The Slavic peoples are defined by their linguistic attainment of the Slavic languages. They indigenously reside in Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and many have later settled in Northern Asia. The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages), a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia. ... Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange) and other former communist regimes (light orange). ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ... North Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

The idea that the Slavic people have more in common than their origin, the origin of their languages, and some cultural aspects is derived from romantic nationalism, the panslavism movement, and the notion of ethnicity as a biological basis of nations. // Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain political claims based upon that belief; above all, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each nation is... National flag of all Slavs approved on the Pan-Slav convention in Prague in 1848 The 19th century movement Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ... A nation is an imagined community of people created by a national ideology, to which certain norms and behavior are usually attributed. ...

Ethno-cultural subdivisions

Slavs are customarily divided into three major subgroups: East Slavs, West Slavs, and South Slavs, each with a somewhat different background. The East Slavs may all be traced to Slavic-speaking populations that were organized as Kievan Rus' beginning in the 9th century A.D. and eventually fell under the influence of the Mongol Empire. Almost all of the South Slavs can be traced to ethnic Slavs who mixed with the local population of the Balkans (Illyrians, Thracians, Dacians and Getae) and with later invaders from the East (Bulgars, Avars, Alans, Petchenegs, and Cumans), then fell under the hegemony of the Ottoman Empire. The West Slavs (and the Slovenes) do not share either of these backgrounds, but gradually expanded so far to the West that they fell into the cultural sphere of Western (Roman Catholic) Christendom around this timeframe. Kievan Rus′ was the early, mostly East Slavic state dominated by the city of Kiev, located in modern Ukraine, from about 880 to the middle of the 12th century. ... This earthenware dish was made in 9th century Iraq. ... Mongol Empires largest extent outlined in red; Timur-i-Lenks empire is shaded The Mongol Empire (1206–1368) was the largest contiguous land empire in world history ruling 35 million km² (13. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ... Illyrians has come to refer to a broad, ill-defined group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans (from northern Epirus to southern Pannonia) and even perhaps parts of Southern Italy in Classical times into the Common era. ... The Thracians were an Indo-European people, inhabitants of Thrace and adjacent lands (present-day Bulgaria, Romania, Republic of Moldova, northeastern Greece, European Turkey and northwestern asiatic Turkey, eastern Serbia and parts of Republic of Macedonia). ... Dacia, in the era of the Roman Empire, was the land of the Daci or Getae, and corresponds in the main to modern Romania and Moldova. ... The Getae was the name by which the pre-Roman ancient writers reffered to the tribes that will become the later Dacians. ... Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) - a people of Central Asia, probably originally Pamirian, who became Turkified and later Slavicized over time. ... The Eurasian Avars were a nomadic people of Eurasia who established a state in the Danube River area of Europe in the early 6th century. ... The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and shared, in a broad sense, a common culture. ... Pechenegs or Patzinaks also known as Besenyők, were a semi-nomadic steppe people of Central Asia that spoke a Turkic language. ... Cumans, also called as Polovtsy, (Russian Половцы, from old Slavic for pale yellowish) was the European name for the Western Kipchaks, a nomadic West Turkic tribe living on the north of the Black Sea along the Volga. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (the Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Bursa (1335 - 1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (Constantinople) (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40...

East Slavs:

• Russians
  • Lipovan Russians
• Ukrainians
  • Bojko
  • Huculs
  • Lemko (also considered part of the Rusyns)
  • Poleszuks (transitional between Ukrainians and Belarusians)
• Rusyns (also considered part of the Ukrainians)
• Belarusians
  • Poleszuks (transitional between Ukrainians and Belarusians)

West Slavs: Lipovans or Lippovans (Old Faith Believers, Old Rite Followers) are a small (about 40,000) Slavic ethnic group of Russian origin residing in the delta of the Danube River in Tulcea county of eastern Romania. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Hutsuls or Huculs (Ukrainian: Гуцули, singular Гуцул) are a group of Ukrainian highlanders, considered a subgroup of Rusyns by some references. ... Lemko - one of four major groups of Ruthenian montagnards of the northwest Carpathian mountain chain, having a unique dialect and culture. ... Poleszuk (Polish), Poliszuk or Polishchuk (local Ukrainian dialect), Palyashchuk (Belarusian), or Poleshchuk (Russian) is the name given to the people who populated the swamps of Polesie. ... Flag of the Rusyns Rusyns, also called Ruthenians, Ruthenes, Rusins, Rysins, Carpatho-Rusins, and Russniaks, are a modern group of ethnic groups that speak the Rusyn language and are descended from the minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt a Ukrainian national identity and become Ukrainians in the nineteenth and... Poleszuk (Polish), Poliszuk or Polishchuk (local Ukrainian dialect), Palyashchuk (Belarusian), or Poleshchuk (Russian) is the name given to the people who populated the swamps of Polesie. ...

• Lechitic group
  • Poles
    • Masovians
    • Polans ^†
    • Vistulans ^†
  • Silesians (also considered part of the Poles)
  • Pomeranians
    • Kashubians
    • Slovincians ^†
  • Polabians ^†
    • Obodrites/Abodrites ^†
    • Veleti ^†
    • Volinians (Velunzani) ^†
    • Pyritzans (Prissani) ^†
• Czecho-Slovak group
  • Czechs
    • Moravians
  • Slovaks
  • Rusins (often considered part of the Rusyns)
• Sorbs (Serbo-Lusatians)
  • Milczans (Upper Sorbs)
  • Lusatians (Lower Sorbs)

South Slavs: The Lechitic languages include three languages spoken in Central Europe, principally in Poland and historically also in eastern part of today Germany. ... Mazurs are Polish ethnic group from Mazovia (Catholics) or East Prussia (Protestant), the latter often called Masurians in English. ... Polans (western) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Vistulans (Polish: Wiślanie) were a Lechitic tribe inhabiting, since at least 7th century, lands known today as Lesser Poland. ... Please be advised that the factual accuracy of Wikipedia articles dealing with topics related to the Oder-Neisse Line is often disputed. ... Pomeranians (Pomorzanie) are a group of Slavic tribes living in historical region of Pomerania along the shore of Baltic Sea between Oder and Vistula rivers. ... Kashubians, Kassubians, or Cassubians (Kashubian: Kaszëbi) are a Slavic ethnic group living in modern-day northwestern Poland. ... Slovincian is an extinct dialect of the Pomeranian language, spoken between the lakes Gardno and Lebsko in Pomerania. ... Polabians are a Slavic people historically dwelling in the basin of the Elbe and on the Baltic coast of Germany. ... The Obotrites (sometimes Abodrites, Obodrites) were a group of Slavic peoples who had in the 6th century settled in the regions later known as Mecklenburg and Schleswig-Holstein in what is now north-eastern Germany. ... The Veleti are a group of the Polabian Slavs. ... Wolin is the name shared by an island located in the Baltic Sea located just off the Polish coast, and a town located on the island. ... Pyrzyce (see also Cities alternative names), is a town in Pomerania, north-western Poland, with some 11,000 inhabitants (1980) Capital of the Pyrzyce County in West Pomeranian Voivodship(since 1999), previously in Szczecin Voivodship (1975-1998). ... This article deals with the modern national/ethnic group. ... Rusins (meaning literally Rusyns, Ruthenians) is the name of a Slavic minority in Serbia and Croatia. ... The Sorbs are a Slavic minority indigenous to the region known as Lusatia in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg (in former GDR territory). ... Sorbian national flag National costume of Lusatian Sorbs as worn in the northern part of Lusatia The Sorbs (also known as Lusatians or Wends) are a relatively small west Slavic people, living as a minority in the region known as Lusatia in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg (in... Sorbian national flag The Sorbs (also Lusatians or Lusatia Serbs) are a relatively small west Slavic people, living as a minority in the region known as Lusatia in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg (in former GDR territory). ...

• South-Eastern (Bulgaro-Macedonian) group
  • Bulgarians
    • Pomaks (Muslim Bulgarians)
  • Macedonians
    • Torbesh (Muslim Macedonians)
• South-Western group
  • Serbs
  • Montenegrins
  • Croats
    • Janjevci
    • Molise Croats
    • Burgenland Croats
  • Slovenians
    • Karantanians
  • Bosniaks
  • Yugoslavs
  • Bunjevci
  • Goranci
  • Krashovans
  • Šokci

