|
Capital Vilnius (population of Vilnius town 553827)
Largest cities
- Kaunas (population of Vilnius city 553827)
- Klaipeda (population of Klaipeda city 378141)
- Siauliai (population of Siauliai city 133780)
- Paneveżys (population of Paneveżys city 119612)
- Alytus (population of Alytus city 71536)
Administrativive division 10 counties, 44 regions, municipal cities
Official language Lithuanian
Other languages Majority of the population also speaks and understands Russian or Polish. Big part of citizens understands English, less German.
LOCATION
Continent Eastern Europe, South-Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
Area Total: 65,300 sq. km, land: 65,200 sq. km
Geographic coordinates
- 56° 27 ' Lat N (most Notherly point)
- 53° 54 ' Lat N (most Southerly point)
- 20° 56 ' Long E (most Westerly point)
- 56° 51 ' Long E (most Easterly point)
Borders
- Total: 1,846 km
- Land: 1,747 km
- Coastline: 99 km
Belorus - 724 km, Latvia - 610 km, Poland -110 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) - 303 km
NATURE
Landscape
Low-lying plains in the West and rolling hills in the Eeast
The highest point - Juozapines Hill (294 m), near Vilnius.
In-land waters
Rivers. 21 rivers, which are more than 100 kilometers long, 722 streams (total length more than 10 km). Main rivers:
Nemunas (total length - 937 km, in the country - 475 km)
Neris (total length - 510 km, in the country - 234 km)
Venta (total length - 346 km, in the country - 161 km)
Sesupe (total length - 298 km, in the country - 209 km)
Lakes. About 4000 lakes 2830 of which are larger than 0.5 ha. Greater part of lakes is situated in the Eastern Lithuania. Lakes occupy 1,5% of all territory.Main lakes:
Druksiai - the largest (area - 4479 ha, depth - 33,3 m)
Tauragnas - the deepest (depth 60.52 meters)
Asveja Lake - the longest (21.9 kilometers)
Nature resources
Peat, gypsum, limestone, chalk, clay and sand, amber, oil, gas
Climate
Temperate, transitional between maritime and continental. Average January temperature –5°?, July 17° ?. Rainfall a year – from 540 mm (in the Central Lowland) to 930 mm (in the Zemaitian Highlands)
Flora
Greater part of forests are of mixed coniferous and deciduous types, forests occupy 28,4% od the entire territory. Birches, pines, firs (predominating), alders, oaks, ash-trees (less frequientry met). Mushrooms, wild strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and bilberries (in the southern pine woods)
Fauna
426 species of vertebrates (61 of mammals, 7 of reptiles, 11 of amphibians). Most frequently met are: elk, deer, wolves, foxes, wild boar.
293 species of birds. Most frequently met are: white storks, herons, geese, ducks, swans, eagles and hawks, pigeons, woodpeckers, swallows, jackdaws, thrushes, magpies, srows, larks, sparrows
57 kinds of fish in the Lithuanian in- land waters.
POPULATION
Population 3482300 (beginning of 2002)
Births
1990- 56868; 1995- 41195; 1996- 39066; 1997- 37812;
1998- 37019; 1999- 36415; 2000- 34149; 2001- 31546.
Deaths
1990- 39760; 1995- 45306; 1996- 42896; 1997- 41143;
1998- 40757; 1999- 40343; 2000- 38919; 2001- 40399
Natural increase
1990- 17108; 1995- -411; 1996- -3830; 1997- -3331;
1998- -3738; 1999- -3588; 2000- 4770; 2001- -8853
Population by sex
year 2002 ?.:
men 1624500, women 1851100;
in cities: men 1068500, woman 1257700
in villages: men 556000, women 593400
Life expectancy
year 2000 total 72,87, men 67,62, women 77, 93
Population by age
year 2001 ?.:
0 (33856), 1-4 (148701), 5-9 (235755), 10-14 (288588),
15-19 (275737), 20-24 (258835), 25-29 (277016),
30-34 (276347), 35-39 (299567), 40- 44 (274792),
45-49 (229756), 50-54 (202789), 55-59 (196584),
60-64 (191689), 65-69 (172278), 70-74 (144145),
75-79 (94407), 80+ (91853)
Marriages
1990- 36310; 1995- 22150; 1996- 20443; 1997- 18796;
1998- 18486; 1999- 17868; 2000- 16906; 2001- 15764.
