Population geography analysis of national and ethnic minorities - based on the slovene italian minority study case. Population geography analysis of national and ethnic minorities, groups and communities is usually facing difficulties due to the unavailability of high quality data sources, which would enable continuous following of their demographic developments and changes. Only little data sources in Slovenia enables analysis of demographic dynamics of so-called hidden population groups. Data sources most often offer only possibilities to study the stock data - data on the number and structures in defined time in the past. New possibilities on the field of population geography analysis, not only of national and ethnic minorities, but also of other special population minorities, groups and communities can be found in the use of secondary analysis, in particular in the linkage of various data sources. The population geography analysis based on the Italian minority study case in Slovenia (population with Italian nationality, population with Italian mother tongue and population with Italian language spoken in the family/household) has on the basis of linkage of population census 1991 and 2002 with databases of vital statistics for the period 1991-2005 and with respect to all genuine characteristic that the analysis of small and specific population groups demands from the researcher shown that Italian national minority in Slovenia is more than with the lack of adequate minority protection facing with the internal demographic threat. Demogeografsko proučevanje narodnih in etničnih manjšin, skupin in skupnosti je pogosto oteženo zaradi nedostopnosti kakovostnih podatkovnih virov, ki bi omogočali nepretrgano sledenje njihovemu demografskemu razvoju in spremembam. Le malo podatkovnih virov v Sloveniji omogoča analizo demografske dinamike t. i. skritih prebivalstvenih skupin. Podatkovni viri navadno omogočajo le analizo stanja - števila in struktur v določenem trenutku v preteklosti. Nove možnosti na področju demogeografskega proučevanja ne le narodnih in etničnih manjšin, pač pa tudi drugih posebnih prebivalstvenih manjšin in skupin ter skupnosti se kažejo v uporabi sekundarne analize, in sicer v povezavi obstoječih podatkovnih virov. Demogeografska analiza na primeru italijanske narodne manjšine v Sloveniji (prebivalstva italijanske narodnosti, prebivalstva z italijanskim maternim jezikom in prebivalstva z italijanskim pogovornim jezikom v družini/gospodinjstvu) je ob povezavi podatkov popisa prebivalstva 1991 in 2002 z bazami vitalnih statistik za obdobje 1991-2005 in ob upoštevanju vseh posebnosti, ki jih proučevanje majhnih in specifičnih prebivalstvenih skupin zahteva od raziskovalca, potrdila, da se italijanska narodna manjšina bolj kot s pomanjkanjem ustreznega manjšinskega varstva sooča z notranjo demografsko grožnjo.