Introduction
Lithuania is a country nestled in the North-Eastern region of Europe. As the largest of the three Baltic republics, Lithuania was estimated to have a population of 2.87 million people in 2016. Lying on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, Lithuania has a rich history that instills in its people a strong sense of pride and shared culture. After gaining independence from Soviet Regime, Lithuania has been rapidly increasing its teaching and usage of the English Language.
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Languages |
Geography |
Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, with 85 percent of population being native speakers.
There is a wide variety of foreign languages are spoken in Lithuania as well. The most common minority languages are Russian and Polish. According to the 2011 census, 8.2 percent of the population are native Russian speakers, however it is a very popular language, spoken by 70 percent of the population. Whereas Polish is slightly less popular, about 14 percent of the population speak the language. Of the Polish speaking population, only 5.8 percent are native speakers. (Ambrozaitienė, 2011, p. 25). Lithuania is a very multi ethnic region. As seen by the chart below, illustrating the various languages spoken in the country. There is also a wide variety of dialects within Lithuanian, that vary by region. A chart depicting the what percentage of the population speaks what language. (Ambrozaitienė, 2011, p. 25)
PopulationIn 2017 the population of Lithuania was estimated to be 2.8 million people, making it one of the smallest countries in the European Union. Most of the citizens are of Lithuanian descent, as 84.1 percent of the population is Lithuanian. However, there are substantial Polish (6.6 percent) and Russian (5.8 percent) populations in Lithuania.
An aerial view of Vilnius, Lithuania's capital and largest city.
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Lithuania lies on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It encompasses 40,500 square miles divided into four regions: Aukštaitija, the highlands of the North and the central portion of the country, Žemaitija, the lowlands towards the West, Dzūkija, the land from the coast to the Nevėžis river in the southeast, and finally, Suvalkija in the southwest.
The climate in Lithuania is mostly maritime and continental. The terrain varies greatly from coastal sea to rolling hills. Trakai Island castle, in Lithuania. It is on an island in Lake Galve, one of Lithuania's many lakes.
ReligionNinety percent of Lithuanians identify as Roman Catholic. There are a few members of the Lutheran and Russian Orthodox churches in Lithuania.
Hill of Crosses, a pilgrimage site in Northern Lithuania.
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Fun Facts and Videos on Lithuania
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