Slovaks of Croatia

Slovaks are one of the recognised minorities of Croatia. According to 2011 census there were 4,753 Slovaks in Croatia.

History

Slovaks mainly migrated to Croatia in the 19th century and to a much lesser extent in the 20th century. Many were peasants from the poverty-stricken region of Kysuce in northwestern Slovakia.

Several notable Croatians are of Slovak descent including philologist cardinal Juraj Haulik, Bogoslav Šulek and writer August Šenoa.

Slovaks are officially recognized as an autochthonous national minority, and as such, together with the Czechs of Croatia, elect a special representative to the Croatian Parliament.

Geographic representation

Most Croatian Slovaks live in the region of Slavonia, with the majority residing in the Osijek-Baranja county and the Vukovar-Syrmia county.

Notable Slovak settlements include (2001 census):

Towns:

Municipalities:

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.

Croatia

Coordinates: 45°10′N 15°30′E / 45.167°N 15.500°E / 45.167; 15.500

Croatia (ⁱ/kroʊˈeɪʃə/ kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska,  listen ), is a sovereign state at the crossroads of Central Europe, Southeast Europe, and the Mediterranean. Its capital city is Zagreb, which forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, along with its twenty counties. Croatia covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and has diverse, mostly continental and Mediterranean climates. Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast contains more than a thousand islands. The country's population is 4.28 million, most of whom are Croats, with the most common religious denomination being Roman Catholicism.

The Croats arrived in the area of present-day Croatia during the early part of the 7th century AD. They organised the state into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne. In 1918, after World War I, Croatia was included in the unrecognised State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs which seceded from Austria-Hungary and merged into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A fascist Croatian puppet state existed during World War II. After the war, Croatia became a founding member and a federal constituent of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a constitutionally socialist state. In June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully during the four years following the declaration.

Croatian wine

Croatian wine (vino, pl. vina) has a history dating back to the Ancient Greek settlers, and their wine production on the southern Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago. Like other old world wine producers, many traditional grape varieties still survive in Croatia, perfectly suited to their local wine hills. Modern wine-production methods have taken over in the larger wineries, and EU-style wine regulations have been adopted, guaranteeing the quality of the wine.

There are currently over 300 geographically defined wine regions, and a strict classification system to ensure quality and origin. The majority of Croatian wine is white, with most of the remainder being red, and only a small percentage is rosé wines. In 2010, Croatia ranked 30th in wine producing countries with an estimated 50,000 tonnes.

Wine is a popular drink in Croatia, and locals traditionally like to drink wine with their meals. Quite often, the wine is diluted with either still or sparkling water - producing a drink known as gemišt (a combination of white wine and carbonated water), and bevanda (a combination of red wine and still water).

Croatia (European Parliament constituency)

In European elections, Croatia is a constituency of the European Parliament, currently represented by twelve MEPs. It covers the member state of Croatia.

Members are elected by proportional representation using open lists.

Election results

2013

2014

See also

References