Background: 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 2015, Lithuania joined the euro zone, and it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2018.

Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 24 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 65,300 km²
Land: 62,680 km²
Water: 2,620 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,545 km
Border countries: (3) Belarus 640 km; Latvia 544 km; Poland 100 km; Russia (Kaliningrad) 261 km

Coastline: 90 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
Highest point: Aukstojas 294 m
Lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 110 m

Natural resources: peat, arable land, amber

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 34.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 20.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 16 km² (2013)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 130.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 69.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 58.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 24.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional floods, droughts

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

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: 2,683,546 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: -1.04% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 20.6% (2018 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Lithuanian(s)
Adjective: Lithuanian

Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 84.6%, Polish 6.5%, Russian 5%, Belarusian 1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.8% (2021 est.)

Languages: Lithuanian (official) 85.3%, Russian 6.8%, Polish 5.1%, other 1.1%, two mother tongues 1.7% (2021 est.)
Major language samples:

Religions: Roman Catholic 74.2%, Russian Orthodox 3.7%, Old Believer 0.6%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.9%, none 6.1%, unspecified 13.7% (2021 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.26% (male 213,802/female 202,948)
15-24 years: 10.23% (male 144,679/female 134,822)
25-54 years: 38.96% (male 528,706/female 535,485)
55-64 years: 15.1% (male 183,854/female 228,585)
65 years and over: 20.45% (male 190,025/female 368,558) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.7
Youth dependency ratio: 23.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.1
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.5 years
Male: 40.2 years
Female: 48.2 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.04% (2022 est.)

Birth rate: 9.26 births/1000 population (2022 est.)

Death rate: 15.12 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 68.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: -0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 541,000 VILNIUS (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; air pollution; deforestation; threatened animal and plant species; chemicals and waste materials released into the environment contaminate soil and groundwater; soil degradation and erosion
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, 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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 11.49 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 12.96 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 3.15 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.45 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28.2 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.63 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.09 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.15 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.78 years
Male: 70.42 years
Female: 81.44 years (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.61 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Current health expenditure: 7% of GDP (2019)

Physicians density: 5.08 physicians/1000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 6.4 beds/1000 population (2018)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2021 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
Vector borne diseases: tickborne encephalitis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 26.3% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 11.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 4.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 1.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 32% (2020 est.)
Male: 42.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 21.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.8%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.8% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 14.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 14%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 14.7% (2021 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 (while occupied by the USSR)
Etymology: meaning of the name "Lietuva" remains unclear and is debated by scholars; it may derive from the Lietava, a stream in east central Lithuania

Government type: semi-presidential republic

Capital
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
Etymology: named after the Vilnia River, which flows into the Neris River at Vilnius; the river name derives from the Lithuanian word "vilnis" meaning "a surge"

Administrative divisions: 60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Anksciai, Birstonas, Birzai, Druskininkai, Elektrenai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joniskis, Jurbarkas, Kaisiadorys, Kalvarija, 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, Rietavas, Rokiskis, Sakiai, Salcininkai, Siauliu Miestas, Siauliai, Silale, Silute, Sirvintos, Skuodas, Svencionys, Taurage, Telsiai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkaviskis, Vilniaus Miestas, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai

Independence: 16 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia and Germany); 11 March 1990 (declared 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)

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

Constitution
History: 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 many times, last in 2019

