Portuguese in Lithuania

Lithuanian Portuguese

Luso-lituanos (Portuguese) Portugalai Lietuvoje (Lithuanian)
Total population
87 [1]
Languages
Lithuanian, Portuguese
Religion
Predominantly Christianity (Roman Catholicism), Irreligion
Related ethnic groups
Other Portuguese people, Portuguese in Estonia, Portuguese in Latvia

Portuguese in Lithuania (Lithuanian : Portugalai Lietuvoje) are citizens and residents of Lithuania who are of Portuguese descent.

Portuguese in Lithuania (also known as Portuguese Lithuanians/ Lithuanian-Portuguese Community or, in Portuguese, known as Portugueses na Lituânia / Comunidade portuguesa na Lituânia / Luso-lituanos) are the citizens or residents of Lithuania whose ethnic origins lie in Portugal.

Portuguese Lithuanians are Portuguese-born citizens with a Lithuanian citizenship or Lithuanian-born citizens of Portuguese ancestry or citizenship.

There were 87 Portuguese-born people residing in Lithuania in 2022. ^[2] The Portuguese constitute approximately 0.003% of the country's population.

History

A Portuguese airman creates balloon sculptures for children from Kudikiu Namai during a Humanitarian Civil Assistance (HCA) project, in Šiauliai, Lithuania

Romanian and Portuguese F-16s patrol help shielding the skies over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing (BAP)

Lithuanian, Portuguese and U.S. service members stand in formation during a ceremony commemorating the 605th anniversary of the Lithuanian Land Forces’ inauguration in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2015

The history of the Portuguese community in Lithuania is very recent. Both countries are EU as well as NATO members. They also share a common currency. Many Portuguese reside temporarily in Lithuania because of NATO operations in the country or for business. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]} Currently there are 280 Portuguese soldiers stationed in Lithuania: their numbers have drastically increased after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. ^{[10] [11]}

The two countries enjoy friendly relationships and mutual trust, witnessing increasing trade and linguistic cooperation as well. ^{[12] [13] [14] [15]}

Footballers

In recent years some Portuguese international footballers have moved to Lithuania in order to play for Lithuanian clubs. In 2023 these included: Gonçalo Vieira  [ lv ], Aires Sousa and Nuno Pereira  [ lv ].

Remittances

The Portuguese community in Lithuania retains strong ties with its homeland and, between 2000 and 2021, it has sent approximately 1.79 million euros (€) to Portugal in remittances. In the same timeframe, Lithuanians in Portugal (numbering around 1,000 individuals) ^[16] have sent approximately 17.29 million euros (€) to Lithuania. ^[17]

Portuguese language

Despite the Portuguese language lacking widespread knowledge in the country, interest towards Portuguese culture is increasing.

As of today, the Portuguese are part of a wider Portuguese-speaking community in Latvia, comprising around 10 people from PALOP countries (the majority being from Angola), Timor-Leste or Macau and around 95 Brazilians. ^{[18] [19] [20] [21]} People from CPLP countries thus number around 190-200 people, accounting for 0.01% of the population of Lithuania.

See also

• Estonia-Portugal relations
• Latvia-Portugal relations
• Lithuania-Portugal relations
• Portuguese in Estonia
• Portuguese in Latvia

References

1. "Lituânia".
2. "Observatório da Emigração". observatorioemigracao.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
3. "Portuguese rotation arrives in Lithuania for military training". lrt.lt. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
4. "Portuguese troops in Lithuania".
5. "150 rotational troops of Portugal arrived in Lithuania".
6. "NATO Multimedia - Portuguese marines train in Lithuania". www.natomultimedia.tv. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
7. ""Contributing to others' security is an assurance of ours"". www.portugal.gov.pt. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
8. "Portugal commits 146 soldiers to NATO mission in Lithuania". www.theportugalnews.com. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
9. Donn, Natasha (7 July 2023). "Costa to visit Portuguese military stationed in Lithuania". Portugal Resident. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
10. Lusa, Agência. "Portugal aumenta presença militar na Lituânia no âmbito da NATO". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
11. "Dois caças portugueses intercetaram aeronave russa". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
12. "Lithuania". Diplomatic Portal. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
13. "Lithuania". Camões, I.P. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
14. "Portuguese living in Vilnius: I don't understand why in country where population is decreasing building of housing is increasing". Delfi EN (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
15. "Lithuania extends greetings to Portugal on taking over Presidency of the Council of the EU".
16. "Sefstat" (PDF).
17. "Observatório da Emigração". observatorioemigracao.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
18. "All valid permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship on 31 December of each year". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
19. "Acquisition of citizenship by age group, sex and former citizenship". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
20. "Population on 1 January by age group, sex and country of birth". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
21. "Brasileiros no exterior" (PDF).