title: A demographic investigation of the four Albanian communities living in Molise, Italy.
abstract: In a study of the four Albanian villages of Molise, Italy (Campomarino, Montecilfone, Portocannone and Ururi), demographic data have been obtained through national censuses and direct interviews of 382 subjects. The data demonstrate an increase of the population from 1700 to the middle of the twentieth century. From that time the population decreases in three villages, which now present a considerable degree of ageing. On the contrary, in the fourth village (Campomarino) the population continues to increase during the second half of the twentieth century, and now appears as a relatively young population. Immigration has proved to be somewhat elevated and shows a diminishing trend from the great-grandparents to the propositi. The endogamy decreases passing from the generation of the great-grandparents to that of the parents, and is higher along the paternal ascendence than along the maternal one. The exogamy, on the contrary, increases passing from the generation of the greatgrandparents to that of the parents, demonstrating a rather considerable mixture with the surrounding population. The percentage of Albanian surnames, or those of probable Albanian origin, has also been estimated in the parents of the propositi, and resulted to be higher in Montecilfone and Ururi, in comparison with Campomarino and Portocannone.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000415:Albania / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics