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 this proclamation was not generally recognized until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently has restructured its economy for eventual integration into Western European institutions.

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N 24 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 65,200 km²
Land: 65,200 km²
Water: 0 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: 39%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 6%
Forests and woodland: 31%
Other: 15% (2001 est.)

Irrigated land: 430 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Population: 3,610,535 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: -0.27% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Lithuanian
Adjective: Lithuanian

Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 80.6% Russian 8.7% Polish 7% Byelorussian 1.6% other 2.1%

Languages: Lithuanian (official) Polish Russian

Religions: Roman Catholic (primarily) Lutheran Russian Orthodox Protestant Evangelical Christian Baptist Muslim Jewish

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.75% (male 345,694; female 331,125)
15-64 years: 67.69% (male 1,181,119; female 1,262,872)
65 years and over: 13.56% (male 165,732; female 323,993) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.27% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 10 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 12.86 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.51 male/female
Total population: 0.88 male/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.5 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.25 years
Male: 63.3 years
Female: 75.5 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 500 (1999 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 99%
Female: 98% (1989 est.)

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: 44 regions (rajonai singular - rajonas) and 11 municipalities*: Akmenes Rajonas Alytaus Rajonas Alytus* Anyksciu Rajonas Birstonas* Birzu Rajonas Druskininkai* Ignalinos Rajonas Jonavos Rajonas Joniskio Rajonas Jurbarko Rajonas Kaisiadoriu Rajonas Kaunas* Kauno Rajonas Kedainiu Rajonas Kelmes Rajonas Klaipeda* Klaipedos Rajonas Kretingos Rajonas Kupiskio Rajonas Lazdiju Rajonas Marijampole* Marijampoles Rajonas Mazeikiu Rajonas Moletu Rajonas Neringa* Pakruojo Rajonas Palanga* Panevezio Rajonas Panevezys* Pasvalio Rajonas Plunges Rajonas Prienu Rajonas Radviliskio Rajonas Raseiniu Rajonas Rokiskio Rajonas Sakiu Rajonas Salcininku Rajonas Siauliai* Siauliu Rajonas Silales Rajonas Silutes Rajonas Sirvintu Rajonas Skuodo Rajonas Svencioniu Rajonas Taurages Rajonas Telsiu Rajonas Traku Rajonas Ukmerges Rajonas Utenos Rajonas Varenos Rajonas Vilkaviskio Rajonas Vilniaus Rajonas Vilnius* Zarasu Rajonas

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 of independence from German Austrian Prussian and Russian occupation 11 March 1990 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: adopted 25 October 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 26 February 1998)
Head of government: Premier Algirdas 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 21 December 1997 and 4 January 1998 (next to be held NA 2002); premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament
Election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 50.4%, Arturas PAULAUSKAS 49.6%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Coalition 31.1%, New Union/Social Liberals 19.6%, Liberal Union 17.2%, TS 8.6%, remaining parties all less than 5%; seats by party - Social Democratic Coalition 52, Liberal Union 34, New Union/Social Liberals 29, TS 9, Farmer's Party 4, Center Union 2, Poles' Electoral Action 2, Modern Christian Democratic Union 1, independents 3, others 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts appointed by the Parliament

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or LKDP [Zigmas ZINKEVICIUS chairman]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Vytautas LANDSBERGIS chairman]; Lithuanian Center Union or LCS [Kestutis GLAVECKAS chairman]; Lithuanian Farmer's Party or LUP [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS chairman]; Lithuanian Liberal Union [Rolandas PAKSAS chairman]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSPD and New Democracy; Modern Christian Democratic Union [Vytautas BOGUSIS chairman]; New Union-Social Liberals [Arturas PAULAUSKAS chairman]

International organization participation: ACCT (observer) BIS CBSS CCC CE EAPC EBRD ECE EU (applicant) FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Intelsat (nonsignatory user) Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNMIK UPU WCL WEU (associate partner) WHO WIPO WMO WTrO (observer)

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 John F. TEFFT
From the us embassy: Akmenu 6, 2,600 Vilnius
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 9,723
From the us telephone: [370] (2) 223-031
From the us fax: [370] (2) 227-236

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

Economy overview: Lithuania the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia has been slowly rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. High unemployment and weak consumption have held back recovery. GDP growth for 2000 - estimated at 2.9% - fell behind that of Estonia and Latvia and unemployment is estimated at 10.8% the country's highest since regaining independence in 1990. For 2001 Lithuanians forecast 3.2% growth 1.8% inflation and a fiscal deficit of 3.3%. In early 2001 the Lithuanian Government announced that it will repeg its currency the litas to the euro (the litas is currently pegged to the dollar) some time in 2002. Lithuania must ratify 25 agreements along with other legal documents and obligations by 1 May 2001 before gaining World Trade Organization membership. Lithuania was invited to the Helsinki summit in December 1999 and began EU accession talks in early 2000. Privatization of the large state-owned utilities particularly in the energy sector remains a key challenge for 2001.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2000 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10%
Industry: 33%
Services: 57% (1999 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: 2.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 2 million (2000 est.)
By occupation industry: 30%
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation services: 50% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.8% (2000)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $1.5 billion
Expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (2000 est.)

Exports: $3.7 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: machinery and equipment 22% mineral products 15% chemicals 12% textiles and clothing foodstuffs (1999)
Partners: Germany 15.8% Latvia 12.6% Russia 6.9% Belarus 5.8% Denmark (1999)

Imports: $4.9 billion (f.o.b. 2000)
Commodities: machinery and equipment 18% mineral products 16% chemicals 10% textiles and clothing 10% transport equipment 7% (1999)
Partners: Russia 20.4% Germany 16.5% Denmark 3.8% Belarus 2.2% Latvia 2% (1999)

Debt external: $2.5 billion (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: litai per US dollar - 4.000 (fixed rate since 1 May 1994); note - litai is the plural of litas

Electricity
Production: 13.567 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 23.89%
Production by source hydro: 3.43%
Production by source nuclear: 72.68%
Production by source other: 0% (1999)
Consumption: 9.817 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 3.2 billion kWh (1999)
Imports: 400 million kWh (1999)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.048 million (1997)
Mobile cellular: 297,500 (November 1998)

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: landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Internet
Country code: .lt
Service providers isps: 14 (2000)
Users: 225,000 (2000)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $181 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1.66% (FY00)

Airports: 72 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 63
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 55 (2000 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 105 km; natural gas 760 km (1992)

Railways
Total: 2,002 km
Broad gauge: 2,002 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified) (1994)

Waterways: 600 km (perennially navigable)

Merchant marine
Total: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,168 GRT/327,827 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 26, combination bulk 10, petroleum tanker 2, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.)

Disputes international: Latvia has not ratified a 1998 maritime boundary agreement with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights); 1997 border agreement with Russia not yet ratified by Russia