Polska
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Subdivisions of Polish people
Among ethnic Poles, we can distinguish at least the following major ethnographic groups:
1) Greater Poles (western Poles, Wielkopolanie, Polans),
2) Cuiavians (Kujawiacy),
3) Pomeranians,
4) Central Poles (historical Sieradz Land & Łęczyca Land),
5) Silesians,
6) Lesser Poles (southern Poles, Małopolanie, Vistulans),
7) Mazurs (Mazovians),
8) Kresowiaks (North-Eastern & South-Eastern Poles)
1) Greater Poles (Wielkopolanie, "Poles proper") inhabit more or less the original territory of the tribe of Polans (from which the names Poland and Poles are derived), as well as other areas where Greater Polish settlers and their dialect expanded throughout history. Greater Poland is the oldest part of Poland and this is where the Polish statehood emerged during the 9th and 10th centuries. Poznań is the main city of this region. We can distinguish smaller ethnographic subdivisions among Greater Poles. For example Pałuki, Biskupianie, Bambrzy (descended from Polonized German settlers from the area of Bamberg), Kaliszans, and others. In the territory of Greater Poland, there live also two Silesian-speaking ethnographic groups - Leśniaks, who live in the area of Rawicz, and Chwalimiaks, who live around Chwalim, Nowe Kramsko and Stare Kramsko. Some researchers include also 2) Cuiavians as a sub-division of Greater Poles. They inhabit areas from Lake Gopło in the south to Noteć River in the north-west and to Vistula River in the north-east. Descended from Cuiavian and Greater Polish settlers, are Kociewiaks, who live in the region of Kociewie in Eastern Pomerania, located between Starogard Pomorski, Tczew, Gniew, Świecie and to the outskirts of Gdańsk in the north. Groups intermediate between Greater Poles and Mazurs (but closer to Greater Poles), are Chełmniaks and Dobrzyniaks (who live in the lands of Chełmno and Dobrzyń), as well as Lubawiaks (in the land of Lubawa). Another intermediate group, but closer to Mazurs, are Catholic Warmiaks in the East Prussian region of Warmia (Ermland).
3) Pomeranians used to inhabit the entire land located to the north of Polans, between the swamps of Noteć River and the Baltic Sea. In the west, Pomeranians extended perhaps as far as the Rügen Island. In the east, they extended as far as the Vistula Lagoon, and their eastern neighbours were Baltic-speaking Prussians. Lipa (today Krynica Morska) was the easternmost Slavic-speaking village on the Baltic coast, but the area of Truso (today Elbląg) to the south of the Lagoon, was ethnically Old Prussian. Most of Pomeranians became Germanized throughout history. Only Eastern Pomeranians preserved their Slavic ethnicity, and are commonly known as Kashubians today. Kashubians who were under Polish rule during the 16th-18th centuries remained Catholic, while Kashubians who lived in Brandenburg-Prussia during the 18th century, were Lutherans. Kashubians could be divided into many smaller folk sub-dvisisions, such Kabatkowie, Karwatkowie, Pomarenkowie, Niniakowie, Beloki, Rybaki, Łyczaki, Lesoki, Korczaki, Zaboraki, Słowińcy (Slovincians), etc. From the Early Middle Ages, Pomerania was under strong Greater Polish and Cuiavian influences, which led to the emergence of several intermediary groups. From the mixture of Kashubians and Greater Poles, emerged an ethnographic group called Borowiaks, who live in the Tuchola Forests, between Tuchola, Koronowo, Świecie and Starogard. Borowiaks are intermediary, whereas another mixed group - Krajniaks - have a mostly Greater Polish character, with relatively minor Kashubian influences. They live in the region of Krajna.
The main city in the region has always been Gdańsk (Danzig), but it is not considered as part of ethnographic Kashubia because it was never Kashubian-dominated, but was either multicultural, German, or Polish throughout its history. Gdańsk is also located on the borderland between three ethnographic regions: Kashubia to the west, Kociewie to the south, Prussia to the east.
4) Central Poles (Łęczyczans and Sieradzans). Łęczyczans live between Greater Poland and Mazovia, and are an intermediate group, originally closer to Greater Poles but with significant Mazur influences. Sieradzans on the other hand, are surrounded by Greater Poland, Lesser Poland and Silesia, and are under strong influence of all three regions. They lost much of their original distinctness. The main city in this region is Łódź, but it originated during the Industrial Revolution, historically it was not an important settlement.
