Map Of Polish Descendants & Diaspora Worldwide – Brilliant Maps

The
map
above
shows
the
number
of
people
who
can
claim
Polish
ancestry
worldwide
by
country,
plus
Poles
who
have
more
recently
emigrated
from
Poland.

There
are
around
20
million
people
of
Polish
ancestry
living
outside
Poland
today,
compared
to
Poland’s
current
population
of
around
38
million.

Here
are
some

estimates
by
country
(note
estimates
differ
somewhat
from
the
map
above)

Here’s
more
about
the
8
largest
groups:

1.
United
States

• 
  Historical
  waves:
  • 
    Late
    19th–early
    20th
    century:
    Economic
    hardships
    under
    partitions
    (by
    Russia,
    Prussia,
    Austria-Hungary)
    led
    to
    mass
    immigration,
    settling
    primarily
    in
    industrial
    cities
    such
    as
    Chicago,
    Detroit,
    New
    York,
    Cleveland,
    and
    Pittsburgh.
  • 
    Post-World
    War
    II:
    Immigration
    from
    displaced
    persons
    fleeing
    communist
    rule.
  • 
    1980s
    and
    later:
    Smaller
    waves
    fleeing
    martial
    law
    and
    later
    economic
    migrants
    post-1989.
• 
  Culture:
  Vibrant
  cultural
  life
  with
  
  Polish-American
  communities
  preserving
  customs,
  language,
  churches,
  cuisine,
  festivals,
  notably
  
  
  Pulaski
  Day
  and
  celebrations
  of
  Polish
  Constitution
  Day.

2.
Germany

• 
  Historical
  context:
  • Long-standing
    
    historical
    presence
    due
    to
    shared
    borders,
    partitions,
    and
    shifting
    territories,
    especially
    Silesia,
    Pomerania,
    and
    East
    Prussia.
  • Significant
    influx
    occurred
    after
    Poland
    joined
    the
    EU
    in
    2004,
    with
    many
    younger
    Poles
    migrating
    for
    economic
    opportunities.
• 
  Characteristics:
  Poles
  in
  Germany
  maintain
  strong
  economic
  and
  cultural
  ties
  with
  Poland,
  frequently
  traveling
  back
  and
  forth.

3.
Brazil

• 
  Historical
  waves:
  • Primarily
    late
    
    19th
    and
    early
    20th
    centuries,
    encouraged
    by
    the
    Brazilian
    government
    to
    
    colonize
    the
    southern
    states
    (Paraná,
    Santa
    Catarina,
    and
    Rio
    Grande
    do
    Sul).
• 
  Culture:
  Strong
  cultural
  preservation
  in
  southern
  Brazil,
  particularly
  in
  Curitiba,
  with
  festivals,
  Polish
  folk
  dance
  groups,
  Polish
  cuisine,
  and
  traditional
  villages
  like
  
  Nova
  Polônia.

4.
Argentina

• 
  Historical
  context:
  • 
    Major
    immigration
    waves
    between
    
    1890–1939,
    settling
    primarily
    in
    Buenos
    Aires,
    Misiones,
    and
    Córdoba.
  • Many
    were
    economic
    migrants
    and
    political
    refugees
    fleeing
    Europe.
• 
  Culture:
  Polish
  clubs,
  associations,
  Catholic
  parishes,
  and
  cultural
  festivals
  remain
  active,
  though
  assimilation
  has
  diluted
  Polish
  language
  usage
  over
  generations.

5.
Canada

• 
  Historical
  waves:
  • 
    Early
    settlement
    began
    in
    the
    late
    
    19th
    century,
    mainly
    agricultural
    communities
    in
    Western
    Canada
    (Manitoba,
    Saskatchewan,
    Alberta).
  • Post-WWII
    immigrants
    included
    Polish
    veterans
    and
    displaced
    persons
    escaping
    communist
    rule.
  • Immigration
    continued
    steadily
    through
    the
    late
    20th
    century
    and
    early
    21st
    century.
• 
  Culture:
  Rich
  cultural
  heritage
  preserved
  through
  Polish
  community
  centers,
  bilingual
  schools,
  Catholic
  churches,
  newspapers,
  and
  events
  in
  Toronto,
  Montreal,
  Winnipeg,
  Calgary,
  and
  Vancouver.

6.
France

• 
  Historical
  context:
  • Major
    influx
    during
    the
    interwar
    period
    (1920–1939),
    as
    
    Poles
    migrated
    to
    industrial
    and
    mining
    regions
    in
    northern
    France,
    notably
    Nord-Pas-de-Calais
    and
    Lorraine.
  • Post-WWII
    waves
    included
    refugees
    from
    communism.
• 
  Characteristics:
  Polish
  heritage
  still
  visible
  in
  French
  cities
  through
  Polish
  associations,
  cultural
  festivals,
  churches,
  and
  traditional
  organizations;
  however,
  many
  descendants
  have
  fully
  assimilated
  into
  French
  culture.

7.
United
Kingdom

• 
  Historical
  context:
  • World
    War
    II-era
    migrants
    included
    soldiers
    and
    refugees.
  • Major
    recent
    wave
    occurred
    post-2004
    when
    Poland
    joined
    the
    EU,
    especially
    between
    2004–2010,
    seeking
    economic
    opportunities.
• 
  Characteristics:
  
  Polish
  community
  is
  prominent,
  especially
  in
  London,
  Birmingham,
  Manchester,
  Edinburgh,
  and
  Northern
  Ireland.
  Active
  Polish-language
  media,
  churches,
  stores,
  cultural
  events,
  and
  significant
  impact
  on
  local
  economy
  and
  culture.

8.
Belarus

• 
  Historical
  context:

• 
  Culture:
  Despite
  challenges
  (political
  tensions,
  limitations
  on
  Polish
  schools
  and
  institutions),
  Poles
  in
  Belarus
  maintain
  strong
  cultural
  identity
  through
  the
  Catholic
  Church,
  education
  in
  Polish
  language,
  and
  traditional
  celebrations.
  However,
  cultural
  activities
  are
  often
  subject
  to
  political
  constraints
  from
  the
  Belarusian
  government.

Also
see:

Other
Diaspora
Maps
in
the
series:

Go to Source
Author: Brilliant Maps