| | Lithuania
| People |
| Population |
3.57 million (July 2007 est.)
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Religion
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Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)
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Languages
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Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
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Culture
The boundaries of Lithuanian culture extend beyond its physical borders. Outstanding personalities who lived in the territory of the present-day Poland, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are often attributed to the Lithuanian culture. Since Lithuania is home to people from different casts, tribes and ethnicities, the culture reflects this commingling.
Lithuania has produced many brilliant artists including Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis. He is the most famous name in the field of painting. Apart from this Lithuania also specializes in various other forms of art like sculpture.
Folk, popular and classical are the three forms of music in Lithuania. The folk songs include different types such as wedding songs, romantic songs, work songs, archaic war songs etc. The folk music of Lithuania is primarily based on polyphonic music that is played on flutes, zithers (kankles) and other instruments.
National song is an integral part of Lithuanian culture. Towards the end of the 1980s thousands of Lithuanians attended singing rallies, a series of non-violent mass demonstrations, which expressed the wish for independence from the USSR.
Art & Architecture
Up until the end of the eighteenth century, Vilnius and Kaunas, were significant centres of architectural style. Some of the well-known examples of architecture are the Gothic style seen at St. Anne's Church, the Renaissance style at Rulers' Palace of the Lower Castle and Baroque style at Church of SS. Peter and Paul's. The Old Town of Vilnius is a World Heritage site.
Twentieth century Lithuanian architecture has been influenced by the Modernist style of Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, the Swiss born architect, known as Le Corbusier.
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