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Slavic Countries Slavs are the largest Indo-European ethno-linguistic group in Europe and share historical backgrounds and cultural traits across a large geographic area. Slavs are Indo-European ethnolinguistic groups in Europe. They are natives of Central, Eastern, Southeast, and Northeast Europe as well as Central and North Asia. The Slavs speak mainly Indo-European Slavic Language. The states made up of the Slavs account for about 50% of the territory of Europe.
The Slavs are grouped into West Slavs comprising Poles, Slovaks, and Czechs, East Slavs comprising of Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusian, and South Slavs comprising Serbs, Bosniaks, Slovenes, Serbs, and Macedonians. The modern Slavs are diverse in almost all ways including culture, genetic, and relationship between them. There are over 360 million Slavs worldwide.
Slavic Countries
Slavs are Indo-European people who speak the various Slavic languages of the larger Balto-Slavic linguistic group. They are native to Eurasia, stretching from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe all the way north and eastwards to Northeast Europe, Northern Asia (Siberia), and Central Asia (especially Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan), as well as historically in Western Europe (particularly in Eastern Germany) and Western Asia (including Anatolia).
From the early 6th century they spread to inhabit the majority of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Today, there is a large Slavic diaspora throughout North America, particularly in the United States and Canada as a result of immigration.
Slavs are the largest ethno-linguistic group in Europe, followed by Germanic peoples and Romance peoples. Present-day Slavic people are classified into East Slavs (chiefly Belarusians, Russians, Rusyns, and Ukrainians), West Slavs (chiefly Czechs, Kashubs, Moravians, Poles, Silesians, Slovaks, and Sorbs), and South Slavs (chiefly Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs, and Slovenes).
What Are The Slavic Countries?
There is a large ethnic and linguistic group in Europe, and in many parts of the world as well, called the Slavs. A member of this ethnic group is called a Slav. This lesson will be about Slavic countries. Together, the Slavs make up hundreds of millions of people all over the world and are the largest ethnic and linguistic group of people in all of Europe.
Three Slavic Divisions
Slavs and the countries in which they reside are divided into three main sections. They are:
The East Slavs, which include those living in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine
The West Slavs, which include those living in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia
The South Slavs, which are people who live in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.
Since there are so many Slavic countries, let’s very briefly meet one person from each country and have them tell us just a tiny bit about it.
East Slavs
First, we meet Tanya, a woman from Belarus. She tells us her country’s capital is Minsk and that she speak Belarussian. She says that many in her country observe the Christian Eastern Orthodox religion. Next is Olga. Olga is a woman from Russia. She notes that her country’s capital is Moscow and it also happens to be the largest country in the world, with the largest population of Slavs. Russians speak Russian and also observe the Russian Christian Eastern Orthodox Faith.
Alex, a man from Ukraine, tells us that his country lies in close proximity to both Russia and Belarus. His country’s capital is Kiev, his people practice the Ukrainian Orthodox faith, and speak Ukrainian. He also notes that Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia were three of the principal states of a now-dissolved nation that used to be called the Soviet Union.
West Slavs
Veronika, a girl from the Czech Republic proudly tells us that her nation’s capital is the beautiful city of Prague. She says she speaks Czech and that some in her nation is Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics also make up a large proportion of the country of Poland as Mariusz points out to us. He also tells us his capital is Warsaw, that he speaks Polish, and that one of the largest populations of ethnically Polish people outside of Poland lies around Chicago, Illinois (in the United States of America).
Kristina, a woman from Slovakia, makes sure we know that her country’s citizens mainly speak Slovak, that its people also largely practice Roman Catholicism, and that her country’s capital’s name is Bratislava.
The South Slavs
which are people who live in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.
Slavic Countries List/ Population/Flags
Ethnicity Nation-state Approximate numbers
Russians Russia 130,000,000–150,000,000
Poles Poland 57,393,000–60,000,000
Ukrainians Ukraine 46,700,000–51,800,000
Serbs Serbia 11,500,000–12,500,000
Czechs Czech Republic 10,000,000–12,000,000
Bulgarians Bulgaria 10,000,000
Belarusians Belarus 10,000,000
Croats Croatia 9,000,000
Slovaks Slovakia 6,940,000
Bosniaks Bosnia and Herzegovina 2,800,000–4,600,000
Slovenes Slovenia 2,500,000
Macedonians North Macedonia 2,100,000
Montenegrins Montenegro 560,000
Which Countries Are Slavic Countries?
As Of 2018, There Are 13 Slavic Countries:
Belarus
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Which Country Is The Most Slavic?
Russia
Currently, There Are Over 360 Million Slavs Worldwide. Russia Has The Highest Number Of Slavs, 130 Million. Russians In The Country Form The Ethnic Majority. There Are Over 57 Million Poles And Ukrainians Each Living In Poland And Ukraine Respectively.
Are Slavs Vikings?
The Original Meaning Of The Word Viking Wasn’t A Nationality. Some Of The “Viking” Tribes Were Not Norse At All. Some Scandinavian Tribes Were Germanic, Some Slavic, Other Finnic. The Rugii Tribe (Viking Name) Were Actually A Slavic Tribe From Pomerania Called Runi, Who Had Conquered Parts Of Norway.
Is Bulgaria A Slavic Country?
Bulgarians Are A Nation And South Slavic Ethnic Group Native To Bulgaria And Its Immediate Region.
Are Greeks Slavs?
In Greece, The Slavs Did Settle In Remote Areas But They Never Overwhelmed The Greek Population. So Some Of The Greek Backgrounds Can Be Traced To The Slavs, But Only A Small Part. Greeks Are Largely Descended From The Neolithic People Of The Balkans (About 80 Percent Of Their Ancestry Comes From These Ancient People).
Is German A Slavic Country?
Eastern Germans Are, Genetically, A Mixture Of Slavs And Germanic People. While The Descendants Of Early Germanic People In Today’s Poland Completely Merged In The Slavic People, We Still Have Descendants Of Slavic Tribes In East Germany (Wends, Sorbs), With A Slavic Language And Slavic Traditions.