In today's video, we'll be exploring and learning about 10 surprising facts about the wonderful
country of Lithuania. Welcome back to FTD facts. I'm sarah Carvalho, and I'm excited to take you
through today's video about a country that may not be so spoken of, but it is certainly a country that
is easy to love. Lithuania has been through some amazing history and thankfully, quite a few of
its interesting places and traditions still exist today. So, we've come up with a list of
10 lesser-known facts about Lithuania just for you. Stick with us until the end and let us know how
many of them you already knew. Alright, getting started with our first fact - What's in a name?
So, the name Lithuania was mentioned for the very first time in the "Annals of Quedlinburg." These are
writings dedicated to the history of the Holy Roman Empire at least in the year 1009. It's hard
to believe that by the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe. The
kingdom of Lithuania was formed by numerous tribes living in the area at the time, and the
kingdom quickly expanded outwards into the Russian lands, which were then controlled by the Mongols, as
well as parts of Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine. By the late 14th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was
the largest and most powerful kingdom in Europe. Hard to believe! Now, did you know that Lithuania
is one of the oldest languages in the world today? Well it's true. Lithuanian belongs to
the family of Baltic languages. Currently there are only two Baltic languages still spoken in
the world which are: Lithuanian and Latvian. In the past, there were more baltic languages,
they just became extinct throughout the course of history. Lithuanian is a very old language and
linguistics are particularly interested in this language because it is considered to be the oldest
surviving Indo-European language. It retains many archaic features
which are believed to have been present in the early stages of the Proto-Indo-European language.
What does that mean? Well, it means that Lithuanian is as archaic as Sanskrit, which is a classical
Indian language that most of us have heard of, which also evolved from the Proto-Indo-European
language. Alright, you may not have known this, as I certainly didn't but, Lithuania is referred to
as the "Land of Nature." Lush and diverse forests cover over one-third of the country, including
many protected regions, nature reserves, and national parks. You certainly will not be deprived
of opportunities to connect with mother nature and outdoor activities when you're there. Surprisingly,
Lithuania is also known as the "Country of Storks," which is fitting since it's their national bird.
In fact, it is home to over 50,000 of these black and white birds. Can you imagine all of them just
chilling out, and getting to watch them? Alright, moving on down to fact number 7,
we have - The love of the game! Anyone for a a competitive game of basketball? Well, believe
it or not, basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania, and it is jokingly said to be the
"second religion" of the Lithuanian people. In fact, Lithuania has the 4th best basketball team in
the world, which has won three bronze medals at the Olympics. That's pretty impressive for a country
that some of you may never have heard about before! I also found it pretty cool that several
Lithuanian basketball players have actually gone up to the NBA's hall of fame. One of their greatest
stars that the nation is particularly proud of is Arvydas Sabonis, maybe you've heard of him?
I haven't, but I'm not necessarily a basketball fan. More recently, players such as Jonas ValancIiunas,
Mindaugas Kuzminskas, and Domas Sabonis have also had the pleasure of making their beloved country
proud with their performance in the NBA. Alright, now as an avid traveler, I was pleasantly
surprised to hear that Lithuania was included in Forbes's 3 top traveling destinations for 2015
ratings. Although, now it makes perfect sense, given how much there is to see and do there. For example,
one of the most famous landmarks in Lithuania is the "Hill of Crosses." And you must be thinking,
"Okay what is so cool about a hill with crosses on it?" Well, it is a man-made mound, literally covered
by thousands of crucifixes left by pilgrims who have visited the hill over the years. It
is truly a beautiful collection of crucifixes varying from massive and beautifully ornate ones,
to ones bought last minute from the small souvenir shops at the foot of the hill.
Even more special about this hill, is that many of the crosses have their own stories to tell as they
are decorated with photos of people, personal notes, and prayers. I can imagine this would be quite an
interesting experience. Standing at the foot of the hill and gazing up at the blanket of crosses just
covering the earth. So, since childhood, it has been a dream of mine to ride in a hot air balloon over
a gorgeous landscape. And is it just me, or have I found my next adventure in Lithuania? Because, yes,
that's right, Lithuania is rumored to have the highest number of hot air balloons per capita
compared to every other country in the world. And that's no joke! Any of these breathtaking
rides allow you to explore one of the greenest European countries from above.