5) Silesians. In the Early Middle Ages, Silesia was inhabited by several Slavic tribes. The most numerous tribe (which ultimately gave its name to the region) were the Slenzans, who lived around Wrocław. They probably numbered 60-75,000 people. The Opolans lived around Opole, their population was perhaps 30-40,000. The Dyadosans lived near Głogów, probably 30,000 people. The Golensizians dwelled near Racibórz, Cieszyn and Opawa. The Lupiglaa probably lived on the Głubczyce Plateau. The Tryebovians occupied areas near Legnica and could number some 25-30,000 individuals. The Poborans lived along the lower and middle course of the Bóbr River. The Psyovians lived near Pszów, to the east of the Opolans and to the west of Cracow. As of year 1000 AD, the total population of Silesia is estimated as around 250,000 people. Following the German Ostsiedlung of the 13th century, the population of Silesia increased to around 510,000 in year 1350 AD (150,000 in Upper Silesia and 360,000 in Lower Silesia), of whom up to 150,000 were Germans. Germans settled mostly in western and northern parts of Lower Silesia. Upper Silesia was less affected by the Ostsiedlung. During the following centuries cultural Germanization gradually shifted the ethnic structure of Silesia, so that by the 20th century nearly all of Lower Silesia had a German-speaking majority. But Upper Silesia remained majority Polish-speaking. There were also Czech-speaking communities. Upper Silesians can be divided into a dozen or so smaller sub-divisions. But the most pronounced difference is between Cieszyn Silesia and the rest of Upper Silesia. This difference emerged due to political border which divided Upper Silesia between Prussia and Austria in the 1740s. Among smaller ethnographic groups which live in Cieszyn Silesia, we can distinguish Silesian Gorals (Silesian Highlanders).
6) Lesser Poles (Małopolanie). Southern Poles. They can be divided into several major sub-groups - Krakowiaks (in the region of Cracow), Gorals (Polish Highlanders), Sandomirians, Lubliniaks and inhabitants of Podkarpacie (Subcarpathia). Krakowiaks live to the north of Gorals, to the east of Silesians, to the west of Sandomirians, in the north they extend as far as Częstochowa and Kielce. This Cracow group can be further subdivided into smaller ethnographic regions. Among Lesser Poles, especially strongly differentiated are the Gorals, who can be further divided into Beskid Gorals, Podhalans, Kliszczaks, Lachy Sądeckie, and several smaller groups. In the east, Lesser Polish Gorals have Ruthenian-speaking Gorals as their neighbours. There is a lot of overlap with Slovak-speaking Gorals in the south. Sandomirians extend in the north as far as Skaryszew and Iłża, in the west beyond Chęciny. Lubliniaks live to the east of Sandomirians in the areas around Lublin, Chełm, Zamość, Tomaszów, Janów and Biłgoraj. To the south of them live Rzeszowiaks, in Podkarpacie (Subcarpathia).
7) Mazurs (Mazovians). They consist of proper Mazurs, known also as Central Mazurs, who live between Sierpc and Płock up to the lower Wieprz River. Between Central Mazurs and Podlasie is the homeland of Eastern Mazurs, and in southern parts of East Prussia - the homeland of Lutheran, Prussian Mazurs, descended from Central Mazurs who settled there in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and assimilated remnants of West Baltic-speaking Old Prussian population. Another Medieval expansion of Mazurs, to the east, into former Yotvingian (ethnically West Baltic) territories, led to the emergence of Sudovian Poles and of Podlasie Mazurs (in the areas around Węgrów, Siedlce, Puławy, Łuków, Sokołów, Włodawa, as far as the Biebrza River). Another group descended from a mix of Poles (mostly Mazurs) and West Balts are the Kurpie, who live in Puszcza Zielona and Puszcza Biała (Green Forest and White Forest). Yet another sub-division of Mazurs, which developed a very rich folk culture thanks to having special privileges and prosperity, are Łowiczans (around Łowicz).
The capital of Poland, Warsaw, is located in the land of Central Mazurs. However, as any large city it has always been a melting pot of people from all regions of Poland and from abroad. In the Early Middle Ages, Płock was a more important city.
8) Kresowiaks. From the 14th century onwards, the expansion of Polish (mostly Mazur, but also Greater Polish and other) settlers towards the north-east, as well as cultural Polonization of local inhabitants, led to the emergence of Wilniuks (North-Eastern Poles) in the Land of Wilno (Wileńszczyzna), which encompasses the borderlands of Belarus, Lithuania and Southern Latvia (Polish Livonia). At the same time, the expansion of Polish settlers (mostly Lesser Poles) towards the south-east, as well as cultural Polonization of local inhabitants, led to the emergence of South-Eastern Poles in Red Ruthenia (with its main cultural centre - Lwów, Lviv), Volhynia and Podolia.
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Originally Posted by karol.klacansky
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