^† Extinct (Not existing anymore) Pomaks can mean: Muslim Bulgarians, the descendants of Bulgarian Christians who converted to Islam under the Ottomans. ... Muslim Bulgarians (also Bulgarian Mohammedans, bul:Българи-мохамедани; local: Pomak, Ahrian, Poganets, Marvak, Poturnak) are descendants of Christian Bulgarians who converted to Islam during the 16th and the 18th century. ... The Torbesh are a Muslim Slav Macedonian peoples. ... ... This article appears to contradict itself. ... Croats (Croatian: Hrvati) are a south Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. ... Janjevci are inhabitants of the Kosovo town of Janjevo and surrounding villages, located near Pristina as well as villages centered around Letnica near Vitina (Papare, Vrmez, Vrnavo Kolo). ... Molise Croats are Croatian subgroup, found in the Molise region of Italy. ... Burgenland Croats are ethnic Croats in the Austrian province of Burgenland. ... Caranthanians (Latin Quarantani, Slovenian Karantanci) were the only Alpine Slavs in the early middle ages and the first ethnic name of an old Slovenian people as a separate part of the Slavs (Latin Sclavi qui dicuntur Quarantani, Slavs called Caranthanians). ... Bosniaks (Bosnian: BoÅ¡njaci) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sandžak region of Serbia and Montenegro. ... The Yugoslavs were a relatively short-lived nationality that was created at the time of Yugoslavia. ... Bunjevci (singular Bunjevac, pronounced Bunyevtzi and Bunyevatz resp. ... The Gorani are a Slavic ethnic group living in a region called Gora (Slavic for Mountain) just south of Prizren in the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija, currently under NATO and United Nations administration. ... The Krashovani (Serbian:Крашовани, also Karashevci/Карашевци) are an ethnic-Serb subgroup living in the Romanian Banat around the town of Caraşova (Serbian: Царашево/Caraševo). ... Å okci are a small native South Slavic ethnic group living in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. ...

Note: Besides ethnic groups, Slavs often identify themselves with the geographical region in which they live. Some of the major regional South Slavic groups include: Zagorci, Istrani, Dalmatinci, Slavonci (in Croatia), Bosanci, Hercegovci, Krajišnici, Semberci (in Bosnia and Herzegovina), Srbijanci, Šumadinci, Vojvođani, Sremci, Bačvani, Banaćani, Sandžaklije, Kosovci, Crnogorci, Bokelji (in Serbia and Montenegro), etc. Categories: Geography stubs | Counties of Croatia ... Istria (Istra, pronounced in Croatian and Slovenian; Istria, pronounced in Italian), is the biggest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. ... Dalmatia (Croatian Dalmacija, Italian Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, (mostly) in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. ... Map of Croatia with Slavonia highlighted Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. ... The Bosnians (Bosanci; sing. ... Herzegovina (natively Hercegovina/Херцеговина) is a historical region in the Dinaric Alps that composes the southern part of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... Bosanska Krajina Region Bosanska Krajina (lit Bosnian Frontier) is a geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas. ... Semberija is a geographical region in north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (notably in Republika Srpska). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Sumadija District in Central Serbia proposed Sumadija Region Å umadija is a geographical region in central Serbia. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia    â€“ Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    â€“ Vojvodina  â€“ Montenegro Official languages Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Croatian, Rusin1 Capital Novi Sad Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  21,500 km²  n/a Population  â€“ Total (2002)  â€“ Density  2,031,992  94. ... Srem District in Vojvodina Vukovar-Srijem county within Croatia The region of Srem or Срем (in Serbian) or Srijem (in Croatian) is a fertile region of the Pannonian plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. ... Bačka (Serbian: Бачка or Bačka, Hungarian: Bácska, Croatian: Bačka, Slovak: Báčka, German: Batschka) is an area of the Pannonian plain lying between the rivers Danube and Tisa. ... Banat (Romanian: Banat; Serbian: Банат or Banat; German: Banat; Hungarian: Bánát or Bánság; Slovak: Banát) is a region in Southeastern Europe divided among three countries: the eastern part belongs to Romania (the counties of TimiÅŸ and CaraÅŸ-Severin), the western part to Serbia-Montenegro (the Serbian... This page is about a geographical region in Serbia and Montenegro; for districts of the Ottoman Empire, see Sanjak. ... Kosovo (Serbian: Косово и Метохија / Kosovo i Metohija, Albanian: Kosovë / Kosova) is a province of Serbia. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia    â€“ Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    â€“ Vojvodina  â€“ Montenegro Official language Serbian Capital Podgorica Former Royal Capital Cetinje President Filip Vujanović Prime Minister Milo Đukanović Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  13,812 km²  n/a Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ Density  616,258  48. ... A Bokelj in traditional Bokelj clothes The Bokelj people (pl. ...

The emergence of Proto-Slavic

The Proto-Slavic (or Proto-Balto-Slavic) language branched off at some uncertain time in an unknown location from common Proto-Indo-European, becoming a separate Indo-European language: Proto-Slavic, a hypothetical (reconstructed) language whence individual Slavic languages emerged. Proto-Slavic is the proto-language from which Old Church Slavonic and other Slavic languages later emerged. ... The Balto-Slavic language group is a hypothetical language group consisting of the Baltic and Slavic language subgroups of the Indo-European family. ... The Proto-Indo-Europeans are the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, a prehistoric people of the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Indo-European languages include some 443 (SIL estimate) languages and dialects spoken by about three billion people, including most of the major language families of Europe and western Asia, which belong to a single superfamily. ...

