudela (flourished 12th century) was a medieval Spanish Jewish Rabbi, traveler and explorer. ... Geoffrey of Villehardouin (in French Geoffroi de Villehardouin) (1160–c. ... Byzantine Empire (in pink) and Wallachian Thessaly (in dark blue) Great Wallachia (Greek: Megale Vlachia; Romanian: Vlahia Mare), also Thessaly Wallachia, was a medieval state (12th and 13th century) of the Aromanian (Vlach) shepherds, which included the Thessaly region of Greece, the southern and central ranges of Pindus and extending... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ...

During the Ottoman ruling, Aromanian culture and economic power became more evident, as Vlachs concentrated in urban center, some of which were considered huge, characterized with the standards of those times. For example Moscopole at that time was one of the largest cities of the Balkans, having a population of 60.000. For comparison, at that time Athens was a village inhabited by 8,000 people. Moscopole had its own printing houses and academies, current water and sewerage network. They enjoyed some degree of religious and cultural autonomy within the Greek Orthodox millet (a Turkish term for a legally protected ethnic and religious minority groups). They enjoyed a special status, being formally exempted from the law prohibiting non-Muslims from carrying weapons,^[17] only having to pay a modest tribute to the Ottomans. Their cities were destroyed by the Ottomans: Moscopole was raised to the ground in 1778 by the troops of Ali Pasha. This episode and the Orthodox religion of the Vlachs were the factors which caused a violent and energetic struggle against the Ottomans, assigning to the Vlachs a major role in the various wars and revolutions that culminated in the creation of the states which they now inhabit: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and the Republic of Macedonia. Later, all of these freedom fighters would have been attributed "Hellenic" reasons in their actions and ideology. There are indeed to be found people of Aromanian origin among the protagonists of early Greek political life, as they found opportunities to establish themselves in this new state. This is explained by the fact that many Aromanians adopted the Greek language under the influence of the Greek schools and churches, the only ones entitled by the Ottomans to function and to by maintained by the Patriarchs of Constantinople (all of whom were of Greek origin). Interesting to note that Patriarch Athenagoras (born during the Ottoman rule in Epirus), was of Aromanian origins, and thus considered a Greek by descent. Voskopojë (Albanian with definite article Voskopoja; Aromanian: Moscopole; Aromanian with definite article Moscopolea; Greek: Μοσχόπολις, Moscopolis or Moschopolis; Serbian: Moskopolje;) is a small village currently in south-eastern Albania. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution) is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. ... Engraving of Ali Pasha Ali Pashë Tepelena, commonly known as Ali Pasha, (1741 – January 24, 1822) was the military ruler (pasha) of a large area of the Ottoman Empires European territories. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ... Patriarch Athenagoras I (left) met Pope Paul VI in 1964 Patriarch Athenagoras I (born Aristokles Spyrou) (March 25, 1886 - July 6/7, 1972) was the Patriarch of Constantinople from 1948 to 1972. ... Epirus, spanning Greece and Albania. ...

Sir Charles Eliot's (British Diplomat to the Porte) contemporary view of the Vlachs identity is clear from work "Turkey in Europe": "...The Bulgarians, Serbs and Vlachs have Millets of their own and do not cooperate in the Hellenic cause" [...] "we hear of Vlach bands who are said to contend (fight against) Greeks in the region of Karaferia (Veria)".^[18] Indeed, as early as the time of the Byzantines when Vlachs raided the lowlands inhabited by the Greeks, and during the time when Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire, Greek Armatoloi (military/police units) deserving the Turks were one of the greatest enemies of the Aromanians. Whereas the Klephts had been their allies. Charles Eliot (1959-1897), noted American landscape architect. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Armatoloi (Αρματωλοι in Greek meaning Armed People) were local Greek villagers that functioned as military/police units governing Byzantine lands. ... Klephts (Greek κλέφτης, pl. ...

Following the destruction of their major urban centers, histography^{[citation needed]} speaks about a "re-pastoralization" of the Vlachs, returning to their basic traditional occupation, animal husbandry. Other thousands of Vlachs, many of them belonging to the Aromanian intelligentsia, emigrated northward to Wallachia, Moldavia, Serbia or the Habsburg Empire (notably to Vienna and Budapest). For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Budapest (disambiguation). ...

