Map of Lithuania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Independent between the two World Wars Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. 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: Eastern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N 24 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 65,200 km²
Land: NA km²
Water: NA km²
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,273 km
Border countries: (3) Belarus 502 km; , Latvia 453 km; , Poland 91 km; , Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km

Coastline: 99 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: transitional between maritime and continental; wet moderate winters and summers

Terrain: lowland many scattered small lakes fertile soil

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m

Natural resources: peat arable land

Land use
Arable land: 45.22%
Permanent crops: 0.91%
Other: 53.87% (2001)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits


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Population: 3,596,617 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: -0.3% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Lithuanian
Adjective: Lithuanian

Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 83.4% Polish 6.7% Russian 6.3% other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)

Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82% Russian 8% Polish 5.6% other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Religions: 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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.1% (male 297,271/female 282,269)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 1,206,731/female 1,264,359)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 186,979/female 359,008) (2005 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 37.83 years
Male: 35.25 years
Female: 40.46 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.3% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 8.62 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 10.92 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male/female
Total population: 0.89 male/female (2005 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.89 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 8.25 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.45 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.97 years
Male: 68.94 years
Female: 79.28 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1300 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.6%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 99.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
Conventional short form: Lithuania
Local long form: Lietuvos Respublika
Local short form: Lietuva
Former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Vilnius

Administrative divisions: 10 counties (apskritys singular - apskritis); Alytaus Kauno Klaipedos Marijampoles Panevezio Siauliu Taurages Telsiu Utenos Vilniaus

Dependent areas

Independence: 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

National holiday: Independence Day 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: adopted 25 October 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)
Head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS (since 3 July 2001)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the premier
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 13 June 2004 and 27 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009); premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament
Election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, Homeland Union (Conservatives) 14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Union of Farmers and New Democracy 6.6%; seats by faction - Labor 39, Homeland Union 25, Social Democrats 20, Liberal and Center Union 18, Social Liberals 11, Union of Farmers and New Democracy Parties 10, Liberal Democrats 10, Electoral Action 2, independents 6

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President

Political parties and leaders: Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS chairman]; Labor Party [Viktor USPASKICH chairman]; Liberal and Center Union [Arturas ZUOKAS chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas MAZURONIS chairman]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP; New Democracy and Farmer's Union or VNDPS [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE chairman]; Social Liberals (New Union) [Arturas PAULAUSKAS chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists

International organization participation: ACCT (observer) Australia Group BIS CBSS CE EAPC EBRD EIB EU (new member) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA NATO NIB NSG OPCW OSCE PCA PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIK UPU WCL WCO WEU (member affiliate) WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Vygaudas USACKAS
In the us chancery: 2,622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-5,860
In the us fax: [1] (202) 328-0466
In the us consulates general: Chicago and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen D. MULL
From the us embassy: 2,600 Akmenu 6, Vilnius
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 9,723
From the us telephone: [370] (5) 266 5,500
From the us fax: [370] (5) 266 5,510

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) green and red

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Lithuania the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to 8% in 2004. Growing domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large state-owned utilities particularly in the energy sector is nearing completion. Overall more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $45.23 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.6% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2004 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.1%
Industry: 33.4%
Services: 60.5% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: grain potatoes sugar beets flax vegetables; beef milk eggs; fish

Industries: 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

Industrial production growth rate: 12% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 1.63 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 30%
By occupation services: 50% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8% (2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.1%
Highest 10: 25.6% (1996)

Distribution of family income gini index: 34 (1999)

Budget
Revenues: $6.542 billion
Expenditures: $7.121 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 25.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.1% (2004 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $-1.6 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $8.88 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: mineral products 23% textiles and clothing 16% machinery and equipment 11% chemicals 6% wood and wood products 5% foodstuffs 5% (2001)
Partners: Germany 10.2% Latvia 10.2% Russia 9.3% France 6.3% UK 5.3% Sweden 5.1% Estonia 5% Poland 4.8% Netherlands 4.8% Denmark 4.8% US 4.7% Switzerland 4.6% (2004)

Imports: $11.02 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: mineral products 21% machinery and equipment 17% transport equipment 11% chemicals 9% textiles and clothing 9% metals 5% (2001)
Partners: Russia 23.1% Germany 16.7% Poland 7.7% Netherlands 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.61 billion (2004 est.)

Debt external: $10.01 billion (2004 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: litai per US dollar - 2.7806 (2004) 3.0609 (2003) 3.677 (2002) 4 (2001) 4 (2000)


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Electricity
Production: 17.93 billion kWh (2002)
Consumption: 10.17 billion kWh (2002)
Exports: 6.8 billion kWh (2002)
Imports: 300 million kWh (2002)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 2.76 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 2.76 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 824,200 (2003)
Mobile cellular: 2,169,900 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access
Domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications
International: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .lt
Hosts: 67,769 (2004)
Users: 695,700 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $230.8 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (FY01)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 19-45 years of age for compulsory military service conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 102 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 28
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 74
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 68 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 1696 km; oil 331 km; refined products 109 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 1,998 km
Broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)

Roadways

Waterways: 600 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 296,856 GRT/317,731 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 24, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 12 (Denmark 12)
Registered in other countries: 16 (2005)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: in 2003 the Lithuania-Russia land and maritime boundary treaty was ratified and a transit regime established through Lithuania linking Russia and its Kaliningrad coastal exclave leaving only improvements to the border demarcation in 2005; by 2004 a third of the Belarus-Lithuania boundary had been demarcated; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania primarily due to concerns over oil; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border Lithuania must implement the strict Schengen border rules

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia Latin America and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation