Lithuania
Lithuania is located in Eastern Europe, east of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania shares borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia. It is the largest of the three Baltic states and is the southernmost.
Quick Facts
Population: 2.793 million
Ethnic Groups: Lithuanian (84.1%), Polish (6.6%), Russian (5.8%), Belarusian (1.2%), Other (1.1%), Unspecified (1.2%)
Languages: Lithuanian (Official) (82%), Russian (8%), Polish (5.6%), Other (0.9%), Unspecified (3.5%)
Religions: Roman Catholic (77.2%), Russian Orthodox (4.1%), Old Believer (0.8%), Evangelical Lutheran (0.6%), Evangelical Reformist (0.2%), Other (0.8%), None (6.1%), Unspecified (10.1%)
Capital: Vilnius
CIA: The World Factbook — Last Updated December 27, 2019
Lithuanians in Canada
Lithuanian Population in Canada
52,285
Useful Links
Catholicism was very popular in Lithuania beginning in the mid-1200s. However, in the late 1600s, many Russians came to Lithuania to escape persecution. The “Russianization” of Lithuania saw Catholic churches handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church; Russian Orthodoxy was the state religion from 1799 to 1915. Lithuania originally became independent in 1918, but was occupied by the Soviets for half a century beginning in 1940. During this time, religion was repressed. Many churches and monasteries closed down, and Christians were persecuted. The religious persecution ended in the late 1980s. In 1990, Lithuania regained independence, and with it, religious and other freedoms.
- Central Intelligence Agency. (2019, December 5). The World Factbook: Lithuania. Retrieved December 27, 2019, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lithuania/
- Encyclopedia of the Nations. (n.d.). Lithuania. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/geography/Indonesia-to-Mongolia/Lithuania.html
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2009, October 15). Cultural Information – Lithuania. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/culture-culture_lt.aspx?lang=eng
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2011, December 15). Overview – Lithuania. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/overview-apercu_lt.aspx?lang=eng
- Lithuanians. (2009). In T. L. Gall & J. Hobby (Eds.), Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (2nd ed., Vol. 5, pp. 280-286). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- Mandryk, J. (2010). Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (7th ed.). Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing.
- Statistics Canada. (2011, April 7). 2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations/Ethnic Origin, Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses and Sex for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement