Polonia is the Latin, Italian, Spanish name for Poland. See also: Lechia. Today, it is usually used in Poland to refer to people of Polish origin who live outside Polish borders, i.e. the Polish diaspora.
According to different estimates, there are between 14 and 17 million Poles living outside Poland; in other words, about three in ten ethnic Poles are expatriates. Reasons vary from border shifts to forced resettlement to political or economic emigration. Major Polonia communities can be found in Germany and the United States.
North America
Political and economic emigration since mid-19th century.
United States
American Polonia is the biggest in the world. The number of Polish-Americans is estimated at 9 million. Most of them live in the north-eastern part of the country, notably the states of New York (1.2 million), Illinois (1 million), Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Chicago is considered the biggest Polish city outside Poland. The major Polonia organization is Kongres Polonii Amerykańskiej / Polish American Congress (literally: Congress of American Polonia).
Canada
See: Kongres Polonii Kanadyjskiej / Canadian Polish Congress.
About 600 thousand.
Europe
Political and economic emigration since early 19th century.
Germany
The second biggest Polonia in the world and biggest in Europe, numbers around 3 million people (however, numbers are uncertain). The main Polonia organization is Kongres Polonii Niemieckiej / Polnischer Kongress in Deutchland.
France
About 1 million.
Britain
About 150 thousand.
Czech Republic
Post-WWI border shifts (mostly Cieszyn Silesia, so-called Zaolzie).
Between 70 and 100 thousand.
Post-WW2 Border shifts. See Polish minority in Soviet Union.
- Belarus - between 400 thousand and 1 million.
- Ukraine - between 300 and 500 thousand.
- Lithuania - between 250 and 300 thousand.
Latin America
Political and economic emigration since mid-19th century.
Russia and Kazakhstan
Forced resettlement during 19th and 20th centuries. See Polish minority in Soviet Union.
Australia
Political and economic emigration since mid-19th century.
Asia, Africa, Oceania
Economic migartion, Catholic missions, etc.
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