Their arrival there coincided with the establishment in Europe of the ideals of the 1789-1799 French Revolution: nationhood, equality, mother tongue and "human rights". In the Habsburg occupied Transylvania, they will connect with the latinophile Romanian intelligentsia, as part of what was known as the Transylvanian School. These intellectuals promoted the ideas which would spark the period known as the National awakening of Romania, which, after a century's time ceased to be under de jure Ottoman rule. It is in these times that Aromanian personalities became prominent, such as Gheorghe Roja, the author of "Untersuchungen uber die Romanier oder sogenannten Wlachen, welche jenseits der Donau wohnen" ("Researches upon the Romanians or the so-called Vlachs who live beyond the Danube"; Pesth, 1808). The first attempt to create a literary language for those described as "Macedo-Romanians" was Roja's "Maiestria ghiovasirii romanesti cu litere latinesti, care sant literele Romanilor ceale vechi"(Buda, 1809). Another Vlach emigrant was Mihail G. Boiagi. He would publish in 1813 in Vienna "Aromunisch oder Mazedowalachisch Sprachlehre" (Aromanian or Macedo-Vlach grammar). In the foreword to his work, Boiagi wrote: "Even if the Vlachs would claim, say Hotenton origin, even in that case they ought to have the right and duty to cultivate themselves in their mother tongue, as the most appropriate way to fulfill their creed". The Metsovo born D.D. Cozacovici would publish in 1865 "Gramatica Romaneasca tra Romanilii dit drepta Dunarelei lucrata de D. Athanasescu, si typarita cu spesele D.D. Cosacovici, Roman din Metsova, spre an inaugura prima scoala Romana din Macedonia, Bucuresti 1865" ("Romanian Grammar to serve the South of the Danube Romanians worked by Dimitrie Athanasescu and printed from the donations of D.D. Cozacovici, Romanian of Metsovo in order to inaugurate the first Romanian school of Macedonia"). The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... This article is about the region in Romania. ... The Transylvanian School (Şcoala Ardeleană) was a cultural movement which was founded after part of the the Romanian Romanian Orthodox Church of Transylvania accepted the leadership of the Pope and became the Romanian Greek-Catholic Uniate Church. ... During the period of Austro-Hungarian rule in Transylvania and Ottoman suzerainty over Wallachia and Moldavia, most Romanians were in the situation of being second-class citizens (or even non-citizens) in their own country. ...

The pressure on Aromanians to become linguistically assimilated can be traced back to the 18th century, when assimilation efforts were encouraged by the Greek missionary Cosmas of Aetolia (1714-1779) who taught that Aromanians should speak Greek because as he said "it's the language of our Church" and established over 100 Greek schools in northern and western Greece. The offensive of the clergy against the use of Aromanian was by no means limited to religious issues but was a tool devised in order to convince the non-Greek speakers to abandon what they regarded as a "worthless" idiom and adopt the superior neo-Greek speech: "There we are Metsovian brothers, together with those who are fooling themselves with this sordid and vile Aromanian language... forgive me for calling it a language", "repulsive speech with a disgusting diction".^[19] Cosmas of Aetolia (sometimes Kosmas of Aetolia or Cosmas/Kosmas the Aetolian) (Greek: Κόσμας Αιτολος/Kosmas Aitolos), (1714 - 1779) was a monk in the Greek Orthodox Church. ...

Cover of Les Aroumains, of Aromanian writer Nicolae Trifon.

A century later, almost 100 Romanian schools were opened in the Ottoman territories of Macedonia and Albania, starting as early as 1860. It is very important to be noted that this initiative was proposed by the Aromanian Diaspora living in Bucharest. The first nucleus of the Romanian schooling in Macedonia and Pindus was to be established in 1860 and its initiators were a group of Aromanians then living in Bucharest: D.D. Cozacovici (native of Metsovo), Zisu Sideri, Iordache Goga (native of Klissoura) and others. Together they initiated the "Society for Macedo-Romanian Culture", under the endorsement of the then Romanian ruling class. "Societatea Culturala Macedo-Romana" ("The Macedo-Romanian Cultural Society") had as its members (together with its Aromanian founding core represented by D.D. Cozacovici, Sideri, Goga, Grandea etc.) also the acting Prime and Foreign Ministers, as well as the Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the elite of the Romanian political class: Mihail Kogălniceanu, Ion Ghica, Constantin Rosetti, etc. Image File history File links LesAroumains. ... Image File history File links LesAroumains. ... Nickname: Motto: Patria si Dreptul Meu (My Country and My Right) Location of Bucharest within Romania (in red) Coordinates: , Country County Founded 1459 (first official record) Government  - Mayor Adriean Videanu Area  - City 228 km²  (88 sq mi)  - Metro 238 km² (91. ... The Romanian Orthodox Church (Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ... Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (September 6, 1817, Iasi - July 1, 1891, Paris) was a Romanian statesman, historian and publicist, he became the first Prime minister of Romania October 11, 1863, after the union of Moldavian and Wallachian principalities. ... Ion Ghica (1817-1897) was a Romanian diplomat and a prime minister of Romania between 1866 and 1867 and also between 1870-1871. ... Constantin Rosetti Constantin Rosetti (1816, Budapest - 1885) was a Romanian statesmen. ...

