Lithuanian minority in Poland and its influence on relations between rewident country and foreign motherland

W artykule podjęto próbę analizy niezwykle aktywnej, opartej przede wszystkim o powszechność ruchu artystycznego i rozwój narodowego szkolnictwa, działalności polskich Litwinów oraz wpływu, jaki posiadający wysoki stopień świadomości narodowej i aktywnie dążący do instytucjonalizacji swojej etniczności Litwini mają na relacje między Polską i Litwą.According to 2002 census Lithuanian minority in Poland is represented by 5639 Polish citizens, concentrated mostly in the Podlaskie province (5097), in the communes of Puńsk (74.4% of population), Szypliszki, Krasnopol and Sejny. Compared to other minorities, Lithuanian community in Poland is very well organized. Lithuanians are associated in 10 socio-cultural organizations, which cooperate rather than compete against each other, even if their scope of activity is more or less similar. The situation of Lituanian minority has a considerable and increasing importance in bilateral relations between their country of residence and their old homeland is quite significant. The impact of the Lithuanian minority on Polish-Lithuanian relations depends on a number of factors, which can be divided into two interdependent groups: 1) ‘internal’ factors, being results of the situation (activity) of the Lithuanian minority itself; 2) ‘external’ factors, being the function of principal variants of the three – sided relations: Lithuanian minority, Poland, Lithuania