top of pageBackground: 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. In January 2014 Lithuania assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term; in January 2015 Lithuania joined the euro zone.
Climate: transitional between maritime and continental; wet moderate winters and summers
Terrain: lowland many scattered small lakes fertile soil
GeographyNote: fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
top of pageEthnic groups: Lithuanian 84.1% Polish 6.6% Russian 5.8% Belarusian 1.2% other 1.1% unspecified 1.2% (2011 est.)
Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82% Russian 8% Polish 5.6% other 0.9% unspecified 3.5% (2011 est.)
Religions: Roman Catholic 77.2% Russian Orthodox 4.1% Old Believer 0.8% Evangelical Lutheran 0.6% Evangelical Reformist 0.2% other (including Sunni Muslim Jewish Greek Catholic and Karaite) 0.8% none 6.1% unspecified 10.1% (2011 est.)
Population distribution: fairly even population distribution throughout the country but somewhat greater concentrations in the southern cities of Vilnius and Kaunas and the western port of Klaipeda
EnvironmentCurrent issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Drinking water source:
urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 90.4% of population
total: 96.6% of population
urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 9.6% of population
total: 3.4% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 97.2% of population
rural: 82.8% of population
total: 92.4% of population
urban: 2.8% of population
rural: 17.2% of population
total: 7.6% of population (2015 est.)
top of pageAdministrative divisions: 60 municipalities (savivaldybe singular - savivaldybe); Akmene Alytaus Miestas Alytus Anksciai Birstono Birzai Druskininkai Elektrenai Ignalina Jonava Joniskis Jurbarkas Kaisiadorys Kalvarijos Kauno Miestas Kaunas Kazlu Rudos Kedainiai Kelme Klaipedos Miestas Klaipeda Kretinga Kupiskis Lazdijai Marijampole Mazeikiai Moletai Neringa Pagegiai Pakruojis Palangos Miestas Panevezio Miestas Panevezys Pasvalys Plunge Prienai Radviliskis Raseiniai Rietavo Rokiskis Sakiai Salcininkai Siauliu Miestas Siauliai Silale Silute Sirvintos Skuodas Svencionys Taurage Telsiai Trakai Ukmerge Utena Varena Vilkaviskis Vilniaus Miestas Vilnius Visaginas Zarasai
Independence: 11 March 1990 (declared independence from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS traditional founding date) 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created) 16 February 1918 (independence from Soviet Russia)
National holiday: Independence Day (or National Day) 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia and Germany; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Lithuanian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union
ConstitutionHistory: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992 entered into force 2 November 1992
Amendments: proposed by at least one-fourth of all Parliament members or by petition of at least 300,000 voters; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of two readings three months apart and a presidential signature; amendments to constitutional articles on national sovereignty and constitutional amendment procedure also require three-fourths voter approval in a referendum; amended 1996 2003 2006
Legal system: civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the Constitutional Court
Executive branchChief of state: President Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE
Head of government: Prime Minister Saulius SKVERNELIS
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister appointed by the president and approved by Parliament
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 11 and 25 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); prime minister appointed by the president approved by Parliament
Election results: Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE reelected president in second reound; percent of vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE 57.9% Zigmantas BALCYTIS (LSDP) 40.1% invalid 2%; Saulius SKVERNELIS (LVZS) approved as prime minister by Parliament vote - 90 to 4
Legislative branchDescription: unicameral Parliament or Seimas
Elections: last held on 9 and 23 October 2016
Election results: percent of vote by party - LVLS 22.5% TS-LKD 22.6% LSDP 15% LS 9.5% LCP-LPP 6.3% LLRA 5.7% TT 5.6% DP 4.9% LZP 2% Lithuanian List 1.8% other 4.1%; seats by party - LVLS 54 TS-LKD 31 LSDP 17 LS 14 LLRA 8 TT 8 DP 2 LCP-LPP 1 LZP 1 Lithuanian List 1 independent 4
Judicial branchHighest court: Supreme Court ; Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Seimas from nominations - three each by the president of the republic by the Seimas chairperson and by the Supreme Court president; judges serve 9-year nonrenewable terms; one-third of membership reconstituted every 3 years
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; district and local courts
Political parties and leaders:
Lithuanian Pensioners Party or LPP [Kristupas KRIVICKAS]
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS]
Order and Justice Party or TT [Remigijus ZEMAITAITIS]
Peasant and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS] (formerly LVLS)
Way of Courage or DK [Jonas VARKALA]
