Ethnicity Istria

percentage of native italian speakers in croatia s istria county in 2001



percentage of people used italian language of daily use in istria in 1910

discussions istrian ethnicity use words italian , croatian , slovene describe character of istrian people. however, these terms best understood national affiliations may exist in combination or independently of linguistic, cultural , historical attributes. in istrian context, example, word italian can refer autochthonous speakers of venetian language antecedents in region extend before inception of venetian republic or istriot language oldest spoken language in istria, dated romans, today spoken in southwest of istria. can refer istrian croats adopted veneer of italian culture moved rural urban areas, or farms bourgeoisie.

similarly, national powers claim istrian croats according local language, speakers of Čakavian , Štokavian dialects of croatian language considered croatians, while speakers of other dialects may considered slovene. croatian dialect speakers descendants of refugees of turkish invasion , ottoman empire of bosnia , dalmatia in 16th century.

the government of republic of venice had settled them in inner istria, had been devastated wars , plague. many villages have morlachian names katun. other regions, local dialects of croatian communities vary across close distances. istrian croatian , italian vernaculars had both developed many generations before being divided today. meant croats/slovenes on 1 side , venetians/other italians on other side yielded each other culturally while simultaneously distancing members of ethnic groups living farther away.

another important istrian community istro-romanians in east , north of istria (Ćićarija) , parts of neighbouring liburnia (the east coast of peninsula, called liburnia, part of historic istria). small albanian community, until late 19th century spoke istrian albanian dialect, present in peninsula.

census

according 2011 croatian census data istria county, 68.33% of inhabitants croats, 6.03% italians, 3.46% serbs, 2.95% bosniaks, 1.15% albanians, , 1.96% did not state nationality. declaring regionally istrians made 12.11%. other nationalities had less 1% each.

the data slovenian istria not neatly organized, 2002 slovenian census indicates 3 istrian municipalities (izola, piran, koper) had total of 56,482 slovenes, 6,426 croats , 1,840 italians.

the small town of peroj has had unique history exemplifies multi-ethnic complexity of history of region, towns on both sides of cicarija mountains still identified istro-romanian people unesco redbook of endangered languages calls smallest ethnic group in europe .