At their peak, just before the Balkan wars, there were 6 secondary gymnasiums, and 113 primary schools, teaching in Romanian. Greeks didn't saw these schools with a good eye. The city of Metsovo (Aminciu in Aromanian) was destroyed in 1854 not only by Turkish forces, but also by the Greeks,^[20] and the Romanian school in the village of Avdhela in Pindus, which was one of the first Romanian schools, active as early as 1867, was burned and raised to the ground on October 27th 1905 by Greek guerrillas.^[21] This event prompted street anti-Greek demonstrations in Bucharest in the autumn of 1905 of the Aromanians living there, and a rupture of diplomatic relations between Romania and Greece.^[22] “Guerrilla” redirects here. ...

Romania subsidized schools until 1948 when the communist regime ended all links. George Padioti, an Aromanian author (born and living all his life in Greece) describes how the last Romanian school was closed down by the Greek government: Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

According to Sevold Braga in his treatise Die Aromunische Minderheit in Griechenland (Albumul Macedo-Roman II, Freiburg 1964), the Romanian help suddenly stopped with the coming of Communism. Braga's explanation was that in fact Romania has shown its true face and had used the Aromanians for its political purposes during the Ottoman reign but afterwards threw them away and disowned them. Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ...

Greek historians, when mentioning the Vlachs that attended the Romanian sponsored churches and schools of Macedonia, Epirus and parts of Albania, describes them as being victims of Romanian propaganda, for the reason that they sent their children to schools where they were taught that they are Romanians.

Due to the sponsoring of the schools, the Kingdom of Romania of was accused by Greece^{[citation needed]} of alliance with the Ottomans. The Vlachs, recognized as a separate nation by the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, were for the first time incorporated in Greece only at 1881 when Thessaly and a part of Epirus were offered to Greece by the Great Powers, under the same treaty. Having been split into two by the new borders, the bulk of the Vlachs of these province petitioned^[24] the Great Powers of the time to be let to stay within the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire, but in vain. Greece followed a policy of creating a Greater Greece, according to the "Megali Idea". Most of the Aromanians became part of the Greek state in 1913 after the rest of Epirus and parts of Macedonia became part of Greece after the First Balkan War. The name Treaty of Berlin is attached to four treaties: Treaty of Berlin, 1878 Treaty of Berlin, 1899 Treaty of Berlin, 1921 Treaty of Berlin, 1926 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Megali Idea (Greek: Μεγάλη Ιδέα, lit. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Balkan League: Bulgaria Greece Montenegro Serbia Commanders Nazim Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Esat Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Vladimir Vazov, Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis King Nicholas I, Prince Danilo Petrović, Mitar Martinović, Janko Vukotić Radomir Putnik, Petar Bojovi...

Roughly at the same time, the first studies regarding the Aromanians were published by western observers. Among these, names like Rebecca West, Osbert Lancaster or Sir Charles Eliot's are worth to be mentioned. Lancaster, who visited Greece in 1947, stated: Dame Rebecca West, DBE (December 21, 1892–March 15, 1983), whose real name was Cicely (she later changed it to Cicily) Isabel Fairfield, was a British-Irish feminist and writer famous for her novels and for her relationship with H. G. Wells. ... Example of a Lancaster Pocket Cartoon Sir Osbert Lancaster (1908 - 1986) was an author, diplomat and art critic. ... Charles Eliot (1959-1897), noted American landscape architect. ...

