Population composition by nationality. National minorities constitute an important
part of any society by enriching its culture with their distinctly original traditions and mode of
life. That is why in search of our own traditions we turn to the multicultural heritage of the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania. One of the specific features of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was
the peaceful and creative co-existence of a great number of nationalities – Jews,
Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Russians, Poles, etc. In present-day Lithuania national minorities
also account for a considerable part of its population – 17 per cent or 576.7 thousand (under
the census taken in 1989 the figures were 20.4 per cent and 745.9 thousand respectively)
(Vaitiekus, 1992).
The structure of population distribution by nationality in various regions of the country
is different. Some municipalities may be characterised by ethnic diversity. The territory of
some municipalities is quite populous with Poles. The greatest number of non-Lithuanians
live in Eastern and south-eastern parts of Lithuania and also in the cities of Vilnius, Klaipeda
and Visaginas.