Greeks ( mk, Грци, Grci ) in North Macedonia form an ethnic minority numbering 294 individuals per 2021 census.

Current status

Greeks are mainly settled now in the cities of

Gevgelija Gevgelija ( mk, Гевгелија; ) is a town with a population of 15,685 located in the very southeast of the North Macedonia along the banks of the Vardar River, situated at the country's main border with Greece (Bogorodica-Evzoni), the point ...

( el, Γευγελή, ''Gevgelī́'') and

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...

( el, Μοναστήρι, ''Monastī́ri''). Today most Greeks in the country are political refugees who fled Greece due to the

Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος �όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...

Pg.440 and their descendants.

Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensiv ...

also cites Greek as an "immigrant language" in the Republic of North Macedonia. The most recent census (2002) recorded 422 individuals declaring their ethnicity as Greek.

Alternative estimates

The Greek right-wing party Popular Orthodox Rally claims via questions presented in the Greek Parliament that there are more than 100,000 (up to 280,000) Greeks that now live in the country. This number is not supported officially by the

Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Minister for Foreign Affairs ( el, Υπουργός Εξωτερικών) is the senior minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece. The incumbent Minister for Foreign Affairs is Nikos Dendias of New Democracy New Democracy, ...

. According to a Greek research, the Greek population of North Macedonia in 1996 made up 2% of the total population, consisting of approximately 42,000 individuals.

Aromanians

The controversy surrounding a Greek minority within the Republic of North Macedonia stems from the statistical treatment of Aromanian population groups in the country, who in their majority used to identify themselves as Greeks as part of the Rum millet. A large number of Aromanians with Greek identity left the region after the Balkan Wars, with Florina in Greece witnessing the arrival of a large Greek-speaking commercial population from Monastiri (Bitola). The present-day community is a remnant of the formerly larger Aromanian community of the part of

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

that fell within the borders of the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...

after the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

. Today, the Aromanians in North Macedonia are an officially recognized minority group numbering ca. 10,000 people, although some estimates put this number higher.

Notable historical personalities

The following people were born during Ottoman times in what is today North Macedonia: *

Theodoros Adam Theodoros Adam (Greek: Θεόδωρος Αδάμ) was a Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle. Biography Adam was born in the late 19th century in Nižepole, then part of the Ottoman Empire (now in North Macedonia). He organized the Natio ...

, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Charalambos Boufidis Charalambos Boufidis ( Greek: Χαράλαμπος Μπουφίδης), also known with the nom de guerre Kapetan Fourtounas (Καπετάν Φουρτούνας), was a significant Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle. Biography He was ...

, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Petros Christou Petros Christou ( el, Πέτρος Χρήστου, 1887 - 21 June 1908) was a Greeks, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle. Biography Christou was born in 1887 in Velušina, then Ottoman Empire (now North Macedonia, Republic of North Mace ...

(1887-1908), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle * Georgios Karaiskakis (-1910), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Evangelos Koukoudeas Evangelos Koukoudeas ( el, Ευάγγελος Κουκουδέας) was a Greeks, Greek guerrilla fighter the Macedonian Struggle and the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, North Epirote Struggle for Autonomy, hero of the Balkan Wars, and offi ...

, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Dimitrios Lalas Dimitrios Stergios Lalas or Lallas ( el, Δημήτριος Στέργιος Λάλας ή Λάλλας) was a significant Greek composer and musician. Biography Lalas was born in 1844 or 1848 in Magarevo, then Ottoman Empire (now North Macedon ...

(1844/48-1911), composer and musician *

Georgios Modis Georgios Modis ( el, Γεώργιος Μόδης; 14 May 1887 – 18 June 1975) was a Greek jurist, politician, writer and participant in the Macedonian Struggle. Biography Georgios Modis was born in 1887 in Monastir (modern Bitola). He graduat ...

