Lithuania
Official Country Name
Lithuania
Lithuania Overview
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.
Lithuania Economy
Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has grown rapidly since rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment was down 3.7% in 2006, while wages grew 17.6% contributing to rising inflation. Exports and imports continue to grow strongly, and the current account deficit rose to more than 10% of GDP in 2006. 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 is nearly complete. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy, but foreign direct investment declined in 2006.
Lithuania Location
Lithuania is located in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
Region
Lithuania is located in Europe
Lithuania Population
Lithuania has population of 3,585,906 (July 2006 est.)
Lithuania Climate
Lithuania has transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
Lithuania Terrain
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
Lithuania Natural Resources
peat, arable land, amber
Ethnic Groups in Lithuania
Lithuania has the following ethnic groups - Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)
Lithuania 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)
Lithuania Languages
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
Lithuania Capital
Lithuania capital is Vilnius
Lithuania Currency
Lithuania currency is litas
Map of Lithuania
