Australia
The Macedonian language has had a long history in Australia. From the pečalbari/seasonal workers to the mass migrations of ethnic Macedonians from Greece and the Republic of Macedonia.
The 1976 census reported that 16,691 people spoke the Macedonian language at home. By 1986 this number had risen significantly to 45,610. The 1991 census reported 64,428 people speaking the language at home. The language continued to increase in use with 71,371 speakers in 1996 and 71,994 speakers in 2001. The first actual decline in language usage occurred in 2006 when only 67,831 people declared they spoke the Macedonian language at home. In 2001 it was the 9th most spoken language at home in Australia other than English.
In 2001 the largest concentration of speakers were in Melbourne:30,831, Sydney:19,980, Wollongong:7,420, Perth:5,772 and Newcastle:2,095. Other concentrations include Geelong, Queanbeyan, Shepparton, Richmond and Brisbane.
It is possible to choose the Macedonian language as a study option in the New South WalesHigher School Certificate and the Victorian VCE. The language is also offered at Macquarie University.
Read more about this topic: Geographical Distribution Of The Macedonian Language
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