The interbellic time period is of great interest regarding the Aromanian history. The main event was the immigration of the Aromanians in the first decades of the 20th century,. One of the reasons for the sudden departure of the Vlachs, had to do with the policies of the Greek state, who had to accommodate one and a half million of Greeks of Asia Minor following the 1923 exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. In addition, the Romanian state had offered them land and privilleges, in order to populate its new province of Dobruja, soon after annexing it from Bulgaria. The 25% of the region's population still traces its origins in Greece. Cartoon The 1923 Exchange of Populations between Greece and Turkey refers to the first large scale population exchange, or agreed mutual expulsion in the 20th century. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ...

The last important act for non Greek-ruling constitutes the Principality of Pindus episode. During World War II, the Italian attack on Greece provided an opportunity for some Aromanians to create what they called "Vlach homeland". This fascist puppet state would survive until 1947, when it would be reincorporated in Greece. When referring to this moment, modern Greek histography describes the Aromanians as victims of Romanian "agents", which infiltrated Greece to spread "Italo-Romanian Propaganda". The Principality of Pindus (also Pindo or Pindos) (in Aromanian: Principatu di la Pind) and Duchy of Macedonia was an autonomous state set up under fascist Italian and Bulgarian control in northwest Greece and southern Yugoslavia during the Second World War and Greek Civil War. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state. ...

Aromanians today come after more than 50 years after the closure of the last school and church in the Romanian language. The old term "Vlach" is still used as a "pejorative" by Greeks,^[27] but the modern term denoting vlach, "vlahos", has become quite separate. It was after the Regime of the Colonels when the first local cultural organizations were formed to prevent the extinction of the language and culture. These organisations never had government support. Aromanian language had never been included in the educational curriculum of Greece, as it had always been considered a vulgar language. On the contrary, their use has been strongly discouraged. Such attitudes have led many Vlach parents to discourage their children from learning their mother tongue so to avoid similar discrimination and mistreatments..^[28] Currently there is no education for Aromanian children in their mother tongue, and there are no public televisions or radio-stations emitting fully or partially in Aromanian. George Papadopoulos Greek Γεώργιος Παπαδόπουλος, Georgios Papadopoulos, (May 5, 1919 – June 27, 1999) was the head of the military coup détat that took place in Greece on April 21, 1967... First language (native language, mother tongue, or vernacular) is the language a person learns first. ...

The European Parliamentary Assembly examined a report on the Aromanians in 1997 which reported the critical situation of the Aromanian language and culture (see the report), and adopted a recommendation (see recommendation) that the Greek government should do whatever is necessary to respect their culture and facilitate education in Aromanian and to implement it’s use in schools, churches and the media. The Panhellenic Federation of Aromanians rejected any idea of an officially-sanctioned distinction between them and the other Greeks. On the other hand, there is a small minority within the community which strongly supports such efforts. On a visit to Metsovo, Epirus in 1998, the Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos called on Aromanians to speak and teach their language, so as not to be lost. To this day there are no schools or churches which teach or hold service in Aromanian language. Aromanians from outside Greece tend to prefer perspectives such as that of Panayote Elias Dimitras, from the Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group : For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Metsovo (Greek: Μέτσοβο, Aromanian: Aminciu) is a town in Epirus on the mountains of Pindus in Northern Greece, between Ioannina to the north and Meteora to the south. ... Epirus (Greek: Ήπειρος, Ípiros), is a periphery in northwestern Greece. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Kostantinos Stefanopoulos Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was born in Patras on 15 August 1926. ...

Many Aromanians, others point out, identify themselves as both Vlachs and Greeks. At the same time , a small segment of the native Vlach inhabitants of Greece still identify themselves as a separate ethnic group than the Greeks. This appears to be the case of some of the more remote villages of Pindus, where, sheltered somehow from contact with the dominant Greek culture, the older generation of the Vlachs converses in a separate language and customs. Dr. Thede Kahl, whose broader perspective on the Aromanian community in Greece is questioned by members of that community, argues in his study "Ethnologica Balkanica ("The Ethnicity of Aromanians after 1990: the Identity of a Minority that Behaves like a Majority")":

Debate and discussion continues, with differing perspectives ; Vlachs in Greece insist they are happy in practicing their dual identity. Some Vlachs outside Greece suggest difficulties may still be illustrated by the Sotiris Bletsas case [7][8] . Bletsas distributed copies of EBLUL material covering linguistic minorities in Greece at an Aromanin festival held in Greece in 1995. He was put on trial on 2nd February 2001 and was first convicted, but was cleared on the 18th of October, 2001.^[30] Sotiris Bletsas is an architect and Aromanian language activist from Greece. ...

