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Lithuania
Background:
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Lithuanian lands were united under
MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and
conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of
present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century
Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in
1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common
ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual
state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until
1795 when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries.
Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was
annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and
many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of
the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not
recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the
abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993.
Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into
Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the
spring of 2004.
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Location:
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Eastern Europe, bordering the
Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
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Geographic coordinates:
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56 00 N, 24 00 E
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 65,300
sq km
22
land:
62,680 sq km
water:
2,620 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than West
Virginia
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,574
km
border countries:
Belarus 680 km, Latvia 576 km, Poland 91 km,
Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km
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Coastline:
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90 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12
nm
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Climate:
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Current Weather
transitional, between
maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
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Terrain:
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lowland, many scattered
small lakes, fertile soil
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic
Sea 0 m
highest point:
Juozapines Kalnas 294 m
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Natural resources:
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peat, arable land, amber
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Land use:
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arable land: 44.81%
permanent crops:
0.9%
other:
54.29% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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70 sq km (2003)
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Total
renewable water resources:
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24.5 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 3.33
cu km/yr (78%/15%/7%)
per capita:
971 cu m/yr (2003)
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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contamination of soil and
groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air
Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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fertile central plains
are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
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Population:
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3,545,319 (July 2010 est.)
31
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 13.9%
(male 253,753/female 240,590)
15-64 years:
69.7% (male 1,213,921/female 1,258,587)
65 years and over:
16.3% (male 199,822/female 378,646) (2010 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 39.7
years
male:
37.1 years
female:
42.3 years (2010 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.276% (2010 est.)
18
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Birth rate:
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9.21 births/1,000
population (2010 est.)
05
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Death rate:
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11.25 deaths/1,000
population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
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Net migration rate:
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-0.72 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2010 est.)
14
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 67%
of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
-0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.057
male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.53 male(s)/female
total population:
0.89 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 6.37
deaths/1,000 live births
6
male:
7.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
5.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.12
years
male:
70.23 years
female:
80.29 years (2010 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.24 children born/woman
(2010 est.)
16
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (2007 est.)
18
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,200 (2007 est.)
38
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 200 (2007
est.)
08
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Major
infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases:
tickborne encephalitis (2009)
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Nationality:
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noun: Lithuanian(s)
adjective:
Lithuanian
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Ethnic groups:
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Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish
6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 79%,
Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical
Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001
census)
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Languages:
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Lithuanian (official)
82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
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Literacy:
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definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population:
99.6%
male:
99.6%
female:
99.6% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 16
years
male:
15 years
female:
17 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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5% of GDP (2005)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form:
Lithuania
local long form:
Lietuvos Respublika
local short form:
Lietuva
former:
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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name: Vilnius
geographic coordinates:
54 41 N, 25 19 E
time difference:
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
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Administrative divisions:
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10 counties (apskritys,
singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles,
Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus
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Independence:
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11 March 1990 (declared);
6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 16
February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared
its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11
March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet
Union
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Constitution:
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adopted 25 October 1992;
last amended 13 July 2004
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Legal system:
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based on civil law
system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President
Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE (since 12 July 2009)
head of government:
Prime Minister Andrius KUBILIUS (since 27 November
2008)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on
the nomination of the prime minister
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 May 2009
(next to be held in May 2014); prime minister appointed by the president
