'Polish people', or 'Poles' () are a
western Slavic ethnic group of
Central Europe, living predominantly in
Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly
Roman Catholic. The Poles can also be referred to as the inhabitants of the
Republic of Poland and Polish emigrants irrespective of their ethnicity. A wide-ranging
Polish diaspora exists throughout Western and Eastern Europe, the Americas and Australia.
There is no commonly accepted definition of the Poles. According to the
preamble of the
Constitution of Poland, the Polish Nation consists of all
citizens of Poland. However, like in most European countries, many people limit the group to native speakers of the
Polish language, people that share certain views or traditions, or people who share a common ethnic background originating from Poland. As to the ethnicity, the name of the nation comes from a
western Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with Poland and the Polish language. Poles belong to the
Lechitic subgroup of these ethnic people. The
Polans of
Giecz,
Gniezno, and
Poznań were one of the most influential tribes of
Greater Poland and managed to unite many other West Slavic tribes in the area under the rule of what became the
Piast dynasty, thus giving birth to a new state. The Polish name for a Pole is ''Polak'' (male) and ''Polka'' (female).
Statistics
Estimates vary greatly, though most data suggests a total number around 50 million. There are 38 million Poles in Poland alone as well as autochthonous Polish minorities in the surrounding countries such as
Germany, the
Czech Republic,
Lithuania,
Ukraine, and
Belarus. There are some smaller minorities in other nearby countries like
Moldova and
Latvia. Note that there is also a Polish minority in
Russia which included autochthonous Poles as well as some forcibly deported Poles. The total number of Poles in what was the former
Soviet Union is estimated at 3 million.
The term "
Polonia" is usually used in Poland to refer to people of Polish origin who live outside Polish borders, officially estimated at around 10-12 to 20 million. There is a notable Polish
diaspora in the
United States (
Polish-American),
Canada and
Brazil (see
Polish Brazilian). In the United States a significant number of Polish immigrants settled in
Chicago,
Detroit,
New York City, and
Buffalo. In recent years, since joining the
European Union, many Polish people have emigrated to countries such as
Ireland; where an estimated 150,000 Polish people have entered the labour market. It is estimated that a quarter million have in the
United Kingdom.
Polish tribes
The following is the list of
Polish tribes -
tribes which constituted the lands of Poland in the
early Middle Ages, at the beginning of the Polish state. Some of them have remained a separate ethnicity while others have been assimilated into the culture of Poland.
European Union
:''for ethnic Poles living abroad see
Polonia''
Following Poland's entry into the EU in May 2004 it is estimated that as of September 2006, 307,670 Poles have registered to work in the United Kingdom alone.
[1] Many Poles work in seasonal occupations and a large number is likely to move back and forth including between Ireland and other EU nations.
Notes
1. Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and Department for Communities and Local Government, , 21 November 2006, accessed 22 November 2006.
poland has always had great people to be honored by.
See also
★
Genetic history of Europe
★
Pole, Hungarian, two good friends
★
List of Poles
★
List of Polish Jews
★
Polish Americans
★
Polish Australians
★
Polish Canadians
★
Polish Brazilians
★
Polish Germans
★
Demographics of Poland
★
R1a1
★
Polonia
★
Name of Poland (etymology of the demonym)
External links
★
History of Polish war veterans being admitted to Canada after World War II
★
Federation of Poles in Great Britain
★
Polish Heritage Trust of New Zealand
★
Polacy w Wielkiej Brytanii, Polish Community in the UK
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