from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Lithuania
Introduction
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 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.
Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between
Latvia and Russia
Geographic 56 00 N, 24 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 65,200 sq km
land: NA sq km
water: NA sq km
Area - slightly larger than West Virginia
comparative:
Land total: 1,613 km
boundaries: border countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km,
Poland 103.7 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km
Coastline: 90 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims:
Climate: transitional, between maritime and continental; wet,
moderate winters and summers
Terrain: lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Elevation lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m
Natural peat, arable land, amber
resources:
Land use: arable land: 44.81%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 54.29% (2005)
Irrigated 70 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum
current products and chemicals at military bases
issues:
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
agreements: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants
Geography - fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands
note: that are ancient glacial deposits
People
Population: 3,585,906 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.5% (male 284,888/female 270,458)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 1,210,557/female 1,265,542)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 190,496/female 363,965)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 38.2 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 40.8 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.3% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 8.75 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 10.98 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 6.78 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 5.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 74.2 years
expectancy at male: 69.2 years
birth: female: 79.49 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 1,300 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian
Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or
unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)
Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant
(including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist)
1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001
census)
Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%,
other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.)
Government
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 parliamentary democracy
type:
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
Administrative 10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus,
divisions: Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu,
Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus
Independence: 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet
Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes
Lithuania's independence)
National Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16
holiday: February 1918 is the date Lithuania declared its
independence from Soviet Russia and established its
statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its
independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution: adopted 25 October 1992
Legal system: based on civil law system; legislative acts can be
appealed to the constitutional court
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July
branch: 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS
(since 4 July 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election
last held 13 and 27 June 2004 (next to be held June
2009); prime minister appointed by the president on the
approval of the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president;
percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera
PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas KIRKILAS approved by
Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions
Legislative unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members
branch: are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by
proportional representation; members serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be
held October 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor
28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and
Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS 14.6%, For Order and Justice
(Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian People's Union)
11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and New
Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction -
Labor 29, Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil
Democracy (split from Labor) 11, Liberal Movement
(formerly Liberal Political Group) 11, National
Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy
Union) 11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9,
Liberal and Center Political Group 8, independents 3
(as of late-July 2006)
Judicial Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
branch: judges for all courts appointed by the President
Political Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman];
parties and Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar
leaders: TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; National Farmer's Union
[Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; Homeland Union/
Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman];
Labor Party; Liberal and Center Political Group
[Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party
[Valentinas MAZURONIS, chairman]; Liberal Movement;
Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas
STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a
Fair Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition
[Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the
Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP and the
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP; Social
Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman];
Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas
VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New
Nationalists
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE,
organization EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
participation: ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU
(associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires Kornelija JURGAITIENE
in the US: chancery: 4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John A. CLOUD
representation embassy: Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
from the US: mailing address: American Embassy, Almeny gatve 6,
Vilnius LT-03106
telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500
FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510
Flag three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green,
description: and red
Economy
Economy - Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most
overview: trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998
Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11%
in 2003 to 5.3% in 2005. 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 joined the EU in May 2004.
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.
GDP $49.41 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $23.5 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 7.5% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $13,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 5.5%
composition by industry: 32.5%
sector: services: 62% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 1.61 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 20%
by occupation: industry: 30%
services: 50% (1997 est.)
Unemployment 4.8% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 3.1%
income or highest 10%: 25.6% (1996)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 31.9 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2.7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $8.429 billion
expenditures: $9.103 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 18.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef,
products: 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 jewelry
Industrial 7.3% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 18.64 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 16.5%
production by hydro: 5.7%
source: nuclear: 77.7%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 9.109 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 12.37 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 4.144 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 12,360 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 89,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 3.03 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 2.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Current $-1.771 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $10.95 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%,
commodities: machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and
wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001)
Exports - Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%,
partners: Estonia 5.9%, Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%,
Denmark 4.3% (2005)
Imports: $13.33 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport
commodities: equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals
Imports - Russia 27.9%, Germany 15.2%, Poland 8.3% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $3.816 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $12.5 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $228.5 million (1995)
recipient:
Currency litas (LTL)
(code):
Currency code: LTL
Exchange litai per US dollar - 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004),
rates: 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002), 4 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 801,100 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 4.353 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized
system: 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: country code - 370; landline connections
to Latvia and Poland; major international connections
to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for
further transmission by satellite
Radio AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 1.9 million (1997)
Television 27
broadcast note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting
stations: stations, but may have as many as 100 transmitters,
including repeater stations (2001)
Televisions: 1.7 million (1997)
Internet .lt
country code:
Internet 148,675 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 32 (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 1,221,700 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 91 (2006)
Airports - total: 34
with paved over 3,047 m: 4
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Airports - total: 57
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 53 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 1,696 km; oil 228 km; refined products 121 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 1,771 km
broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 79,497 km
paved: 70,549 km (including 417 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,948 km (2005)
Waterways: 425 km (2005)
Merchant total: 49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1,
container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1,
refrigerated cargo 14, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 10)
registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda
3, Belize 1, North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 3, unknown 3) (2006)
Ports and Klaipeda
terminals:
Military
Military Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air
branches: Forces, National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005)
Military 19-45 years of age for compulsory military service,
service age conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of
and age for volunteers (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 19-49: 830,368
available for females age 19-49: 830,524 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 19-49: 590,606
for military females age 19-49: 676,102 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 29,689
reaching females age 19-49: 28,543 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $230.8 million (FY01)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.9% (FY01)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their
international: 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 member state that forms part of the
EU's external border, to strict Schengen border rules;
the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998
maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due
to concerns over potential hydrocarbons
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; susceptible to money
laundering despite changes to banking legislation