1.
[syn: Lithuania, Republic of Lithuania, Lietuva]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Lithuania
n 1: a republic in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea [syn:
Lithuania, Republic of Lithuania, Lietuva]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Lithuania
Introduction Lithuania
----------------------
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.
Geography Lithuania
-------------------
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic
Sea, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 24 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 65,200 sq km
water: NA sq km
land: NA 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
Coastline: 99 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: 45.46%
permanent crops: 0.93%
other: 53.61% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 90 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: contamination of soil and
groundwater with petroleum products
and chemicals at military bases
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol
Geography - note: fertile central plains are separated
by hilly uplands that are ancient
glacial deposits
People Lithuania
----------------
Population: 3,601,138 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.2% (male 333,966;
female 319,992)
15-64 years: 68% (male 1,184,969;
female 1,265,711)
65 years and over: 13.8% (male
167,789; female 328,711) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.25% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.22 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 12.87 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.42 years
female: 75.6 years (2002 est.)
male: 63.54 years
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ less than 500 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 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
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1989 est.)
Government Lithuania
--------------------
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
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Vilnius
Administrative divisions: 10 counties (apskritys, singular -
apskritis); Alytaus, 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 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;
legislative acts can be appealed to
the constitutional court
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Valdas
ADAMKUS (since 26 February 1998)
head of government: Premier Algirdas
Mykolas 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
in late 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: Constitutional Court; Supreme Court;
Court of Appeal; judges for all
courts appointed by the President
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or LKDP
[Kazys BOBELIS, 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 Green Party [Rimantas
BRAZIULIS]; Lithuanian Liberal Union
[Eugenijus GENTVILAS, chairman];
Lithuanian Liberal Youth [Neringa
MOROZAITE]; Lithuanian National
Democratic Party [Vygintas GONTIS];
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; Moderate
Conservative Union [Gediminas
VAGNORIUS]; Modern Christian
Democratic Union [Vytautas BOGUSIS,
chairman]; New Democracy and
Farmer's Union [Kazimiera
PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; New Union-
Social Liberals [Arturas PAULAUSKAS,
chairman]; Young Lithuania [Arnoldas
PLATELIS]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACCT (observer), BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE,
participation: EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant),
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate
partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Vygaudas USACKAS
consulate(s) general: Chicago and
New York
FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
chancery: 2622 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador John F.
US: TEFFT
embassy: Akmenu 6, 2600 Vilnius
mailing address: American Embassy,
Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723
telephone: [370] (2) 665-500
FAX: [370] (2) 665-510
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of
yellow (top), green, and red
Economy Lithuania
-----------------
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, at 12.5%
in 2001, and weak consumption have
held back 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 underway.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $27.4
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,600
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9%
industry: 32%
services: 59% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.1%
percentage share: highest 10%: 25.6% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini 34 (1999)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.3% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.5 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 30%, agriculture 20%,
services 50% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12.5% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.59 billion
expenditures: $1.77 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 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: 15% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 10.966 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 20.16%
hydro: 3.06%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 76.78%
Electricity - consumption: 6.898 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 6.3 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 3 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax,
vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: mineral products 21%, textiles and
clothing 19%, machinery and
equipment 11%, chemicals 8%, wood
and wood products 6%, foodstuffs 4%
(2000)
Exports - partners: Latvia 15%, Germany 14%, UK 8%,
Russia 7%, Ukraine 5% (2000)
Imports: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: mineral products 23%, machinery and
equipment 16%, chemicals 9%,
textiles and clothing 9%, transport
equipment 9% (2000)
Imports - partners: Russia 28%, Germany 15%, Poland 5%,
France 4%, UK 4% (2000)
Debt - external: $3.6 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $228.5 million (1995)
Currency: litas (LTL)
Currency code: LTL
Exchange rates: litai per US dollar - 4.000 (fixed
rate since 1 May 1994); note - litai
is the plural of litas; effective 2
February 2002 the litas are pegged
to the euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Lithuania
------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.142 million (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 500,000 (2001)
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 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios: 1.9 million (1997)
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)
Internet country code: .lt
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 32 (2001)
Internet users: 341,000 (2001)
Transportation Lithuania
------------------------
Railways: total: 1,998 km
broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge
(122 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge
(2001)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge
Highways: total: 44,000 km
paved: 35,500 km
unpaved: 8,500 km (2001)
Waterways: 600 km (perennially navigable)
Pipelines: crude oil, 105 km; natural gas 760
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Butinge, Kaunas, Klaipeda
Merchant marine: total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 279,743 GRT/304,156 DWT
ships by type: cargo 25, combination
bulk 8, petroleum tanker 2, railcar
carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 6,
roll on/roll off 2, short-sea
passenger 3
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 13 (2002 est.)
Airports: 72 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 63
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 55 (2001)
Military Lithuania
------------------
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air
Defense Force, National Volunteer
Defense Forces (SKAT)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 933,638 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 733,415 (2002 est.)
service:
Military manpower - reaching males: 28,506 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $230.8 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.9% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Lithuania
------------------------------
Disputes - international: the Russian Duma has not ratified
1997 boundary treaty; the Latvian
Parliament has not ratified its 1998
maritime boundary treaty with
Lithuania, primarily due to concerns
over oil exploration rights
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