Slovaks of Romania

The Slovaks (Slováci in Slovak, slovaci in Romanian) are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 17,199 people according to the 2002 census and hence making up 0.1% of the total population. Slovaks mainly live in western Romania, with the largest populations found in Bihor and Arad counties, where they make up 1.22% and 1.25% of the population, respectively.

The largest concentrations of ethnic Slovaks can be found in Șinteu (Nová Huta), Bihor County, where they make up nearly all (96.37%) of the population, and in Nădlac (Nadlak), Arad County, where they make up almost half (43.85%) of the population. Other towns and communes with significant Slovak populations include:

Măeriște

Măerişte (Hungarian: Krasznahidvég; German: Bruckend) is a commune located in Sălaj County, Romania.

Geography

The commune, with an area of 74.97 km² (7,500 ha), is in the north-west part of the county, in the hydrographic basin of the Crasna River. It is composed of six villages: Criştelec (Kerestelek), Doh (Doh), Giurtelecu Șimleului (Somlyógyőrtelek), Măerişte (located at 43 km from Zalău), Mălădia (Maladé) and Uileacu Şimleului (Somlyóújlak).

Tourism

Among the commune's tourist sites are the Reformed Church, Uileacu Şimleului (a former Benedictine monastery), an architectural monument dated from 1260-1300, as well as other churches.

It is 21 km from the projected Transylvania Motorway.

Population

According to the 2011 Romanian Census, the commune had 3,037 inhabitants. According to the 2002 Romanian Census, the commune population is 3,762, of which 87.78% are Romanians, 11.24% Hungarians, 0.79% Roms, 0.11% Slovakians and 0.08% other nationalities.

Economy

The economy of the commune is mainly agricultural, based on cereal, potato and vegetable growing. In the last few years livestock-breeding has developed.

List of Slovaks

Through the centuries, Slovaks have played an active role in political, military, scientific, cultural and religious affairs. Having been a part of multicultural Hungary (Latin being the official language from its inception until the 1840s) for over 1,000 years and Czechoslovakia for over 70 years, Slovaks and their contributions are often mischaracterized as simply Hungarian or Czech when a more nuanced understanding of ethnic identity is required. Just as Latinos or Asians in Canada consider themselves Canadian as well as Dominican or Chinese by virtue of nationality and ethnicity, Slovaks in Hungary would have felt the same way. This explains how Slovaks could identify with - and be active and proud citizens of - Hungary yet fight to retain their Slovak language and customs despite violent efforts by ethnic Magyars after 1848 to assimilate them culturally and linguistically.

The following is a list of notable people who either:

Slovaks

The Slovaks, Slovak people (Slovak Slováci, singular Slovák, feminine Slovenka, plural Slovenky) are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language.

Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia (circa 5,410,836). There are Slovak minorities in Poland, Hungary, Serbia and sizeable populations of immigrants and their descendants in the Czech Republic, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Name

The name Slovak is derived from *Slověninъ, plural *Slověně, the old name of the Slavs. In the Slovak language; only the masculine noun Slověninъ, Slověn changed to Slovän, Slovan and finally (under Czech and Polish influence) to Slovák around 1400. The older form Sloven is preserved in all similar words in the Slovak language - the adjective "Slovak" is still slovenský, the feminine noun "Slovak" is still Slovenka and the country is Slovensko.

The first written mention about usage of the new form Slovak in the territory of present-day Slovakia is from Bardejov (1444) - "Nicoulaus Cossibor hauptman, Nicolaus Czech et Slowak, stipendiarii supremi". The mentions in Czech sources are older - 1375 and 1385. The change is not related to ethnogenesis of Slovaks, but exclusively to linguistic changes in the West Slavic languages. The word Slovak was also used later as a common name for all Slavs in Czech, Polish and also Slovak language in parallel with other forms.

Romania

Coordinates: 46°N 25°E / 46°N 25°E / 46; 25

Romania (ⁱ/roʊˈmeɪniə/ roh-MAY-nee-ə; Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a]) is a unitary semi-presidential republic located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine. It also borders Hungary, Serbia, and Moldova. It covers 238,391 square kilometres (92,043 sq mi) and has a temperate-continental climate. With its 19.94 million inhabitants, it is the seventh most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city, Bucharest, is the sixth largest city in the EU. The River Danube, which is Europe's second longest river after the Volga, rises in Germany and flows southeastwards for a distance of 2,857 km, coursing through ten countries before emptying in Romania's Danube Delta. Some of its 1,075 km length bordering the country drains the whole of it. The Carpathian Mountains, with their tallest peak Moldoveanu at 2,544 m (8,346 ft), cross Romania from the north to the southwest.

Modern Romania emerged within the territories of the ancient Roman province of Dacia, and was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The new state, officially named Romania since 1866, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the sovereign Kingdom of Romania. During World War II, Romania was an ally of Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union, fighting side by side with the Wehrmacht until 1944, then it joined the Allied powers after being occupied by the Red Army forces. During the war, Romania lost several territories, of which Northern Transylvania was regained after the war. Following the war, Romania became a socialist republic and member of the Warsaw Pact. After the 1989 Revolution, Romania began a transition back towards democracy and a capitalist market economy.

Romania (disambiguation)

Romania is a modern nation-state, located in South-East Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula.

Romania may also refer to:

See also

Romanian wine

Romania is one of the world's largest wine producers and sixth largest among European countries – in 2015 it produced around 4.069 million hectolitres of wine. In recent years, Romania has attracted many European business people and wine buyers, due to the affordable prices of both vineyards and wines compared to other wine producing nations such as France, Germany, and Italy.

In Romania are mainly cultivated grape varieties for white wines, the most widespread being Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală, Riesling, Aligoté, Sauvignon, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Tămâioasă Românească, Grasă de Cotnari, Galbenă de Odobești. Therewith, the main grape varieties for red wines are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Băbească Neagră, Fetească Neagră, Pinot Noir, Busuioacă de Bohotin.

History

Romania has one of the oldest wine making traditions in the world, its viticulture dating back more than 6,000 years. Due to the hot dry summers, the location proved to be successful and the grape vineyards thrived. Since the medieval times, wine has been the traditional alcoholic beverage of the Romanians.