Growing threats of aggression have sparked fears of a New Cold War, seeing Russia potentially

invading Lithuania.

Having one of the lowest GDPs in the European Union and struggling with mass emigration,

what is life really like in Lithuania?

Well, Lithuania is the largest and southernmost Baltic state, the others being Latvia and

Estonia.

It gained independence in 1990 just a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union --the

first Soviet state to do so-- and joined both NATO and the EU in 2004.

This, coupled with their WTO membership, has led to extreme growth by increasing trade

and investment from foreign nations.

Lithuania ranked as Europe’s top-performing economy in 2002 with the highest growth rate,

earning the title of ‘Baltic Tiger.’

In 2008, Lithuania fell victim to the global financial crisis, but rebounded to become

one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union yet again.

Despite this, it has, a GDP of just over 41 billion dollars, less than the GDP of the US state of Rhode Island.

Plagued by a rapidly aging population and mass emigration the country is losing highly

skilled and well-educated people to a brain drain.

In the space of two decades, nearly 700,000 people out of a population of roughly 2.9

million have left the country and yet unemployment levels remain relatively high at around 9%.

Two-thirds of the population work in the service sector, though the country’s largest industry

and export is refined oil.

Like other nearby countries, Lithuania is ethnically homogenous, with 84 percent of

the population being ethnic Lithuanian.

The official language is also Lithuanian, one of only two remaining Baltic languages,

and the nation is more than 75% Roman Catholic.

This identity served to unite Lithuanians in a post-Soviet atheist world and continues

to shape daily life with an importance placed on religious festivals and observances.

The country also emphasizes the sport of basketball, which has been called “the second religion of Lithuania”.

With three Olympic medals and three European Championship titles, the national importance

of the sport is one of the reasons a disproportionate number of professional basketball players

are from Lithuania.

Though a relatively developed and modernized republic, Lithuania continues to suffer economically

with its low wages and low skilled workers.

Though economists expect GDP growth to rise in 2017, with so many people leaving the country

in search of better opportunities, Lithuania may have a difficult time ahead of it.

With Russia’s territorial aggressions worrying many of their former Soviet neighbors, a number

of foreign powers have openly condemned Russia’s foreign policy.

The United States has been a particularly vocal opponent, leading some to fear a new

Cold War between the two.

To learn about what a second Cold War would entail, check out this video up top.

Or to get an in depth look at life in another Baltic state, check out this video below about

what life is really like in Estonia.

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