Baltic people in the United Kingdom

Baltic British
Notable Britons of Baltic origin: Lembit Öpik, Phill Jupitus
Total population
Estimates vary 250,000 - 420,000 Lithuanians 200,000[1] Latvians 30,000 - 200,000[2] Estonians 14,000 [3] Between 0.4% and 0.7% of the UK's population
Regions with significant populations
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow
Languages
English, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, some Russian.
Religion
Christianity, Orthodox, Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Baltic people

Baltic people in the United Kingdom are those born or raised/resident in the UK who are of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian origin.

[edit] History, population and settlement

In the early 20th century, many Latvian and Lithuanian refugees began to settle in Glasgow (Lithuanian Scots) and at its height in the 1950s, there were around 10,000 in the Glasgow area.^[4]
During the first period of Estonian independence in the inter-war years, Great Britain, and, especially, London, became a magnet for many young people from Estonia wishing to learn English. This was made easier by a bi-lateral agreement drawn up by the British (Agreement A), which allowed foreigners to live with English families and get board and lodging in return for housekeeping duties. After the initial influx, the number of immigrants gradually reduced as people were more able to find work and, as a result, they gravitated to a few towns and cities, in particular London, Leicester and Bradford, with smaller communities in and around Bolton, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, Bournemouth and some north of the border in Scotland ^[5]

[edit] Notable people with Baltic connections

Lithuanian British people

• List of British people of Lithuanian descent

Latvian British people

• List of British people of Lativan descent

Estonian British people

• List of British people of Estonian descent

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Burrell, Kathy and Panayi, Panikos: Histories and Memories: Latvians and Their History in Britain [1]
• Budriuniene, Jolonta: Regeneration of the Lithuanian Emigrant Press: Fifteen Years' Experience [2]

[edit] External links

• The Baltic Music information centre UK
• UK Baltic Study Group
• Association of Estonians in Great Britain
• Bradford Eesti Kodu Club
• Great Britain Lithuanian Youth Association
• Latvians in Britain
• Latvian National Council
• Straumeni manor Latvian cultural centre
• London Lativian Choir
• Latvian Welfare Fund
• Latvians in London
• United London Latvian Church