Basic Facts:

Capital: Vilnius

Population: 3.7 million (81.8% ethnic Lithuanian, 8.1% Russians, 6.9% Poles, 1.4% Belarussians, 1% Ukrainians)

Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; religious freedom guarenteed

National Anthem: Tautos Himnas

History:

Lithuania is a small country that lies along the shores of the Baltic Sea. The geographical center of Europe lies 14 miles to the north of its capital Vilnius. Its position in the crossroads of Europe has caused Lithuania to experience nearly every major European war. As the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it was the largest state in Medieval Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. At the beginning of the 20th century, however, Lithuania was a part of the Russian Empire. In 1917 the end of World War I saw Lithuania regain its independence for the first time since 1795. In June of 1940, Soviet troops began their fifty year occupation of Lithuania, which only ended in 1991.

Culture:

The last European country to convert to Christianity, Lithuania still reveals its pagan roots through holiday traditions, old myths and folk tales. The Lithuanian people have lived a rural, agriculturally based existence for many centuries. This is reflected in Lithuanian folk dancess, which often have agrarian themes.