Also known as: Armînii, Macedonian Romanians, Vlach, Tsintsari, Tchoban

The Aromanians are the main group descended from the Latin-speaking population of the Balkans (leaving aside the Romanians themselves, or Daco-Romanians, and the Beás-Rudari, or Moeso-Romanians – other groups of similar descent are the 4,000 Meglenites of Gevgelija in Macedonia and the 800 Istrian Romanians of Šušnjevica, as well as the three or four Latin languages of the Dalmatian coast by now extinct). The Aromanians are not a Romanian diaspora but rather a specific people without a compact territory, who came into existence as such in the Balkans following the period of Roman rule there. They are most numerous in Macedonia, Greece and Albania, totalling perhaps 320,000 in the three countries. They were identified for many years with two very particular although dissimilar occupations: transhumance shepherding and high-value commerce. In the 18th century, at the height of their activity, they had trading posts more or less all over Europe, including in Vienna and Antwerp, as well as in the Ottoman Empire. It was only in the 20th century that they began to develop their language, which was still regarded by the Romanian and Greek authorities as a "dialect", and their literary output remains modest. Many Aromanians are uncertain about the nature of their identity: whether it is linguistic, cultural, national or indeed religious (Greek Orthodox) is a rich theme for debate.
The Aromanian language and culture enjoy protection in Europe under Recommendation 1333 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, of 24 June 1997.

Carte à venir

en construction

en construction

en construction

en construction