Amazing city landscapes and greenish outskirts, with exceptional views. It is believed that the
hot air balloon is associated with the idea of freedom. So, it's very fitting that on July 7th 2018,
100 hot air balloons from all over the world floated over Lithuania's second city of Kaunas
to mark 100 years of the Baltic states' independence. What a sight it must have been. Can you imagine?
Fact number 4 - Did you know that Lithuania is all about staying connected? Well, we've all
been there - getting that perfect selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower, and then having no data or wi-fi
connection to post it. Total bummer right? It seems as if Lithuania has thought of all the perfect
solutions for travelers. There are many free wi-fi spots around the biggest cities. Therefore,
if you're visiting this country for business or pleasure, you no longer need to sit in the hotel
lobby trying to stay connected. You can take your devices anywhere you like, such as cafés or the
city's main streets, where you can easily connect to the free public internet. In addition, Lithuania
is said to be the first country in Europe to introduce the "Local Breakout Technology" or "LBO,"
offering cheap mobile internet for travelers, allowing them to avoid big data roaming charges.
It sounds like this would be a social media influencer's dream destination. Who wouldn't be
happy with 24/7 posting heaven? We've all heard of the Easter Bunny, but have you ever heard of
the Easter Granny? Yes, I said, "Easter Granny." Much to my surprise, Easter eggs in Lithuania
are not delivered by some cute fluffy bunny, but instead, it is the Easter Granny who has the joy of
delivering them. Apparently, the bunnies only help Easter Granny decorate the eggs and load them up
into her cart. She is even said to have a sun beam whip to hurry her small pony, as she delivers
the eggs early in the morning while children are still asleep. And as usual, children always prepare
for Easter Granny by leaving empty, handmade, egg nests outside their homes in gardens and shrubs.
On Easter morning, children wake up early to search for their hidden painted egg treasures and they
are truly beautiful. So, tell me, have you ever heard of a country having its own national perfume? Well,
you're about to. Lithuania is famous for being the only country in the world with its own official
scent called "The Scent of Lithuania." This scent was released in 2010, and was widely discussed
all over the internet, the press, and the local media. The aroma includes the scents of wild flowers,
ginger, raspberry, sandalwood, and musk, which add a sweet and fresh touch to the perfume.
Recently, the collection has expanded with two more editions called "Barbora"
and "The kingdom." So, if you're ever in the country, be sure to pick up your own little bottle of the
Lithuanian national scent. And, bringing us down to our next fact - the oldest oak tree in all of
Europe! Do you enjoy sitting under a tree, reading a good book? Well, what if it was the oldest tree
in Europe? That's right. Lithuania is home to the oldest oak tree in all of Europe. The Stelmuze
Oak Tree has survived the Crusades and stands 23 meters high as a symbol of statehood and strength.
Apparently, the tree is so large that it would take 9 people with their hands joined and
outstretched, to wrap around the circumference of the majestic tree trunk. Now, knowing all this,
it makes perfect sense that Lithuanians say that, "A man is as strong as a Stelmuze Oak."
A scenic drive takes you to visit this almost 2,000-year-old oak in the northeast of Lithuania,
near the 17th century wooden church built by Latvian masters without the use of a single iron
nail! Alright friends, that brings us to the end of today's video showcasing 10 surprising facts
about Lithuania. Maybe these new facts have you thinking about an unexpected new travel
destination. And I don't know about you, but those hot air balloon rides have completely captured my
attention. I can almost hear them calling my name! As always, we want to know what you think. So, leave
your comments down below. Have you ever been to Lithuania? If so, we want to hear about it. What was
your favorite part? What other countries would you like us to showcase in future videos? Let us know
down below in the comments. Also, if you enjoyed this video, I have another similar video that
you've got to check out in the video description section. So, click on that link! Alright friends,
that's all for today. Thanks for tuning in to FTD Facts with me for this video, and check back
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