(1887-1975), jurist, politician, writer and participant in the Macedonian Struggle *

Traianos Nallis Traianos Nallis ( el, Τραϊανός Νάλλης, tr, Trayan Nali Efendi) was a Greek notable and politician. Biography Nallis was born in 1874 in Gradešnica, then in the Ottoman Empire (now in North Macedonia). He grew up in Monastir (n ...

(1874-?), politician *

Pantelis Papaioannou Pantelis Papaioannou or Grekos ( el, Παντελής Παπαϊωάννου) was a Slavophone Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle known by the ''nom de guerre'' Kapetan Nikotsaras (Καπετάν Νικοτσάρας). Early life Pap ...

(c.1880-1907), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Theofylaktos Papakonstantinou Theofylaktos F. Papakonstantinou (1905–1991) was a Greek columnist, political and social analyst and historian. He used the pen name Petros Monastiriotis. Biography He was born in 1905 in Monastir, then part of the Ottoman Empire, whence his l ...

(1905-1991), writer and politician *

Anastasios Pichion Anastasios Pichion ( el, Αναστάσιος Πηχιών) or Picheon (Πηχεών) (1836 – 24 March 1913) was a Greek of Aromanian descent who was an educator and revolutionary of the Macedonian Struggle. Biography He was born in Ohrid dur ...

(1836-1913), educator and participant the Macedonian Struggle *

Michail Sapkas Michail Asterios Sapkas ( el, Μιχαήλ Αστέριος Σάπκας) was a Greeks, Greek revolutionary of the Macedonian Struggle and politician. Biography Sapkas was born in 1873 in Magarevo, then Ottoman Empire (now North Macedonia). He ...

(1873-1956), politician and doctor *

Dimitrios Semsis Dimitrios Semsis, also known as Dimitrios Salonikios ( el, Δημήτρης Σέμσης; 1883 – 13 January 1950), was a Greek violinist born Dimitrios Koukoudeas (Δημήτριος Κουκουδέας) in Strumica, in the Salonica Vilayet ...

(1883-1950), violinist *

Michael Sionidis Michael Sionidis ( el, Μιχαήλ Σιωνίδης or , '; c. 1870–1935) was a Greek leader of '' makedonomachoi'' in the Macedonian Struggle. Early life Michael Sionidis was born in the village of Grčište, Ottoman Empire (near Bogdanci i ...

(1870-1935), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Alexandros Svolos Alexandros Svolos ( el, Αλέξανδρος Σβώλος; 1892, Kruševo, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire – 22 February 1956, Athens, Greece) was a prominent Greek legal expert, who also served as president of the Political Committee of Natio ...

(1892-1956), President of Political Committee of National Liberation during WW2 *

Dimitrios Tsapanos Dimitrios Tsapanos ( el, Δημήτριος Τσάπανος) was a Greek chieftain of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia. Biography Tsapanos was born in 1882 or 1883 in Magarevo of the historic region of Pelagonia, then Ottoman Empire (now Nort ...

(1882 or 1883-), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Dimitrios Tsitsimis Dimitrios Tsitsimis ( Greek: Δημήτριος Τσιτσίμης) was a Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle. Biography Tsitsimis was born in the late 19th century in Üstrümce, then Ottoman Empire (now Strumica, North Macedonia). H ...

, chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle *

Georgios Vafopoulos Georgios Vafopoulos ( el, Γεώργιος Βαφόπουλος; 1903–1996) was a Greek poet, author, teacher and journalist of the 20th century. Biography Early years Vafopoulos was born on 6 SeptemberBnF authoritiesGeṓrgios Th. Vafópou ...

(1903-1996), poet, writer, teacher and journalist *

Antonios Zois Antonios Zois ( el, Αντώνιος Ζώης; c. 1869–1941) was a Greeks, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle from Bitola, Monastir. Biography Antonios Zois was born in about 1869Εκλογικός κατάλογος του δήμο ...

(1869-1941), chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greeks In The Republic Of North Macedonia North Macedonia, Republic of Ethnic groups in North Macedonia Greece–North Macedonia relations

Current status

Alternative estimates

Aromanians

Notable historical personalities

See also

References