lithuanian

Lithuanian, or Lietuviu, is spoken by over three million people, mainly in the Baltic state of Lithuania. Lithuanian is written in Latin (Roman) letters. Lithuania did not become a Christian state until 1385. The first portions of the Scriptures (Biblija) to be translated into Lithuanian by Baltramiejus Vilentas in 1587. Today most Lithuanian speaking Christians are Catholic, with a historic evangelical Protestant minority, especially Lutherans. In 1990 Lithuania was the first Soviet Union republic to declare independence. Bible work is done by the Lithuanian Bible Society (Lietuvos Biblijos draugija), who produced an ecumenical translation in 2009. Bibles are printed in Protestant and Catholic editions, which include the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic tradition.