Západočeská univerzita v Plzni, Fakulta pedagogická, Katedra geografie
Abstract
The Slovak republic
belongs to the most ethnically diverse countries in the central and eastern Europe. Based on the
2001 census it is evident that there are members of 17 different nationalities living in this
country. The Romany community is the second largest national minority (preceded by
Hungarians); and if the present natality trend continues they could become the majority
population by 2060. There is a presumption that the highest number of Romanies, as high as 2
millions, live in Romania. Another most numerous Roma minorities are in Hungary and Bulgaria
(about 800 000, MICHAELI a kol. 2002). The Romanies are a specific group of people when
considering various aspects including the European origin and absence of a state domicile. The
Romany population is a specific ethnic group presenting a community that is distant from the
majority community with a different level of integration of individual groups with the majority
community. (MATLOVIČ, 2005)
