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'''Dalmatian Italians''' are an Italian national minority in the region of Dalmatia (within [[Croatia]] and Montenegro) that is mostly historical. After the 1840s the ethnic group suffered from a trend of decreasing numbers and only around 1,000 of the grouping remain.

'''Dalmatian Italians''' are an Italian national minority in the region of Dalmatia (within [[Croatia]] and Montenegro). After the 1840s the ethnic group suffered from a trend of decreasing numbers and only around 1,000 of the grouping remain.

==History==

==History==

Roman Dalmatia was fully latinized by 476 AD when the ''Western Roman Empire'' disappeared, according to scholar '''Theodor Mommsen''' in his book ''"The Provinces of the Roman Empire"''.

Roman Dalmatia was fully latinized by 476 AD when the ''Western Roman Empire'' disappeared, according to scholar '''Theodor Mommsen''' in his book ''"The Provinces of the Roman Empire"''.

During the Barbarian Invasions of Eurasian Avars allied with certain Slavic tribes, invaded and plundered Byzantine-Roman Dalmatia. This eventually led to the settlement of different Slavic tribes in the Balkans.  

During the Barbarian invasions<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=6WjSYwIGIm4C&pg=PA48&dq=dalmatia+roman+empire&hl=en&ei=xJ_pTNzjO4elcaj7sO0K&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBjgU#v=onepage&q=dalmatia%20roman%20empire&f=false A London Encyclopaedia:] Or Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature (p48)

* "In the latter ages of the Roman Empire this country suffered frequently from in-roads of Barbarians..."</ref> of Eurasian Avars allied with certain Slavic tribes,<ref>The Changing Face of Dalmatia: Archaeological and Ecological Studies in a Mediterranean Landscape by John Chapman, Robert Shiel & Sime Batovic

* "In chapters 29 and 30, two similar accounts are given for the fall of nearby Salona to the Avars and Slavs ..."</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=kMXURN7sxh4C&pg=PA5&dq=Roman+empire+Dalmatia+slavs&hl=en&ei=H6bpTNqiDcyHcZyF9aEK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Roman%20empire%20Dalmatia%20slavs&f=false The Italians of Dalmatia:] From Italian Unification to World War I by Luciano Monzali (p5)</ref> invaded and plundered Byzantine-Roman Dalmatia. This eventually led to the settlement of different Slavic tribes in the Balkans.  

The original Roman population endured within the coastal cities and in the inhospitable Dinaric Alps (later known as "Morlachs" or Vlachs).

The original Roman population endured within the coastal cities<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&pg=PA269&dq=Roman+empire+Dalmatia+slavs&hl=en&ei=H6bpTNqiDcyHcZyF9aEK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Roman%20empire%20Dalmatia%20slavs&f=false The Illyrians] by John Wilkes (p269)</ref> and in the inhospitable Dinaric Alps (later known as "Morlachs" or Vlachs).

The Dalmatian cities retained their Romanic culture and [[Latin]] language in cities such as Zadar (Jadera/Zara), Split (Spalatum/Spalato) and Dubrovnik (Ragusa)). They developed their own ''vulgar Latin'',  the Dalmatian language, a now extinct Romance language.  

The Dalmatian cities retained their Romanic culture and [[Latin]] language in cities such as Zadar (Jadera/Zara), Split (Spalatum/Spalato) and Dubrovnik (Ragusa)). They developed their own ''vulgar Latin'',  the Dalmatian language, a now extinct Romance language.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=29BAeKHwvuoC&pg=PA377&dq=Dalmatian+language+extinct+Romance+language&hl=en&ei=MKjpTL_aJs2ecdHXrNwK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Dalmatian%20language%20extinct%20Romance%20language&f=false Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe] by Glanville Price (p377)</ref>

These coastal cities (politically part of the Byzantine Empire) maintained political, cultural and economic links with Italy, through the Adriatic sea. On the other side communications with the mainland were difficult because of the Dinaric Alps.  

These coastal cities (politically part of the Byzantine Empire)<ref>[http://www.jstor.org/pss/4204507  University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies] The Slavonic and East European Review-The Slavonic-Latin Symbiosis in Dalmatia during the Middle Ages by Victor Novak</ref> maintained political, cultural and economic links with Italy, through the Adriatic sea. On the other side communications with the mainland were difficult because of the Dinaric Alps.  

Due to the sharp orography of Dalmatia, even communications between the different Dalmatian cities, occurred mainly trough the sea. This helped Dalmatian cities to develop a unique Romance culture, despite the mostly Slavicized mainland.

Due to the sharp orography of Dalmatia, even communications between the different Dalmatian cities, occurred mainly through the sea. This helped Dalmatian cities to develop a unique Romance culture, despite the mostly Slavicized mainland.

==References==

==References==

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