Divorces
1990- 12747; 1995- 10221; 1996- 11311; 1997- 11371;
1998- 11752; 1999- 11390; 2000- 10882; 2001- 11024.
Migration Immigrated: total 4694, men 2701, women 1993;
Emigrated: total 7253, men 3721, women 3532. (2001)
Ethnic groups
More than 80% Lithuanians, 8,7% Russians , 7% Poles, 1,23% Byelorussians, 0,65% Ukrainians, 0,12% Jews, 0,09% Germans, 0,09% Tatars, 0,08% Latvians, 0,07% Gipsy, 0,04% Armenians, 0,18% other.
More than one million of Lithuanians live in the United States, Canada, Australia, South America and other western countries. About 150 000 Lithuanians live in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Religions
Primarily Catholic (Roman), Russian Orthodox, Evangelical, Lutheran, Muslim, Jewish
GOVERNMENT
Government type Parliamentary democracy
Supreme authority Executive branch: President, Government (Prime-minister and the Council of ministers)
Legislative branch: the Seimas (parliament)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, Constitutional Court and Appeals Court.
Constitution Approved 25 October 1992
Municipalities 44 regional and 11 city municipalities
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
GDP
GDP (at current prices, mln Lt) 1999- 42655; 2000- 45148; 2001- 47968 (est.)
GDP in private sector 1999- 70%, 2000-72%
Employment
Employed (thous.) 1999- 1647,5; 2000-1586; 2001- 1521,8 (est.);
Unemployed 1999-148,7; 1999-204,9; 2001-223,5 (est);
Unemployment rate 1999- 8,4%; 2000-11,5%; 2001-12,5% (est)
Gross wages and salaries of employes 1999- 987 Lt; 2000- 971 Lt; 2001- 991Lt (est)
Base earnings 1999- 105Lt; 2000- 105Lt; 2001- 105Lt (est)
Average retirement pention 1999- 310Lt; 2000- 313Lt; 2001- 318Lt (est)
Inflation
Comparing to December of the previous year 1999- 0,3; 2000- 1,4; 2001- 2,0 (est)
Foreign trade
Export (milion Lt) 1999- 12015; 2000- 15238; January-July 2002 - 10877,1
Import (million Lt) 1999- 19338; 2000- 21826; January-July 2002 - 15776,9
Foreign investment
At the beginning of period (million Lt) 1999- 8252; 2000- 9337; 2001- 39512,3 (est)
at the end of period 2000- 9054; 2001- 10458,5
Foreign debt
At the end of period (million Lt) 1999- 9715; 2000- 9897,3; 2001- 9856,2
State budget
revenue (million Lt) 2000- 5781,3; 2001- 6344,7;
expenditure (million Lt) 2000- 5842,2; 2001- 6974,8;
OTHER INFORMATION
National holidays
- January 1 New Year
- February 16 Independance Day (restoration of Lithuanian State in 1918)
- March 11 Restoration of Independance of Lithuania
- March or April Easter Sunday and Monday
- May 1 International Labour Day
- 1st Sunday of May Mother's Day
- July 6 State Day (Crowning of Lithuanian king Mindaugas in 1253)
- August 15 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- November 1 All Saint's Day
- December 25-26 Christmas Day
Time GMT +2
Currency
Lithuanian litas (Lt). Comes in denomination of 10Lt, 20Lt, 50Lt, 100Lt, 200Lt and 500Lt notes; 1, 2 and 5 litas coins.
Centai - coins (worth than 1 Lt).50 ct, 20 ct, 10 ct, 5 ct, 2 ct, 1ct. Currency exchange rates>>
Telephone codes Calling to Lithuania begin from 8 or +370
Local search systems in English
Search.lt - search system and directory of Lithuanian Internet resources (Lithuanian, Russian, English, german)
Rescue
- Fire 01
- Police 02
- Ambulance 03
|
Lithuania - Country profile