Macedonians in Croatia refers to the group of

ethnic Macedonians Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identi ...

who reside in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

. According to the official census of 2011, there are 4,138 ethnic Macedonians in Croatia. Macedonians are recognised as an autochthonous national minority, and as such they elect a special representative to the

Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament ( hr, Hrvatski sabor) or the Sabor is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Croatia. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the people and is vested with legislative power. The Sa ...

, shared with members of four other national minorities.

Migration

Macedonians had been migrating to Croatia since

SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

. Early migration was primarily of Macedonians from a rural background. These migrants have been joined by many newer business migrants who have come to Croatia for the opportunities offered. Many settled in the national capital

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, and the

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic betwe ...

region. Macedonian communities can be also found in larger towns such as

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the I ...

, and

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...

Culture

The main Macedonian cultural association in Croatia is the ''Macedonian Community in Republic of Croatia'' ( hr, Croatian, Zajednica Makedonaca u Republici Hrvatskoj). It was founded in 1992 and it branches over six other smaller organisations from the major cities where Macedonians reside. The Cultural associations are as follows; KUD-Ohridski Biser from Zagreb, KUD-Makedonija from

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

, KUD-Biljana from

, KUD-Brak Miladinov from

, KUD-Ilinden from

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Prim ...

and KUD-Kočo Racin from

. The associations encourage traditional Macedonian folklore and customs from the motherland. They also encourage the upkeep of Macedonian heritage,

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

and traditions in Croatia.

Religion

Macedonians in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

are predominantly adherents to the Macedonian Orthodox Church . There are four organised church communities which are abbreviated to the MPCO ( mk, italic=yes, Makedonska Pravoslavna Crkovna Opština). The four Communities are St. Zlata Meglenska of Zagreb, St. Naum of Ohrid in

, St. Joachim of Osogovo of

and St. Tsar Constantin and Tsaritsa Elena of

. Father Kiro Velinski holds liturgy in Zagreb and Split.

Media

There are several Macedonian language newspapers operating in Croatia. The most prominent is ''Makedonski glas'' ( mk, Македонски Глас, meaning ''Macedonian voice'') which has been in print since the 1990s. It is printed with financial assistance from the Croatian government.Makedonski Glas-http://zmurh.hr/cms/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=27

Macedonians by counties and cities

Notable Macedonian Croatians

Ljupka Dimitrovska Ljupka Dimitrovska ( mk, Љупка Димитровска; 25 July 1946 – 3 October 2016) was a Macedonian-born Croatian singer. Internationally, she was best known for "Adio", written by Nikica Kalogjera and Ivica Krajač, which won the fir ...

- singer *

Ljiljana Nikolovska Ljiljana Nikolovska (; mk, Лилјана Николовска, also spelled Nikolovski or Nikoloski; born 24 August 1964) is a Croatian singer who rose to prominence as the lead vocalist for the Split-based pop music act Magazin. Born in Spl ...

- singer * Aki Rahimovski - singer * Ordan Petlevski - artist *

Sibila Petlevski Sibila Petlevski (born 11 May 1964) is a Croatian writer of Macedonian descent, who is a poet, playwright, and Professor at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, University of Zagreb. Biography Petlevski was born in Zagreb on 11 May 1964. Her fath ...

- author *

Goce Sedloski Goce Sedloski ( mk, Гоце Седлоски; born 10 April 1974) is a Macedonian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Macedonian First League club Shkupi. He earned 100 caps for the Macedonia nation ...

- football manager, former footballer * Branko Trajkov - drummer * Kostadinka Velkovska - actor

References

External links

Union of Macedonians in ZagrebCommunity of Macedonians in Croatia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macedonians In Croatia Ethnic groups in Croatia Macedonian diaspora