The Slavic homeland debates

General argument

A common theory is that the Proto-Indo-Europeans, and also the later Proto-Slavs, originated from the steppes of Ukraine and southern Russia (see Kurgan hypothesis). However, other scholars believe that the Proto-Slavs had been in north-east Central Europe since very early times, and were the bearers of the Lusatian culture and later the Przeworsk culture (and were also part of the Chernyakhov culture). This latter theory does not contradict the Kurgan hypothesis. In 1956 Marija Gimbutas introduced her Kurgan hypothesis combining Kurgan archaeology with linguistics to locate the origins of the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) speaking peoples. ... The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age (1300-500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland, parts of Czech Republic and Slovakia (in older articles described also as Czechoslovakia) and parts of Ukraine. ... The green area is the Przeworsk culture in the first half of the 3rd century. ... The Chernyakhov culture (3rd century - 5th century) was a material culture, the distribution of which corresponded roughly to the Ukraine and parts of Belarus. ...

There are thus two major historical theories that address the issue of the original homeland of Slavs:

1. the autochthonic theory assumes that Slavs had lived north of the Carpathian Mountains since the Lusatian culture (before 1000 BC).
2. the allochthonic theory assumes that the Slavs arrived there in the 5th or 6th century A.D.

Germans and different Slavic nations have employed either of these theories as tools of political propaganda, resulting in general confusion. Some scientists (such as Kazimierz Godłowski or Zdenek Vana) consider both theories absurd. Both scientists think that Slavs as such appeared and differentiated themselves from other tribes some time after 1 A.D. The Carpathian Convention is a framework type convention pursuing a comprehensive policy and cooperating in the protection and sustainable development of the Carpathians. ... The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age (1300-500 BC) in eastern Germany, most of Poland, parts of Czech Republic and Slovakia (in older articles described also as Czechoslovakia) and parts of Ukraine. ... (Redirected from 1000 BC) Centuries: 12th century BC - 11th century BC - 10th century BC Decades: 1050s BC 1040s BC 1030s BC 1020s BC 1010s BC - 1000s BC - 990s BC 980s BC 970s BC 960s BC 950s BC Events and Trends 1006 BC - David becomes king of the ancient Israelites (traditional... // Events Romulus Augustus, Last Western Roman Emperor Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... North Korean propaganda showing a soldier destroying the United States Capitol building. ... // Events The first full year in the life of Jesus as assigned by Dionysius Exiguus in his Anno Domini era. ...

Many regions have been proposed as the hypothetical Slavic homeland. Suggestions include today's Poland, the marshes of Polesie, Volhynia, areas around the upper Dniepr river, and even Central Asia. Polesie is one of the largest European swampy areas, located in the South-Western part of the Eastern-European Lowland, mainly within the territories of Belarus, Ukraine and partly also within Poland and Russia. ... The Dnieper River (Belarusian: Дняпро/Dnyapro; Russian: Днепр/Dnepr; Ukrainian: Днiпро/Dnipro; Polish: Dniepr; Latin: Borysthenes, Danaper) is a river (2290 km length) which flows from Russia through Belarus and then Ukraine. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Diverse theories

Around 500 BC, Celtic tribes settled along the upper Oder river (Odra), and Germanic tribes settled on the lower Vistula and the lower Oder rivers. The lands of the Elbe, Oder, and Vistula regions all came to be known as Magna Germania by ca. 100 A.D. It has not been verified whether any Slavic tribes were settled in these regions at that time. Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC - 450s BC Events and Trends 509 BC - Foundation of the Roman Republic 508 BC - Office of pontifex maximus created... A Celtic cross. ... The Oder (or Odra) River (German: Oder, Polish/Czech: Odra, Ancient Latin: Viadua, Viadrus, Medieval Latin: Odera, Oddera) is a river in Central Europe (mostly in Poland). ... The term Germanic tribes (or Teutonic tribes) applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. ... Length 1,047 km Elevation of the source 1,106 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 192,000 km² Origin  Barania Góra, Beskidy Mouth  GdaÅ„sk Bay, Baltic Sea Basin countries Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia The Vistula (Polish: WisÅ‚a) is the longest river in Poland. ... The Elbe River (Czech Labe listen â–¶(?), Sorbian/Lusatian Łobjo, Polish Łaba, German Elbe, Hungarian Elba) is one of the major waterways of central Europe. ... -1...