See also

• Vlachs
• List of prominent Aromanians
• History of Aromanians

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a list in progress of world famous or important Aromanians and people having Aromanian ancestry. ... This article is about the history of Aromanians. ...

References and footnotes

Inline

General Cotidianul is a Romanian newspaper, published Monday to Saturday in Berliner format. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of the city of Skopje (green) in the Republic of Macedonia Government  - Mayor Trifun Kostovski Area  - City 701. ... City motto : Coordinates Municipality : Å tip municipality Elevation 300 m Population 43 625 Time zone  - Standard  - Summer (DST) CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) Founded Area code +389 32 Postal code {{{postal_code}}} Car plates Å T Official Website www. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kekaumenos is the family name of the otherwise anonymous Byzantine author of a Strategikon composed c. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Adina Berciu Drăghicescu – "Românii din Balcani : cultură şi spiritualitate. Sf. Sec. XIX-începutul sec. XX"; Ed. Globus, Bucureşti 1996;
• Theodor Capidan, "Macedoromânii-Etnografie, Istorie, Limbă"; Bucureşti 1942;
• George Murnu - "The History of Romanians of Pindus - Great Wallachia" (1913, re-edited in 1984 by N. Şerban-Tanasoca);
• Sevold Braga - "Die Rechstlage der aromunischen Minderheit in Griechenland" 1964.
• Зборник на трудови од мегународниот научен симпозиум „Власите на Балканот“, Скопје 2002/2004 (Collection of papers from the International Scientific Symposium "The Aromanians on the Balkans", Skopje 2002/2004).
• Ванѓел Трпковски-Трпку „Власите на Балканот“, Скопје 1985
• Клеанти Лиаку Ановска „Влашките приказни од Крушево“, Скопје 2002

Further reading

• Capidan, Theodor (1932) Aromânii. Dialectul aromân, Academia Româna
• Friedman, Victor A., "The Vlah Minority in Macedonia: Language, Identity, Dialectology, and Standardization" in Selected Papers in Slavic, Balkan, and Balkan Studies, ed. Juhani Nuoluoto, Martii Leiwo, Jussi Halla-aho. Slavica Helsingiensa 21. University of Helsinki, 2001. online
• Koukoudis, Asterios I. - The Vlachs: Metropolis and Diaspora, ISBN 960-7760-86-7
• Baldaci - "The Romanians of Albania"(1924);
• Ioan Caragiani - "Historical studies about the Romanians of the Balkan Peninsula" (1891, re-edited in 1941), * Apostol Margarit - "Etudes historiques sur les Valaques du Pinde" - Constantinople (1880) and "Les Grecs, * Les Valaques, et les Albanais de l'Empire Ottoman" - Bruxelles (1886);
• V. Papacostea - "Aromanian Documents" (1860 - 1870);
• Epaminonda Balamace - "How were established the first Romanian schools of Albania" (1922);
• George Zuca - "Study on the economy of the Aromanians of Pindus" (1906);
• P. Papahagi - "Aromanian Speeches" (1905) and "The popular literature of the Aromanians " - (1900) - Vol. I & II);
• Tache Papahagi - "The Lexicon of the Aromanian Dialect" (1963, revised in 1974), "Images d'ethnographie roumaine et aroumaine" (3 vols.) - Bucharest 1928-1934);
• Valeriu Papahagi - "The Aromanians of Moschopole" (1935);
• Th. Capidan - "The Farseroti - Linguistical study on the Romanians of Albania" (1935), "The Nomadic Romanians" Cluj (1926), "The Megleno-Romanians - Their history and speech" (vol. I) and "Their popular literature" (vol. II) - Bucharest 1925 - 1928);
• G. Papacostea-Goga - "Macedo-Romanian awakening" (1924);
• N. Zdrulla - "The movements of the Aromanians of Pindus" (1922);
• V. Diamandi-Aminceanu: "The Romanians of the Balkan peninsula" - Bucharest 1938;
• D. Caracosta - "Miorita la Aromani/Pastoral Ballades of the Aromanians – 1927;
• Matilda Caragiu-Marioteanu - "Glota und Ethos der Aromunen" (1971);
• A. N. Haciu - "The Aromanians - Comerce, Arts, Expansion, Civilization" - Putna (1936);
• C. Noe - "Les Roumains Koutzo-Valaques" - Bucharest (1913);
• N. Saramandu - "Le parler Aromun" - Bucharest (1979);
• P. N. Vaidomir - "Contributii la istoria Romanilor sud Dunareni" - Medias (1943);
• N. Batzaria - "Istoricul fundarii orasului Crusova" - (1904), Marcu Beza - "Paper on Rumanian People" (London - 1920);
• H. Candroveanu - "Caleidoscop Aroman" (1999);
• C. Burileanu - "Visiting the Romanians of Albania";
• Ioan Arginteanu - "The History of the Macedo-Romanians" (1904);
• N. Densusianu et F. Dame - "Les Roumains du Sud. Macedoine. Epirus. Thessaly" - Paris (1877), E.M. Picot - "Les roumains de la Macedoine" - Paris (1875);
• O. Randi -"Il fenomeno degli Aromuni" - Zara (1939);
• A. Rubin - "Les Roumains de Macedoine" (1913);
• B. Stuart - "The Vlakhs of Mount Pindus" - London (1868);
• R. Suster - "I Romeni del Pindo" - Roma (1930);
• Xenopol - "Une enigme historique: Les Roumains au Moyen Age" Paris 1885 (focusing largely upon Aromanians);
• Tereza Stratilesco - "From Carpathian to Pindus" - Boston (1907, re-printed 1981);
• Οι Ελληνόβλαχοι (Αρμάνοι), Συζητήσεις με τους Α.Γ. Λαζάρου, Α. Μπουσμπούκη, Κ. Χατζόπουλο, Π. Καμηλάκη, Γ. Πλατάρη, Γ. Παπαδάκη, Κ. Βίρβο, Τ. Μουσαφίρη, Χ., Έξαρχος Γιώργης, 2001
• Οι Ελληνόβλαχοι (Αρμάνοι). Πηγές της ιστορίας και της ζωής των Αρμάνων-Βλάχων, Έξαρχος Γιώργης, 2001
• Οι Αρωμούνοι (Βλάχοι). Ο χώρος και οι άνθρωποι, Weigand Gustav, 2001
• Κατσάνης Ν., Κ. Ντίνας, 1990, Γραμματική της κοινής Κουτσοβλαχικής. (Εισαγωγή)