International organization participation: Australia Group BA BIS CBSS CD CE EAPC EBRD ECB EIB EU FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NATO NIB NSG OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA Schengen Convention UN UN Security Council (non-permanent) UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO
Flag description: 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
National symbols: mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser) white stork; national colors: yellow green red
National anthemName: 'Tautiska giesme'
Lyrics and music: Vincas KUDIRKA
Note: adopted 1918 restored 1990; written in 1898 while Lithuania was a part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990
top of pageEconomy overview:
After the country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990 Lithuania faced an initial dislocation that is typical during transitions from a planned economy to a free-market economy. Macroeconomic stabilization policies including privatization of most state-owned enterprises and a strong commitment to a currency board arrangement led to an open and rapidly growing economy and rising consumer demand. Foreign investment and EU funding aided in the transition. Lithuania joined the WTO in May 2001 the EU in May 2004 and the euro zone in January 2015 and is now working to complete the OECD accession roadmap it received in July 2015.
The Lithuanian economy was severely hit by the 2008-09 global financial crisis but it has rebounded and become one of the fastest growing in the EU. In 2015 Russia was Lithuania’s largest trading partner followed by Poland Germany and Latvia; goods and services trade between the US and Lithuania totaled $2.2 billion.
Lithuania’s ongoing recovery hinges on improving the business environment especially by liberalizing labor laws and improving competitiveness and export growth the latter of which has been hampered by economic slowdowns in the EU and Russia. In addition a steady outflow of young and highly educated people is causing a shortage of skilled labor. Lithuania opened a self-financed liquefied natural gas terminal in January 2015 providing the first non-Russian supply of natural gas to the Baltic States and reducing Lithuania’s dependence on Russian gas from 100% to approximately 30% in 2016.
Industries: metal-cutting machine tools electric motors televisions refrigerators and freezers petroleum refining shipbuilding (small ships) furniture textiles food processing fertilizer agricultural machinery optical equipment lasers electronic components computers amber jewelry information technology video game development app/software development biotechnology
Public debt:
40.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
42.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
Note: official data; data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities debt issued by subnational entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds such as for retirement medical care and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions
Rank: 133
Exports:
$24.23 billion (2016 est.)
$24.73 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 66
Commodities: refined fuel machinery and equipment chemicals textiles foodstuffs plastics
Partners: Russia 13.5% Latvia 9.9% Poland 9.1% Germany 7.7% Estonia 5.3% US 5.2% Sweden 4.8% UK 4.3% (2016)
Imports:
$26.35 billion (2016 est.)
$26.94 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 64
Commodities: oil natural gas machinery and equipment transport equipment chemicals textiles and clothing metals
Partners: Russia 14.4% Germany 12.1% Poland 10.8% Latvia 8% Italy 5.4% Netherlands 4.8% Sweden 4.4% (2016)
Debt external:
$34.48 billion (31 March 2016 est.)
$31.6 billion (31 March 2015 est.)
Rank: 75
Exchange rates:
litai (LTL) per US dollar -
0.9037 (2016 est.)
0.9037 (2015 est.)
0.9012 (2014 est.)
0.7525 (2013 est.)
2.69 (2012 est.)
top of pagetop of pageTelephone systemGeneral 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 stands at about 145 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
Broadcast media: public broadcaster operates 3 channels with the third channel - a satellite channel - introduced in 2007; various privately owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels; many privately owned local TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available; publicly owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks; many privately owned commercial broadcasters with repeater stations in various regions throughout the country (2007)
top of pageMilitary service age and obligation: 18 years of age for military service; 9-month service obligation; in 2015 Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in the fall of 2008 (2016)
top of pagePipelines: gas 1921 km; refined products 121 km (2013)
top of pageDisputes international: 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; boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania; as of January 2007 ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation
Illicit drugsRank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons: 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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