on the approval of the Parliament
election results:
Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE elected president; percent of
vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE 69.1%, Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS 11.8%, Valentinas
MAZURONIS 6.2%, others 12.9%; Andrius KUBILIUS' government approved by
Parliament 83-40 with 5 abstentions
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or
Seimas (141 seats; 71 members elected by popular vote, 70 elected by
proportional representation; members to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 12 and 26 October 2008 (next to be
held in October 2012)
election results:
percent of vote by party - TS-LKD 19.7%, TPP
15.1%, TT 12.7%, LSDP 11.7%, KDP+J 9%, LRLS 5.7%, LCS 5.3%, LLRA 4.8%,
LVLS 3.7%, NS 3.6%, other 8.7%; seats by faction - TS-LKD 44, LSDP 26,
TPP 16, TT 15, LRLS 11, KDP+J 10, LCS 8, LLRA 3, LVLS 3, NS 1,
independent 4; note - seats by faction as of 15 March 2010 - TS-LKD 46,
LSDP 25, TT 18, Christian Party 12, LS 11, DP 10, LCS 7, TPP 7,
unaffiliated 5; note - TS-LKD, LS, LCS, and TPP form the ruling
coalition
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court;
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the
president
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Political parties and leaders:
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Christian party
[Gediminas VAGNORIUS]; Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas
MATULEVICIUS]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar
TOMASZEVSKI]; Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD
[Andrius KUBILIUS]; Labor Party or DP [Viktor USPASKICH]; Liberal and
Center Union or LCS [Gintautas BABRAVICIUS]; Liberal Movement or LS or
LRLS [Eligijus MASIULIS]; Lithuanian Farmers' Union or LVLS or VLS [
Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]; Lithuanian People's Party (not yet officially
established) [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE]; National Revival or TPP [Arunas
VALINSKAS]; New Union (Social Liberal) or NS [Arturas PAULAUSKAS]; Order
and Justice Party or TT [Rolandas PAKSAS]; Social Democratic Party or
LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS]
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International organization participation:
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Australia Group, BA, BIS,
CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU,
ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Audrius BRUZGA
chancery:
2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 234-5860
FAX:
[1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Anne E. DERSE
embassy:
Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
mailing address:
American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106
telephone:
[370] (5) 266 5500
FAX:
[370] (5) 266 5510
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Flag description:
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three equal horizontal
bands of yellow (top), green, and red; yellow symbolizes golden fields,
as well as the sun, light, and goodness; green represents the forests of
the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope; red stands
for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland
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Economy - overview:
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Lithuania gained membership in the
World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Despite
Lithuania's EU accession, Lithuania's trade with its Central and Eastern
European neighbors, and Russia in particular, accounts for a growing
percentage of total trade. Privatization of the large, state-owned
utilities is nearly complete. Foreign government and business support
have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market
economy. Lithuania's economy grew on average 8% per year for the four
years prior to 2008 driven by exports and domestic demand. However, GDP
plunged 15% in 2009 - the three former Soviet Baltic republics had the
world's worst economic declines last year. The current account deficit
rose to roughly 15% of GDP in 2007-08, but fell sharply in 2009 in the
wake of a cutback in imports to almost half the 2008 level. Unemployment
reached 13.7% in 2009, up from 5.8% in 2008. In 2009 the government
launched a high-profile campaign, led by Prime Minister KUBILIUS, to
attract foreign investment and to develop export markets.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$54.84 billion (2009
est.)
$64.52
billion (2008 est.)
$62.76
billion (2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$36.39 billion (2009
est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-15% (2009 est.)
12
2.8%
(2008 est.)
9.8%
(2007 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$15,400 (2009 est.)
$18,100
(2008 est.)
$17,600
(2007 est.)
note:
data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4.2%
industry:
26.7%
services:
69.1% (2009 est.)
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Labor force:
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1.641 million (2009 est.)
27
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Labor force -
by occupation:
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agriculture: 14%
industry:
29.1%
services:
56.9% (2005)
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Unemployment rate:
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13.7% (2009 est.)
40
5.8%
(2008 est.)
note:
based on survey data, official registered
unemployment of 5.7%
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Population
below poverty line:
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4% (2003)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%:
27.4% (2004)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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36 (2005)
34
(1999)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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18.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
09
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Budget:
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revenues: $13.1
billion
expenditures:
$16.16 billion (2009 est.)
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Public debt:
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31.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
15.6%
of GDP (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5% (2009 est.)
39
10.9%
(2008 est.)
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Central bank
discount rate:
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1.75% (February 2010)
08
4.73%
(31 December 2008)
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
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3.27% (February 2010)
10.15%
(31 December 2008)
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Stock of money:
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$8.55 billion (January
2010)
$9.519
billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of quasi money:
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$8.731 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$8.419
billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of
domestic credit:
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$29.21 billion (31
December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 59
$25.05
billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$4.619 billion (31
December 2009)
$3.625
billion (31 December 2008)
$10.13
billion (31 December 2007)
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Agriculture - products:
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grain, potatoes, sugar
beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
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Industries:
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metal-cutting machine
tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers,
petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making,
textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical
equipment, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-21.6% (2009 est.)
63
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Electricity -
production:
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12.09 billion kWh (2007
est.)
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Electricity -
consumption:
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9.612 billion kWh (2007
est.)
