Romani people

Romani people
Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
Total population
2–12 million[1][2][3][4]
United States1,000,000 estimated with Romani ancestry[a][5][6]
Brazil800,000 (0.4%)[7]
Spain750,000–1,500,000 (1.5–3.7%)[8][9][10][11][12][13]
Romania569,500–1,850,000 (3.4–8.32%)[14][15]
Turkey500,000–2,750,000 (0.57%-3.2%)[9][16][17][18][19]
Bulgaria325,343[b]–750,000 (4.9–10.3%)[21][22]
Hungary309,632[c]–870,000 (3.21–9%)[23][24][25]
France300,000–1,200,000 (0.21%)[26][27][28][29]
Argentina300,000[d][30][31]
United Kingdom225,000 (0.4%)[32][9][33]
Russia205,007[e]–825,000 (0.6%)[9]
Serbia147,604[f]–600,000 (2.1–8.2%)[34][35][9]
Italy120,000–180,000 (0.3%)[36][9]
Greece111,000–300,000 (2.7%)[37][38]
Germany105,000 (0.1%)[9][39]
Slovakia105,738[g]–490,000 (2.1–9%)[40][41][42]
Albania100,000-140,000 (3.62%-5.06%)[43]
Iran2,000–110,000[44][45]
North Macedonia46,433 (2.53%)[46]
Sweden50,000–100,000[9][47]
Ukraine47,587[h]–260,000 (0.6%)[9][48]
Portugal52,000 (0.5%)[9][49][50]
Austria40,000–50,000 (0.6%)[51]
Kosovo36,000[i] (2%)[9][52]
Netherlands32,000–40,000 (0.2%)[9]
Poland17,049[e]–32,500 (0.1%)[9][53]
Croatia16,975[e]–35,000 (0.8%)[9][54]
Mexico15,850[55]
Chile15,000–20,000[30]
Moldova12,778[e]–250,000 (3.0%–7.05%)[56]
Finland10,000–12,000 est. (0.2%)[57]
Bosnia and Herzegovina8,864[e]–58,000 (1.5%)[9][58]
Colombia2,649–8,000[30][59]
Belarus7,316[e]–47,500 (0.5%)[60]
Latvia7,193[e]–12,500 (0.6%)[9]
Canada5,255–80,000[61][62]
Montenegro5,251[e]–20,000 (3.7%)[63]
Czech Republic5,199[j]–40,370[e] (Romani speakers)–250,000 (1.9%)[64][65]
Australia5,000–25,000[66]
Slovenia3,246[9]
Lithuania2,571[9]
Denmark5,500[67]
Ireland22,435[9]
Georgia1,200[9]
Belgium30,000[68]
Cyprus1,250[69]
Switzerland25,000–35,000[9]
Languages
Romani, Para-Romani varieties, languages of native regions
Religion
Mostly Christianity[70]
(Catholic · Orthodox · Protestant)
Minorities:
Romani mythology · Islam[70] · Shaktist Hinduism[70] · Buddhism[71][72] · Judaism (conversion through marriage to Jewish spouses)[73]
Related ethnic groups
Ghorbati, Doms, Lom, Ḍoma, Ashkali and Balkan Egyptians; other Indo-Aryans

The Romani people[k] (/ˈrməni/ ROH-mə-nee or /ˈrɒməni/ ROM-ə-nee), also known as the Roma (sg.: Rom), are an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin[74][75][76] who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Roma originated in the Indian subcontinent, in particular the region of Rajasthan.[77] Their first wave of westward migration is believed to have occurred sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries.[78][79][80][81][82] They are thought to have arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th century.[83] Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are believed to be in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.[84][85][86]

In the English language, Romani people have long been known by the exonym Gypsies or Gipsies,[87] which many Roma consider a racial slur.[88][89] The attendees of the first World Romani Congress in 1971 unanimously voted to reject the use of all exonyms for the Roma, including "Gypsy".[90] However, it is not considered a slur in the UK and Romani people in the United Kingdom commonly refer to themselves as "Gypsies".[91]

The first Roma to come to the United States arrived in Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey and Louisiana during the 1500s.[92] Romani slaves were first shipped to the Americas with Columbus in 1498.[93] Spain sent Romani slaves to their Louisiana colony between 1762 and 1800.[94] An Afro-Romani community exists in St. Martin Parish due to intermarriage between freed African American and Romani slaves.[95] The Romani population in the United States is estimated at more than one million.[l] There are between 800,000 and 1 million Roma in Brazil, most of whose ancestors emigrated in the 19th century from Eastern Europe. Brazilian Roma are mostly descended from German/Italian Sinti (in the South/Southeast regions), and Roma and Calon people. Brazil also includes a notable Romani community descended from Sinti and Roma deportees from the Portuguese Empire during the Portuguese Inquisition.[96] Since the late 19th century, Roma have also migrated to other countries in South America and Canada.

The Romani language is an Indo-Aryan language with strong Balkan and Greek influence.[97] It is divided into several dialects, which together are estimated to have over 2 million speakers.[98] Because the language has traditionally been oral, many Roma are native speakers of the dominant language in their country of residence, or else of mixed languages that combine the dominant language with a dialect of Romani in varieties sometimes called para-Romani.[99]

  1. ^ Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Ethnologue: Languages of the World" (online) (16th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL. Retrieved 15 September 2010. Ian Hancock's 1987 estimate for 'all Gypsies in the world' was 6 to 11 million.
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  7. ^ "Falta de políticas públicas para ciganos é desafio para o governo" [Lack of public policy for Romani is a challenge for the administration] (in Portuguese). R7. 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012. The Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality estimates the number of "ciganos" (Romanis) in Brazil at 800,000 (2011). The 2010 IBGE Brazilian National Census encountered Romani camps in 291 of Brazil's 5,565 municipalities.
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