Where are the Greek communities of the world?

Members of the Greek diaspora feel a sense of pride for their homeland nomatter how far away they are or how long they’ve been gone for

Greeks can be found in the most unlikely places, in any corner of the world.

In America

About 1.3 million people in the United States have Greek ancestry though there are estimations that raise this number to 3 million. 321,144 people older than five spoke Greek at home in 2010. Greek Americans have the highest concentrations in New York, Boston and Chicago whereas Tarpon Springs in Florida was found to hae the highest per capita concentration of Greek Americans in the country (11) and the U.S. is home to the largest overseas Greek community, ahead of Australia, Cyprus, Albania and the United Kingdom.

In Cyprus

The 2011 census showed 838,897 Greeks living in Cyprus, but estimations put this as high as 1,150,000. The ethnic Greek population of Cyprus trace their origin to Mycenaean Greeks who settled in the island during the second half of the second millennium BC.

In Australia

There are 505,784 people of Greek ancestry and 99,939 born in Greece living in Australia. The Australian Government’s migration schemes had targeted Greeks in the Fifties and Sixties after World War II. 47% of the Greek-Australian community lives in Melbourne and 29% live in Sydney. Melbourne is considered the third-largest “Greek city” in the world.

In the U.K.

The 2011 census showed just 31,000 Greek-born people living in Germany but there are 400,000 people born in the U.K. that are of Greek descent. Notable Greek Britons include Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent.

In Germany

There were 296,307 Greek-born citizens in Germany according to the 2011 census, but estimations are as high as 370,000. The first Greeks came during the time of the Roman Empire, however significant immigration started at around 1700 when the Ottoman Empire opened its borders and the first Greek community was founded in Leipzig. the second wave of immigration was when Otto of Wittelbach became King of Greece and many Greeks came as students to Bavaria. Following WWII, West Germany needed employees for their expanding industry, whereas East Germany took Greek communists as political refugees until 1973.

In Albania

There were 24,243 Greek citizenship holders in the 2011, excluding the indigenous Greek minority. Greeks in Albania are estimated to be as many as 690,000. Most Greeks are in Northern Epirus that had a substantial ethnic Greek population until in 1914 it was declared an independent state by local Greeks against annexation to the newly founded Albanian principality. The term “Northern Epirus”

Greeks in other regions

South Africa – 50,000-60,000 people

Russia – 97,827 people according to the 2002 census

Ukraine – 91,500 Greeks according to the 2001 census

Chile – 90,000-120,000 in Santiago and Antofagasta

Brazil – 25,000-30,000 in Sao Paulo

France – 35,000 of Greek descent

Argentina – 35,000-50,000 of Greek origin

Italy – 20,000-30,000 of Greek origin

Mexico – 25,000 Greek Mexicans

Belgium – 14,799 people who are Greek citizens living in Belgium

Georgia -15,166 cAUCASUS gREEKS

Serbia – 15,000 Greeks in Serbia

Kazakhstan – 12,703 Greeks in Kazakhstan

Sweden – 4,824 Greek citizens and 12,000-15,000 of Greeek descent

Uzbekistan – 10,453 Grees

Switzerland – As many as 11,000 Greeks

Romania – 6,513 Greeks

Austria – As many as 5,000 Greeks

New Zealand – As many as 10,000 Greeks

Netherlands – 12,400 Greeks in the Netherlands

Bulgaria – 3,408 in the 2001 census

Czech Republic – 3,231 in the 2001 census

Moldova – 3,000 estimated Greeks

Hungary – 4,000-10,000 estimated Greeks

Turkey – A once-thriving community of Greeks reduced to just 2,500 Greeks left behind

Other countries: India (1,900), Norway (1,671), Lebanon (1,500-2,000), Denmark (1,678), Oman (1,500), Poland (1,404), Saudi Arabia (1,300), Luxembourg (1,571), Cameroon (1,200), Venezuela (1,148), Zimbabwe (1,100), Uruguay (1,000), Syria (1,000), Armenia (900), Panama (800), Zambia (800), Kyrgyzstan (650-700), Finland (500), Ethiopia (500), Uganda (426), FYROM (422), Jordan (400), Congo (300), Spain (300), Bahamas (300), Nigeria (300), Tanzania (300), Barbados (300), Gambia (300), Costa Rica (290), Israel (250 non-Jewish, Greek only), Sudan (250), Azerbaijan (250), Lithuania (250), Malawi (200), Colombia (200), Ireland (200), Kenya (200), United Arab Emirates (200), Morocco (180), Peru (150), Portugal (150), Botswana (150), Djibouti (150), Estonia (150), Hong Kong (150), Kuwait (140), Latvia (100), Japan (100), Bolivia (100), China (100), Philippines (100), Indonesia (72).

There are also Greeks living in Papula New Guinea, Iran, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Slovenia, Croatia, Tunisia, Senegal, Thailand, Central African Republic, Qatar, Singapore, Malta, Cuba, Algeria, Eritrea, Slovakia, Paraguay, Chad, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mozambique, namibia, Togo, Taiwan, Republic of the Congo, Belarus, Dominican Republic and Vietnam.

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