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Pomaks

File:Pomak_Photos_0006.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Also known as Pomak

Pomaks (; Macedonian: Помаци ; ) are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims inhabiting Bulgaria, northwestern Turkey, and northeastern Greece. The strong ethno-confessional minority in Bulgaria is recognized officially as Bulgarian Muslims by the government. The term has also been used as a wider designation, including also the Slavic Muslim populations of North Macedonia and Albania. Most Pomaks today live in Turkey, where they have settled as muhacirs as a result of escaping previous ethnic cleansing in Bulgaria.

Key facts

Ethnic group.group
PomaksПомациΠομάκοιPomaklar
Ethnic group.image
250px
Ethnic group.caption
Pomaks in the early 20th century
Ethnic group.population
1 million
Ethnic group.pop1
350,000- 600,000
Ethnic group.pop2
107,777 (2021 Census) 67,350 Muslim Bulgarians (2011 census) up to 250,000
Ethnic group.pop3
50,000 in Western Thrace
Ethnic group.langs
Bulgarian (native), Greek (by those residing in Greece) and Turkish (by those residing in Turkey)
Ethnic group.rels
Sunni Islam
Ethnic group.related
Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Gorani, Torbeši

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Population
1000000
Show 1 more fact
Commons category
Pomaks
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via Wikidata · CC0

~17 min read

Article

17 sections
Contents
  • Etymology
  • Origins
  • Genetic studies
  • History
  • Language
  • Population
  • Bulgaria
  • Turkey
  • Greece
  • North Macedonia
  • Albania
  • Kosovo
  • Notable people
  • See also
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Pomaks (; Macedonian: Помаци ; ) are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims inhabiting Bulgaria, northwestern Turkey, and northeastern Greece. The strong ethno-confessional minority in Bulgaria is recognized officially as Bulgarian Muslims by the government. The term has also been used as a wider designation, including also the Slavic Muslim populations of North Macedonia and Albania. Most Pomaks today live in Turkey, where they have settled as muhacirs as a result of escaping previous ethnic cleansing in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria recognizes their language as a Bulgarian dialect, whereas in Greece and Turkey they self-declare their language as the Pomak language. The community in Greece is commonly fluent in Greek, and in Turkey, Turkish, while the communities in these two countries, especially in Turkey, are increasingly adopting Turkish as their first language as a result of education and family links with the Turkish people.

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