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Electricity - exports:
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6.606 billion kWh (2008
est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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5.649 billion kWh (2008
est.)
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Oil - production:
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8,247 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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73,000 bbl/day (2008
est.)
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Oil - exports:
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137,200 bbl/day (2007
est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
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Oil - imports:
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204,000 bbl/day (2007
est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
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Oil - proved reserves:
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12 million bbl (1 January
2009 est.)
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Natural gas -
production:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
65
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Natural gas -
consumption:
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3.53 billion cu m (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2008 est.)
62
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Natural gas - imports:
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3.53 billion cu m (2008
est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
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Natural
gas - proved reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2009
est.)
66
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Current account balance:
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$1.422 billion (2009
est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
-$5.627
billion (2008 est.)
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Exports:
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$16.42 billion (2009
est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$23.77
billion (2008 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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mineral products 22%,
machinery and equipment 10%, chemicals 9%, textiles 7%, foodstuffs 7%,
plastics 7%
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Exports - partners:
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Russia 13.2%, Latvia 10%,
Germany 9.6%, Poland 7.1%, Estonia 7.1%, Belarus 4.7%, UK 4.3% (2009
est.)
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Imports:
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$17.5 billion (2009 est.)
$29.51
billion (2008 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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mineral products,
machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and
clothing, metals
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Imports - partners:
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Russia 30.1%, Germany
11.1%, Poland 9.9%, Latvia 6.3% (2009 est.)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$6.66 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
$6.441
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$36.43 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
$32.47
billion (31 December 2008)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$13.81 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
$12.89
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$2.307 billion (31
December 2009 est.)
$1.99
billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Exchange rates:
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litai (LTL) per US dollar
- 2.5337 (2009), 2.3251 (2008), 2.5362 (2007), 2.7498 (2006), 2.774
(2005)
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| Communications
::Lithuania |
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
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784,900 (2008)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular:
|
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5.023 million (2008)
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Telephone system:
|
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general assessment: adequate;
being modernized to provide improved international capability and
better residential access
domestic:
rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has
resulted in a steady decline in the number of fixed-line connections;
mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to about 140 per 100 persons
while fixed-line teledensity has dropped to 22 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 370; major international
connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for
further transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and
Poland (2008)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1
(2001)
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Television
broadcast stations:
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44 (may have as many as
100 transmitters, including repeater stations) (2008)
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Internet country code:
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.lt
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Internet hosts:
|
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885,064 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 39
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Internet users:
|
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1.777 million (2008)
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| Transportation
::Lithuania |
Airports:
|
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87 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 67
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 32
over 3,047 m:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
7
914 to 1,523 m:
2
under 914 m:
19 (2009)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
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total: 55
over 3,047 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m:
3
under 914 m:
51 (2009)
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Pipelines:
|
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gas 1,695 km; refined
products 114 km (2009)
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Railways:
|
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total: 1,765
km
broad gauge:
1,743 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
standard gauge:
22 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
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Roadways:
|
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total: 80,715
km
paved:
71,301 km (includes 309 km of expressways)
unpaved:
9,414 km (2007)
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Waterways:
|
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441 km (2007)
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Merchant marine:
|
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total: 45
by type:
cargo 23, container 2, passenger/cargo 6,
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 13
foreign-owned:
6 (Denmark 5, Ukraine 1)
registered in other countries:
28 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Cook Islands 1, North
Korea 1, Malta 1, Norway 1, Panama 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
9, unknown 3) (2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Klaipeda
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Military branches:
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Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air
Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos, KOP), National Defense Volunteer Forces
(2010)
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Military service age and obligation:
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19-26 years of age for
compulsory military service; 18 years of age for volunteers; 12-month
conscript service obligation; male registration required at age 16
(2009)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 900,746
females age 16-49:
887,843 (2010 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
|
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males age 16-49: 674,265
females age 16-49:
734,806 (2010 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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male: 21,606
female:
20,536 (2010 est.)
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Military expenditures:
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1.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
24
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| Transnational Issues
::Lithuania |
Disputes - international:
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Lithuania and Russia committed to
demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and
maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999;
Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals
traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still
conforming, as a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU
member, to strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not
ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily
due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons; as of January 2007, ground
demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with
final ratification documents in preparation
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment and
destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from
Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic
countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited
production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money
laundering despite changes to banking legislation
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