The Romanian Academy (Romanian: Academia Română) is a cultural forum founded in Romania in 1866. ...

External links

• farsarotul.org: The Society Farsarotul
• Bana Armâneascâ, an Aromanian newspaper
• The Folklore Association of Vlahs (Armani) in Veria
• vlachophiles.net: Aromanian - The Vanishing Tribes
• The Vlach Connection and further reflection on Roman history
• Studies on the Vlachs by Asterios Koukoudis
• The Little Vlach Corner
• Trâ Armânami.org - Association des Francais Aroumains
• Tis ta munte - Aromanian-farserot song from Dobruja
• Listen to radio in Aromanian at the Romanian government supported Radio Romania International - the Aromanian section
• [[9]] First Aromanian blog with old script.

Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... The Romanian constitution reserves 18 seats in the Senate for parties and cultural associations of the ethnic minorities in Romania. ... The Székely or Szeklers (Hungarian: , Romanian: , German: ) ( sék-ei in pronunciation ) are a Hungarian ethnic group mostly living in Transylvania in Romania, with a significant population also living in Vojvodina, Serbia. ... Approximate area in eastern Romania inhabited by Csángós The Csángó (Romanian: Ceangău, plural Ceangăi) are an ethnic group of Roman Catholic faith, some speaking a Hungarian dialect and some Romanian. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require a spell check. ... Lipovans (Russian Old Believers) during a ceremony in front of their church in the Romanian village of Slava Cherkeza in 2004. ... Tatars (Romanian: ) were present on the territory of todays Romania since the 13th century. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... The Serbs are an ethnic minority in Romania. ... The Croats (Hrvati in Croatian, croaţi in Romanian) are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 6786 people according to the 2002 census. ... The Rusyns (Rusíni in Rusyn, Ruteni in Romanian) are an ethnic minority in Romania. ... The Krashovani (Croatian and Serbian: Krašovani, Крашовани, Karašovani or Krašovanje, Karaševci and Koroševci; Romanian: Caraşoveni, Cârşoveni, Cotcoreţi or Cocoşi; also known as Krashovans) are a South Slavic people indigenous to Caraşova and other nearby locations in Caraş-Severin County within...