Greeks in Norway
Greeks in Norway form one of the country's smaller minority groups.
The Greek community in Norway consists of 1,671 individuals in 2009, up from 1,572 in 2008. As of 2009, 673 are immigrants themselves, 41 are Norwegian-born to two immigrant parents, and 809 are Norwegian-born to one immigrant parent. The majority are established in Bergen and Oslo more or less permanently. An overwhelming majority have created family ties by marrying Norwegian nationals. The Greeks presence in Norway has always been small, but the 2010 European sovereign debt crisis is predicated to increase it. There are very few Greeks in Norway who are married to other Greeks.
History
Unskilled migrants began coming from Northern Greece to Norway in the 1970s; they worked primarily In the Fur trade. Most of those initial migrants have returned to Greece as this sector became economically depressed. The number of Greek international students choosing Norway as their destination showed an uptick after 1981, when Greece became a member of the European Economic Community. Some Greeks in Norway are immigrants from Sweden with Greek ancestry. 12,000 - 15,000 Greeks live in Sweden.
Gender issues
Many migrants consist of Greek men in international marriages with Norwegian women. The number of Greek women married to Norwegian men is smaller. Either way, such relationships have an unusually high rate of divorce. Spouses typically return to Greece if they separate from their Norwegian partner.
Greek language in Norway
11 pupils in the Norwegian Primary school and Lower secondary school have Greek language as their primary language. Most of them live in the second largest city, Bergen.
County |
Greek pupils (2002) |
Greek pupils (2009) |
|---|---|---|
Hordaland |
4 |
8 |
Akershus |
4 |
1 |
Buskerud |
2 |
1 |
Telemark |
0 |
1 |
Sør-Trøndelag |
5 |
0 |
Østfold |
3 |
0 |
Hedmark |
2 |
0 |
Vestfold |
2 |
0 |
Aust-Agder |
1 |
0 |
Rogaland |
1 |
0 |
Total |
24 |
11 |
The Greek Orthodox Church in Norway
Some of the 7.6 thousand orthodox in Norway are Greeks.
The congregation was founded in 1965 with main purpose to serve the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox in Norway. Church fall under Metropolita Pavlos Menevissoglou of Sweden and Scandinavia, based in Stockholm. Parish priest Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis and others. It is one Greek Orthodox church in Norway (in Oslo). There is also a small congregation in Bergen with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church.
See also
- Greece–Norway relations