One theory suggests that two waves of Slavs existed, the Proto-Slavs (called by these theorists "Venedes" or "Wenets") and the Slavs proper; and that these two groups were eventually mixed to become the Slavs of today. However, the claim that the Venedes were a Slavic or even a proto-Slavic people is very controversial, and many scholars believe that the Venedes belonged to another Indo-European branch, rather than Slavic. Venedes is the term used in a number of ancient texts, starting with Tacitus, to describe an ethnic group living (presumably) in Central Europe. ... Venedes is the term used in a number of ancient texts, starting with Tacitus, to describe an ethnic group living (presumably) in Central Europe. ... Venedes is the term used in a number of ancient texts, starting with Tacitus, to describe an ethnic group living (presumably) in Central Europe. ...

The Chernoles culture is "sometimes portrayed as either a state in the development of the Slavic languages or at least some form of late Indo-European ancestral to the evolution of the Slavic stock" (James P. Mallory, "Chernoles Culture", Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997). The Chernoles culture is an iron age archaeological unit dating ca. ...

Another recent theory, relying on the multiregional origin hypothesis claims an autochthonous Slavic origin from pre-glacial times. The Slavic homeland would thus have included areas described by Tacitus as Germania. However, this theory has little support among scientists. This article is in need of attention. ... Gaius Cornelius Tacitus Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (ca. ... In the Roman era Germania was the Latin name for a geographical area that stretched from the west bank of the Rhine to a vaguely-defined eastern frontier with the forest and steppe regions of modern Russia and Ukraine. ...

Still more confusion comes from the fact that some Slavic peoples have originated as a result of complete assimilation of non-Slavic peoples. Myth-weavers often seize upon this phenomenon (which happened in some cases) to create spurious pseudo-histories (see connection between Poles and Vandals). History -- Historical myths -- Myths from Polish history --- History of Poland In the Middle Ages and later there persisted a common belief that the Vandals were ancestors of Poles or Slavic peoples. ...

"Slavs as Aryans" theory

Finally, several new theories of the origin of Slavs were published, and found large numbers of followers, in the 1990s and 2000s, fueled by the rise of nationalism in Ukraine. Most of them attempt to establish a direct connection between the Slavs and Aryans. Some even claim that Slavs existed as an entity as early as the 7th to 5th millennium BC and were ancestors of the Sumerians. They say that the fabled Sumerian city of Aratta was located in Ukraine. The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century, but in an economical sense The Nineties is often considered to span from the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 to the September 11 attacks in 2001. ... Saddam Hussein shortly after his capture Major controversy over U. S. presidential election (November 7-December 13, 2000) September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing almost 3000 people. ... Aryan is an English word derived from the Indo-Aryan Vedic Sanskrit and Iranian Avestan terms ari-, arya-, ārya-, and/or the extended form aryāna-. The Old Persian (Iranian) ariya- is a cognate as well. ... (8th millennium BC – 7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – other millennia) // Events Circa 7000 BC – Agriculture and settlement at Mehrgarh in South Asia. ... (6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – 4th millennium BC – other millennia) Events 4860 BC - Mount Mazama in Oregon collapses, forming a caldera that later fills with water and becomes Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. ... Sumer (or Shumer, Sumeria, Shinar, native ki-en-gir) formed the southern part of Mesopotamia from the time of settlement by the Sumerians until the time of Babylonia. ... Aratta was an ancient state formation of renown somewhere in the Middle East, ca. ...

There is plenty of archaeological evidence for settlements in northern Ukraine and Poland as far back as 3rd millennium BC (Trypillian, Tishinets, Peshevor, Zarubinets cultures). People who lived there supported themselves principally by means of agriculture; some of them had mastered the use of metal by the 8th century BC. The absence of a written language leaves it open for debate whether those people were in any way related to modern Slavs. (4th millennium BC – 3rd millennium BC – 2nd millennium BC – other millennia) // Events Syria: Foundation of the city of Mari (29th century BC ) Iraq: Creation of the Kingdom of Elam Germination of the Bristlecone pine tree Methuselah about 2700 BC, the oldest known tree still living now Dynasty of Lagash in... Trypillian culture is the culture of the Neolithic people identified on the territory of modern Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, which existed between 5400 BC and 2700 BC. The name derives from the village of Trypillia (Трипiлля) near Kiev, Ukraine, where it was discovered by archeologists in 1897. ... (2nd millennium BCE - 1st millennium BCE - 1st millennium) // Overview Events Assyria conquers Damascus and Samaria Nineveh destroyed (789 BCE) First recorded Olympic Games held in Greece (776 BCE) Zhou Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang (771 BC); The Spring and Autumn Period (771-481 BCE) began. ...

