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The Croats (Hrvati in Croatian, croaţi in Romanian) are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 6,786 people according to the 2002 census. Croats mainly live in the southwest of the country, particularly in Caraş-Severin County. Declared Croatians form a majority in two Romanian localities: the communes of Caraşova and Lupac. In these communes, Croatian is an officially-recognised language, with signage, education and access to justice and public administration being provided in Croatian alongside Romanian.
Most Croats in Romania are Krashovani, even though only around 200 people declared themselves Krashovani in the census, the rest declaring Croatian ethnicity. Due to some political, economic, social and cultural factors, most of them started identifying themselves with Croats, and some still continued to call themselves Krašovani. Today, many Krashovani chose the Croatian ethnicity, partly due to the attention given to them by the Croatian state (which also awards them the Croatian citizenship).
As an officially-recognized ethnic minority, Croats have one seat reserved in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies.
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