2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus

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.)

Agriculture - products

grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish

Airports

91 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 2

total

34

under 914 m

20 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

57 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m

53 (2006)

Area

land

NA sq km

total

65,200 sq km

water

NA sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than West Virginia

Background

Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US. 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 Lithuania

Birth rate

8.75 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$9.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$9.415 billion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

54 41 N, 25 19 E

name

Vilnius

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Coastline

90 km

Constitution

adopted 25 October 1992

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Lithuania

conventional short form

Lithuania

former

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Lietuvos Respublika

local short form

Lietuva

Currency (code)

litas (LTL)

Currency code

LTL

Current account balance

$-2.572 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

10.98 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$15.12 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John A. CLOUD

embassy

Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106

mailing address

American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106

telephone

[370] (5) 266 5500

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kornelija JURGAITIENE

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5860

Disputes - 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; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32.5 (2003)

Economic aid - recipient

$1.6 billion (1995)

Economy - overview

Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to 4.5% in 2006. 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.

Electricity - consumption

9.358 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

11.49 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

4.293 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

17.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

16.5%

hydro

5.7%

nuclear

77.7%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m

lowest point

Baltic Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Ethnic groups

Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)

Exchange rates

litai per US dollar - 2.7508 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister

chief of state

President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)

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

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

head of government

Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July 2006)

Exports

$14.64 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001)

Exports - partners

Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7.1%, Estonia 5.9%, Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%, Denmark 4.3% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 328-0466

[370] (5) 266 5510

consulate(s) general

Chicago, New York

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Lithuania

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red Economy Lithuania

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

5.5%

industry

33.3%

services

61.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.2% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$25.78 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$54.03 billion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

56 00 N, 24 00 E

Geography - note

fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits People Lithuania

Government type

parliamentary democracy

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,300 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.9% (2000)

lowest 10%

3.2%

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 This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Imports

$18.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

Imports - partners

Russia 27.9%, Germany 15.1%, Poland 8.3% (2005)

Independence

11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

Industrial production growth rate

7% (2006 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 jewelry

Infant mortality rate

female

5.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

8.12 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.6% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Internet country code

.lt

Internet hosts

148,675 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

32 (2001)

Internet users

1,221,700 (2005) Transportation Lithuania

Investment (gross fixed)

23% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President

Labor force

1.617 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

15.8%

industry

28.2%

services

56% (2004)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km

total

1,613 km

Land use

arable land

44.81%

other

54.29% (2005)

permanent crops

0.9%

Languages

Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

Legal system

based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court

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)

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 Union 8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)

elections

last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2008)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.49 years (2006 est.)

male

69.2 years

total population

74.2 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.6% (2003 est.) Government Lithuania

male

99.7%

total population

99.6%

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Manpower available for military service

females age 19-49

830,524 (2005 est.)

males age 19-49

830,368

Manpower fit for military service

females age 19-49

676,102 (2005 est.)

males age 19-49

590,606

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 19-49

28,543 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

29,689

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

40.8 years (2006 est.)

male

35.7 years

total

38.2 years

Merchant marine

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)

total

49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air Forces, National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$230.8 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.9% (FY01) Transnational Issues Lithuania

Military service age and obligation

19-45 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 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

Nationality

adjective

Lithuanian

noun

Lithuanian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

2.92 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

2.92 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004)

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

peat, arable land, amber

Net migration rate

-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

56,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

93,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Pipelines

gas 1,696 km; oil 228 km; refined products 121 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairwoman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor Party [Kestutis DAUKSYS, chairman]; Liberal and Center Union [Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Rolandas PAKSAS, chairman]; Liberal Movement [Petras AUSTREVICIUS, chairman]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania [Julius VESELKA, chairman]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

3,585,906 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

4%

Population growth rate

-0.3% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Klaipeda Military Lithuania

Public debt

18% of GDP (2006 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios

1.9 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)

standard gauge

22 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

total

1,771 km

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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.22 billion (2006 est.)

Roadways

paved

70,549 km (including 417 km of expressways)

total

79,497 km

unpaved

8,948 km (2005)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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

general assessment

inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access

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

Telephones - main lines in use

801,100 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4.353 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

27

note

Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001)

Televisions

1.7 million (1997)

Terrain

lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Total fertility rate

1.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (2006 est.)

Waterways

425 km (2005)