Ironically, these nationalistic theories may hold some significance in the large scale. A recent Stanford study concluded that the peoples of Slavonic tongue are the most closely related populations to the proto-Indo-European stock, the group considered by 20th century race theorists to be the original Aryans. What this holds in store for future homeland debates, however, is unknown ([1]). (The wind of freedom blows. ... Slav, Slavic or Slavonic can refer to: Slavic peoples Slavic languages Slavic mythology Church Slavonic language Old Church Slavonic language Slavonian can also refer to Slavonia, a region in eastern Croatia. ... This article is about the term Aryan. For Arian, a follower of the ancient Christian sect, See Arianism. ...

Ethnonyms applied to Slavs

The peoples we now know as Slavs appeared in early histories as "Venedes" or "Wends", but as noted above, their connection to the Venedes mentioned by Tacitus, Ptolemy and Pliny remains uncertain, and the use of the term "Venedes" or "Wends" for Slavs may have come about by way of a later misidentification of the Slavs with the earlier Venedes. Venedes is the term used in a number of ancient texts, starting with Tacitus, to describe an ethnic group living (presumably) in Central Europe. ... Gaius Cornelius Tacitus Publius or Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (c. ... Claudius Ptolemaeus, given contemporary German styling, in a 16th century engraved book frontispiece. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19c portrait. ... Venedes is the term used in a number of ancient texts, starting with Tacitus, to describe an ethnic group living (presumably) in Central Europe. ...

Some later writers recorded the names of Slavic peoples as Sclavens, Sclovene, and Ants. Jordanes mentions that the Venets sub-divided into three groups: the Venets, the Ants and the Sklavens. Traditionally the name "Venets" has become associated with the Western Slavs, "Sklavens" with the Southern Slavs, and the "Ants" (or "Antes") with the Eastern Slavs.

Etymology of Slav

Even the origin of the word "Slav" remains controversial. In the Old Slavonic language that word is "slověne". Old Church Slavonic (also called Old Church Slavic, Old Bulgarian, Old Macedonian, and inaccurately Old Slavic) is the first literary Slavic language, developed from the Slavic dialect of Solun (Thessaloniki) by 9th century Byzantine missionaries, Saints Cyril and Methodius. ...

There are obvious similarities to the word slovo meaning "word, talk". Thus slověne would mean "people who speak (the same language)", i.e. people who understand each other, as opposed to the Slavic word for Germans, nemtsi, meaning "speechless people" (from Slavic němi - mute, silent, dumb). Compare the Greek coinage of the term "barbarian". Speech disorders, or speech impediments as they are also called, are a type of communication disorders where normal speech is disrupted. ... Dumb may refer to: An alternative term for one who is mute (see: speech disorder). ... Barbarian was originally a Greek term applied to any foreigner, one not sharing a recognized culture or language with the speaker or writer employing the term. ...

Another obvious similarity links "Slavs" to the word slava, that is "glory" or "praise". The word came about from the verb "slyti", "to be known about"; it arises from the corresponding causative verb, "slaviti".

Sometimes "slav" is calculated to derive from "slov-" by the distinctly Russian phenomenon of akanie. Almost every Slavic nation which retains its initial name for "Slav" uses the word "slověne" for the meaning. Akanie, is the practice in the Russian language of pronouncing the unstressed letter o as an a (as in father). For example, the okno (window) would be pronounced as akno. Linguists claim that this phenomenon appeared as a result of Uralic influence on the Russian language. ...

Some linguists believe, however, that these obvious connections are misleading. Names of ethnicities are usually very old and often defy attempts to find etymologies for them.

A false etymology popular in National Socialist propaganda, but also found in some older editions of the Oxford English Dictionary, connected Slav with slave. There is absolutely no linguistic connection between Slavic people and slaves; slave is derived from a Greek word meaning 'spoils of war'. A false etymology is an assumed or postulated etymology which is incorrect from the perspective of modern scholarly work in historical linguistics. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ...

Slavs in the historical period

Painting of Slavs during the Middle Ages.

