| 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. |
| Location: |
Eastern Europe,
bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
56 00 N, 24 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
65,200 sq km
land: 65,200 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than West Virginia |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
1,273 km
border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453
km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 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
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 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
contamination of
soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals
at military bases |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| Population: |
3,610,535 (July
2001 est.) |
| 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/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
12.86
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.15 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female
total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
14.5 deaths/1,000
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.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.02% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 500
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Lithuanian 80.6%,
Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Byelorussian 1.6%, other 2.1% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
(primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant,
Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish |
| Languages: |
Lithuanian
(official), Polish, Russian |
| 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 |
| 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: |
unicameral
Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly
elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional
representation; members serve four-year terms)
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] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| 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
chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
embassy: Akmenu 6, 2600 Vilnius
mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC
78, Box V, APO AE 09723
telephone: [370] (2) 223-031
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. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $26.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.9% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $7,300 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
10%
industry: 33%
services: 57% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
3.1%
highest 10%: 25.6% (1996) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
1% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2 million (2000
est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry 30%,
agriculture 20%, services 50% (1997 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
10.8% (2000) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1.5 billion
expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
13.567 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
23.89%
hydro: 3.43%
nuclear: 72.68%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
9.817 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
3.2 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
400 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
grain, potatoes,
sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish |
| Exports: |
$3.7 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 22%, mineral products 15%, chemicals 12%, textiles
and clothing, foodstuffs (1999) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Germany 15.8%,
Latvia 12.6%, Russia 6.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Denmark (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.9 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 18%, mineral products 16%, chemicals 10%, textiles
and clothing 10%, transport equipment 7% (1999) |
| Imports
- partners: |
Russia 20.4%,
Germany 16.5%, Denmark 3.8%, Belarus 2.2%, Latvia 2% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.5 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$228.5 million
(1995) |
| Exchange
rates: |
litai per US
dollar - 4.000 (fixed rate since 1 May 1994); note - litai
is the plural of litas |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1.048 million
(1997) |
| Telephones
- 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 |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 112,
shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios: |
1.9 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
20 (plus 30
repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: |
1.7 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.lt |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
14 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
225,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
2,002 km
broad gauge: 2,002 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km
electrified) (1994) |
| Highways: |
total:
44,000 km
paved: 35,500 km
unpaved: 8,500 km (2000) |
| Waterways: |
600 km
(perennially navigable) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil, 105
km; natural gas 760 km (1992) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Butinge, Kaunas,
Klaipeda |
| 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.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
9
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
63
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 55 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Ground Forces,
Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Security Forces (internal
and border troops), National Guard (Skat) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 929,389 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 730,363 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
28,506 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$181 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.66% (FY00) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|
