From antiquity to modern times, the Greeks of the Diaspora have enriched the international community in the fields of medicine, technology, arts, culture and academia.
According to the latest estimates of the General Secretariat of the Greeks Abroad, today there are more than 5,000,000 people of Greek descent living outside the Greek territory, spread over 140 countries around the world.
While Greeks can be found in countless nations around the world, there are some places known as central points for the Greek community, where the language, traditions and culture of Greece are still alive through members of the Diaspora who maintain their connection to Greece as reported by etsimagazin.com.
The countries with most people of Greek descent outside Greece are the USA, Germany, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Albania.
Greeks in the USA and their history
The United States hosts the largest Greek population, with more than 3 million Greek Americans, mostly third- or fourth-generation immigrants, living in the country. Regardless of the number of Greeks in the country, it is undeniable that Greek Americans have a huge impact on American life.
The fact that many US cities have their own Greek areas or even towns, full of authentic Greek taverns, bakeries and shops, is eloquent proof of the influence of the Greek community in the USA.
New York, Chicago and Boston are known internationally for their strong Greek communities, but there is a large Greek presence in other parts of the US, such as Florida and throughout New England. Greek immigration to the United States began after the Greek War of Independence in the 19th century, when many Greeks from rural areas left Greece to find employment in the USA.
The wave of immigration continued in the early 20th century but peaked again in the 1950s and the 1960s, after the Greek Civil War.
Canada has almost 300,000 inhabitants of the Greek Diaspora
Canada also hosts a thriving Greek community, mainly in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. According to the 2016 census, there are 271,405 Canadians of Greek descent in the country and about 62,715 Greeks born in Canada.
Greek immigrants, many from the Peloponnese, began arriving in Canada in the 19th century. Montreal was the first place of the Greek-Canadian community, where immigrants formed close ties and settled in the city. However, Canada’s preference for immigrants from northern and western Europe prevented large numbers of Greeks from entering the country until the 20th century.
Only after World War II did the country open to immigrants from Southern Europe and Greeks begin to flow to Canada in the post-war period. In 1967, we can observe the biggest wave of immigration to Canada.