Slavs emerged from obscurity when the westward movement of Germans and Celts in the 5th and 6th centuries AD (necessitated by the onslaught of peoples from Siberia and Eastern Europe: Huns, Avars, Bulgars and Magyars) started the great migration of the Slavs, who followed in the Germans' wake: westward into the country between the Odra and the Elbe-Saale line; southward into Bohemia, Moravia, much of present day Austria, the Pannonian plain and the Balkans; and northward along the upper Dnieper river. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1846x2049, 1678 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1846x2049, 1678 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... // Events Romulus Augustus, Last Western Roman Emperor Rome sacked by Visigoths in 410. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... The Huns were a group of Central Asian nomadic tribes, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century. ... The Eurasian Avars were a nomadic people of Eurasia who migrated into central and eastern Europe in the 6th century. ... Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) - a people of Central Asia, probably originally Pamirian, who became Turkified and later Slavicized over time. ... Magyars are an ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. ... Human migration denotes any movement of groups of people from one locality to another. ... The Elbe River (Czech Labe listen â–¶(?), Sorbian/Lusatian Łobjo, Polish Łaba, German Elbe, Hungarian Elba) is one of the major waterways of central Europe. ... Length 413 km Elevation of the source 728  m Average discharge  ?  m³/s Area watershed  ?  km² Origin  Germany Mouth  Elbe Basin countries Germany Saale is the name of two rivers in Germany: the Saxonian Saale (German: Sächsische Saale) and the Franconian Saale (German: Fränkische Saale). ... Bohemia This article is about the historical region in central Europe; for other uses, see Bohemia (disambiguation). ... Moravia in relation to the current kraje of the Czech Republic Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava, German: Mähren, Polish: Morawy, Hungarian: Morvaország) is an historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... The Pannonian plain is a large plain in central/south-eastern Europe that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea (see below) dried out. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ... This article is about the river. ...

When their migratory movements ended, there appeared among the Slavs the first rudiments of state organizations, each headed by a prince with a treasury and defense force. Moreover, there were the beginnings of class differentiation, with nobles who pledged allegiance to the Frankish and Holy Roman Emperors. A state is an organized political community occupying a definite territory, having an organized government, and possessing internal and external sovereignty. ... Statue of Charlemagne (also called Karl der Große, Charles the Great) in Frankfurt, Germany. ... The following list of German Kings and Emperors is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ...

In the 7th century, the Frankish nobleman Samo, who supported the Slavs fighting their Avar rulers, became the ruler of the first known Slav state in Central Europe. Karantania in today's Austria and Slovenia was one Slavic state; very old also are the Principality of Nitra and the Moravian principality (see under Great Moravia). In this period, there existed central Slavic groups and states such as the Balaton Principality, but the subsequent expansion of the Magyars and Romanians, as well as the Germanisation of Austria, separated the northern and southern Slavs. // Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Syria, Iraq, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia convert to Islam. ... King Samo (? – 658) was a merchant born in the Senonian country (Senonago) (probably todays Sens in France). ... The Eurasian Avars were a nomadic people of Eurasia who migrated into central and eastern Europe in the 6th century. ... Karantania sometimes Carantania, Carentania, Carinthia (in old Slovenian onomastics Korotan, or Karantanija) was a Slavic principality that developed in the 6th century and was centered on the territory of contemporary Carinthia. ... Nitra (-Slovak, German: Neutra, Hungarian: Nyitra / Nyitria [older]) is a city in western Slovakia (and the fourth largest urban settlement in Slovakia) situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the Nitra river valley. ... This article deals with the modern national/ethnic group. ... Great Moravia (Old Church Slavonic approximately Велья Морава, Czech Velká Morava, Slovak Veľká Morava, Latin Magna Moravia) was a Slav state existing on the territory of present-day Moravia and Slovakia between 833 and the early 10th century. ... The Balaton Principality (also called Pannonian or Transdanubian Principality, in Slovak: Blatenské kniežatstvo, in Bulgarian: Blatensko Knezevstvo) (839/840-876) was a Slavic principality (duchy) located in the western part of the Pannonian plain, between rivers Danube to its east, Drava and Mura to the south, the Rába... Magyars are an ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. ...

In the early history of the Slavs, and continuing into the Dark Ages, non-Slavic groups were sometimes assimilated by Slavic-speaking populations: the Bulgars became Slavicized and their Turkic tongue disappeared; in other cases, Slavs themselves were assimilated into other groups such as the Romanians, Magyars, Greeks, etc. The Croats probably merged with the Alans and the Serbs with the Illyrians. Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) - a people of Central Asia, probably originally Pamirian, who became Turkified and later Slavicized over time. ... The Turkic languages are a group of related languages that are spoken by a variety of peoples distributed across a vast area from Eastern Europe to Siberia and Western China with estimated 100-130 million native speakers. ... Croats (Croatian: Hrvati) are a south Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. ... The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and shared, in a broad sense, a common culture. ... ... Illyrians has come to refer to a broad, ill-defined group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans (from northern Epirus to southern Pannonia) and even perhaps parts of Southern Italy in Classical times into the Common era. ...

