 Country name conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form: Lithuania
local short form: Lietuva
former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Lietuvos Respublika 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 and was invited to join NATO and the EU in 2002.Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia Area total: 65,200 sq km
water: NA sq km
land: NA sq km Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia Coastline 99 km 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 hazards NA Environment - current issues contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases Geography - note fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits Population 3,592,561 (July 2003 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 17.6% (male 323,776; female 310,087)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 1,188,171; female 1,268,035)
65 years and over: 14% (male 169,513; female 332,979) (2003 est.) Median age total: 36.6 years
male: 33.9 years
female: 39.2 years (2002) 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 (2003 est.) Nationality noun: Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian Ethnic groups Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Belarusian 1.6%, other 2.1% Religions Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish Languages Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian Internet country code .lt Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.) Government type parliamentary democracy 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 Legal system based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court International organization participation ACCT (observer), BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Economy - overview Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment remains high, still 10.7% in 2003, but is improving. 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 has moved ahead with plans to join the EU. 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. Exports - partners Latvia 12.8%, Germany 12%, UK 7.6%, Poland 6.3%, US 5.9%, France 5.8%, Russia 5.7%, Sweden 5%, Denmark 4.3% (2002) Currency litas (LTL) Currency code LTL Exchange rates litai per US dollar - 3.68 (2002), 4 (2001), 4 (2000), 4 (1999), 4 (1998) Airports 87 (2002) Airports - with paved runways total: 22
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 8 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways total: 65
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 57 (2002) Disputes - international in May 2003, the Russian Parliament ratified a 1997 land and maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, which had ratified the treaty in 1999, legalizing limits of former Soviet republic borders; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; discussions are still ongoing among Russia, Lithuania, and the EU concerning a simplified transit document for residents of the Kaliningrad coastal exclave to transit through Lithuania to Russia |
