What is "lemkos"

Lemkos (, , Lemko: Лeмкы, translit. Lemky; sing. Лeмкo, Lemko) are one of several quantitatively and territorially small ethnic sub-groups inhabiting a stretch of the Carpathian Mountains known as Lemkivshchyna. Many Lemkos identify as a branch of Ukrainians.

Their spoken language, which is uncodified, has been variously described as a language in its own right, a dialect of Rusyn, or a dialect of the Ukrainian language. In Ukraine almost all Lemkos also speak Ukrainian, according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census.

In the Polish Census of 2011, 11,000 people declared Lemko nationality, of whom 6,000 declared only Lemko nationality, 4,000 declared double national identity – Lemko-Polish, and 1,000 declared Lemko identity together with non-Polish identity.