Scarcely any unity developed among various Slavic peoples in the early historic period, although faint traces of cooperation sometimes appeared. Because of the vastness and diversity of the territory occupied by Slavic peoples, there were several centers of Slavic consolidation, a process that was never completed for many reasons. In the 19th century, Pan-Slavism developed as a movement among intellectuals, scholars, and poets, but it rarely influenced practical politics. Tsarist Russia used Pan-Slavism as an ideology justifying its territorial conquests in Central Europe, and as such the ideology became associated with Russian imperialism. The common Slavic experience of communism combined with the repeated usage of the ideology by Soviet propaganda after World War II within the Eastern bloc (Warsaw Pact) was a forced high-level political and economic hegemony of the U.S.S.R. dominated by Russians, and as such despised by the rest of the conquered nations. A notable political union of the 20th century that covered many South Slavs was Yugoslavia, but it broke apart as well. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... National flag of all Slavs proposed by the Pan-Slav convention in Prague in 1848 Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic people. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Eastern bloc During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. ... Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement among airlines about financial liability. ... Hegemony is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Cyrillic Југославија) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ...

Nazi Germany, whose proponents claimed a racial superiority for the Germanic people, particularly over Semitic and Slavic peoples, plotted an enslavement of the Slavic peoples, and the reduction of their numbers by killing the majority of the population. As a result, a large number of people considered by Nazi to have Slavic origins were slain during World War II. Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Semitic is a linguistic term referring to a subdivision of largely Middle Eastern Afro-Asiatic languages, cultures, and ethnicities. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ...

Religion and alphabet

In religion, the Slavs traditionally divided into two main groups: those who are Eastern Orthodox, and those who are Roman Catholic or Uniate. A few Slavs are Protestant or Muslim. The delineations by nationality can be very sharp. Typically the vast majority of a certain Slavic ethnic group have the same religion. Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ...

The Orthodox/Catholic religious divisions become further exacerbated by the use of the Cyrillic alphabet by the Orthodox and Uniates (Greek Catholics) and of the Roman alphabet by Roman Catholics. However, the Serbian language can be written using both the Cyrillic and Roman alphabets. There is also a Latin script to write in Belarusian, called the Lacinka alphabet. The Bosnian language was written using the Arabic alphabet until the 20th century, but it now use the Roman alphabet. Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... ... This article appears to contradict itself. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... Please be advised that the factual accuracy of Wikipedia articles dealing with topics related to the Oder-Neisse Line is often disputed. ... Kashubians, Kassubians, or Cassubians (Kashubian: Kaszëbi) are a Slavic ethnic group living in modern-day northwestern Poland. ... This article deals with the modern national/ethnic group. ... Flag of the Rusyns Rusyns, also called Ruthenians, Ruthenes, Rusins, Rysins, Carpatho-Rusins, and Russniaks, are a modern group of ethnic groups that speak the Rusyn language and are descended from the minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt a Ukrainian national identity and become Ukrainians in the nineteenth and... Rusins (meaning literally Rusyns, Ruthenians) is the name of a Slavic minority in Serbia and Croatia. ... Croats (Croatian: Hrvati) are a south Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. ... Bunjevci (singular Bunjevac, pronounced Bunyevtzi and Bunyevatz resp. ... Å okci are a small native South Slavic ethnic group living in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. ... The Krashovani (Serbian:Крашовани, also Karashevci/Карашевци) are an ethnic-Serb subgroup living in the Romanian Banat around the town of Caraşova (Serbian: Царашево/Caraševo). ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also pronounced Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ... Bosniaks (Bosnian: BoÅ¡njaci) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sandžak region of Serbia and Montenegro. ... The Gorani are a Slavic ethnic group living in a region called Gora (Slavic for Mountain) just south of Prizren in the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija, currently under NATO and United Nations administration. ... Pomaks can mean: Muslim Bulgarians, the descendants of Bulgarian Christians who converted to Islam under the Ottomans. ... The Torbesh are a Muslim Slav Macedonian peoples. ... The Sorbs are a Slavic minority indigenous to the region known as Lusatia in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg (in former GDR territory). ... The Yugoslavs were a relatively short-lived nationality that was created at the time of Yugoslavia. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also pronounced Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (or azbuka, from the old name of the first letters) is an alphabet used to write six natural Slavic languages (Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Serbian, and Ukrainian) and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... ... The Serbian language is one of the standard versions of the Å tokavian dialect (former standard was known as Serbo-Croatian language). ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... The Bosnian language (bosanski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Central-South Slavic diasystem, based on the Å tokavian dialect. ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing in the Arabic language. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

See also

• Slavic mythology
• Gord (Slavic settlement)
• Early East Slavs
• Lech, Czech and Rus
• Pan-Slavic colours