Balts

Balts are an ethnolinguistic group native to the Baltic region of Northern Europe. They traditionally include the two living Baltic peoples, Lithuanians and Latvians, and a number of now extinct Western Baltic tribes such as the Old Prussians, Curonians, Semigallians, and Yotvingians. The term also refers to the Baltic language family, which today has two surviving branches: Eastern Baltic (Lithuanian and Latvian) and Western Baltic (extinct languages including Old Prussian).

The Baltic languages form a branch of the Indo-European family. Lithuanian and Latvian retain archaic features not found in most other Indo-European languages, which makes them of particular interest to linguists. Baltic cultures are known for strong folk traditions, including the Lithuanian song festival and Latvian Dainas, and for maintaining distinct cultural identities, customs, and, in some periods, legal and social structures.

Historically, Balts formed tribal confederations in the Iron Age and faced expansion by Germanic crusaders in the medieval period. They were later incorporated into neighboring states, with most Balts living under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and, in later centuries, the Russian Empire. Independence was achieved after World War I; the region endured Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991, after which Lithuania and Latvia regained independence and joined the European Union and NATO.

Today, Lithuanians and Latvians number in the millions, with sizable diasporas worldwide. Official languages in Lithuania and Latvia are Lithuanian and Latvian, respectively, both used in education and government. The Baltic region remains a linguistic and cultural crossroads, with ongoing research into Baltic languages and history.