Legal system: civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the Constitutional Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Lithuania
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Gitanas NAUSEDA (since 12 July 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ingrida SIMONYTE (since 24 November 2020)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by Parliament
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 and 26 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by Parliament
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 70 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 and 25 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TS-LKD 50, LVZS 32, LSDP 13, LRLS 13, Freedom 11, DP 10, AWPL 3, LSDDP 3, LT 1, Greens 1, independent 4; composition as of July 2022 - men 101, women 40, percent of women 28.4%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); 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 - 3 each by the president of the republic, the Seimas chairperson, and 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: Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]
Freedom and Justice Party or LT [Remigijus ZEMAITAITIS] (formerly Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals))
Freedom Party or LP [Ausrine ARMONAITE]
Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS]
Labor Party or DP [Andrius MAZURONIS]
Lithuanian Center Party or LCP [Naglis PUTEIKIS]
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]
Lithuanian Green Party or LZP [Remigijus LAPINSKAS]
Lithuanian Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Viktorija CMILYTE-NIELSEN]
Lithuanian List or LL [Darius KUOLYS]
Lithuanian Regions Party or LRP [Jonas PINSKUS] (formerly Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party or LSDDP)
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Vilija BLINKEVICIUTE]

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), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Audra PLEPYTE (since 7 July 2021)
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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. GILCHRIST (since 4 February 2020)
From the us embassy: Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-3,106
From the us mailing address: 4,510 Vilnius Place, Washington DC 20,521-4,510
From the us telephone: [370] (5) 266-5,500
From the us FAX: [370] (5) 266-5,510
From the us email address and website:

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 anthem
Name: "Tautiska giesme" (The National Song)
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

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 4 (all cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 63.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.3% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 81.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -79.3% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.5% (2017 est.)
Industry: 29.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 67.2% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat, milk, sugar beet, rapeseed, barley, triticale, potatoes, oats, peas, beans

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.9% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 1.333 million (2020 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 9.1%
By occupation industry: 25.2%
By occupation services: 65.8% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 14.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 14%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 14.7% (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line: 20.6% (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.2%
Highest 10: 28.8% (2015)

Budget
Revenues: $15.92 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $15.7 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 33.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:
Note: official data; data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities, debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental 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

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.31% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Russia 13%, Latvia 9%, Poland 8%, Germany 7%, Estonia 5% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, furniture, cigarettes, wheat, polyethylene (2019)

Imports:
Partners: Poland 12%, Russia 12%, Germany 12%, Latvia 7%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, refined petroleum, electricity (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Installed generating capacity: 3.512 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 11.063 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: $4.105 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 12.013 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 951 million kWh (2020 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 38% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 35.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 6.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 16.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 221,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 75,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 268,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 4,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 68,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 194,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 12 million barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 196,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 174,800 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 42,490 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 2,230,854,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 497.923 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 2,818,513,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 14.503 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 693,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 9.488 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 4.322 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 101.651 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 322,108 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 3,671,995 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (2020 est.)

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

Internet
Country code: .lt
Users total: 2,603,900 (July 2022 est.)
Users percent of population: 97.8% (July 2022 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 796,814 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2020 est.)

Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Land Forces (Sausumos Pajegos), Naval Forces (Karines Juru Pajegos), Air Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos), Special Operations Forces (Specialiuju Operaciju Pajegos); National Defense Volunteer Forces (Savanoriu Pajegos); National Riflemen's Union (2022)
Note: the National Rifleman's Union is a paramilitary force that acts as an additional reserve force

Military service age and obligation: 19-26 years of age for conscripted military service for men; 9-month service obligation; in 2015, Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in 2008; 18-38 for voluntary service for men and women (2022)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 50
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 26,031 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: LY

Airports
Total: 61 (2021)
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
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: 9 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 39
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 36 (2021)

Pipelines: 1,921 km gas, 121 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 1,768 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 22 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
Broadgauge: 1,746 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge (122 km electrified)

Roadways
Total: 84,166 km (2012)
Paved: 72,297 km (2012) (includes 312 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 11,869 km (2012)

Waterways: 441 km (2007) (navigable year-round)

Merchant marine
Total: 64
By type: container ship 4, general cargo 24, oil tanker 2, other 34 (2021)

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Klaipeda
Oil terminals: Butinge oil terminal
Lng terminals import: Klaipeda

Disputes international: Lithuania-Belarus: as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 72,051 (Ukraine) (as of 20 December 2022)
Stateless persons: 2,721 (mid-year 2021)

Illicit drugs: source country for  amphetamine tablets