Lithuania is a Baltic country in Central/Eastern Europe. It has a Baltic Sea coastline in the west and surrounded by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland to the southwest, and Russia (Kaliningrad) to the west.
Regions
; Administrative divisions : 10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipėdos, Marijampolės, Panevėžio, Šiaulių, Tauragės, Telšių, Utenos, Vilniaus
Cities
Ports and harbors
Other destinations
Understand
Climate
Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
Terrain
Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil. The fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits.
; Highest point : Juozapines mountain 292 m, about 30 km southeast of Vilnius lies just off the main highway to Minsk and within sight of the Belarus border.
History
Lithuania was a huge feudal country in middle ages, in 1569 entered an union with Poland to form a commonwealth.
Lithuania was part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Polish Partitions in the 18th. century when it became part of the Russian Empire.
; 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
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).
; Independence : 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)
; Constitution : adopted 25 October 1992
The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently has restructured its economy for eventual integration into Western European institutions.
Get in
As Lithuania is a member of the European Union, citizens from these countries do not need a visa and can enter Lithuania with a valid passport or a valid identity card. Full list of countries whose nationals do not require visa is here: .
By plane
Most airlines arrive at main Vilnius international airport and smaller seaside Palanga airport, while no-frills carriers (Ryanair and Wizzair) land in Kaunas airport.
Majority of flights are operated by http://www.flylal.lt/ and http://www.airbaltic.com/
For destinations in Northern Lithuania Riga airport is an attractive option.
By train
There are train connections to Vilnius from Warsaw, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Minsk, Riga and Kaliningrad.
By car
Major "via Baltica" road links Kaunas to Warsaw and Riga/Tallinn. The Baltic road, which links Vlinius to Tallinn, was just reconstructed. It is a very easy and pleasant route.
By bus
By boat
There are several passenger/car ferries from Klaipeda to Sweden, Germany, Poland. See http://www.krantas.lt/
Get around
By train
Litrail has services to major cities in Lithuania. Fares are low compared to Western Europe: Vilnius-Kaunas ~11 Litas, Vilnius-Klaipeda ~40 Litas, Sestokai (Lithuanian-Polish border) - Kaunas ~11 Litas.
Narrow Gauge Railway in Anyksciai offers short trips to a near-by lake. In summer it runs on regular schedule, rest of the time tours must be booked in advance.
By thumb
Hitchhiking in Lithuania is generally good. Get to the outskirts of the city, but before cars speed up to the highway speeds. The middle letter on the older licence plates (with Lithuanian flag) of the three letter code usually corresponds with the city of registration (L for Klaipeda). Newer licence plates (with EU flag) are not bound to city of registration in any way.
By Bus
Buses operate regularly between the main centres as well as the regional centres. Kautra operates a number of routes out of Kaunas with the cost of ~20-30 Litas for most journeys.
Other companies with intercity routes worth to mention are Toks (from Vilnius) and Busturas (from Siauliai). For students with Lithuanian student id, bus companies grant 50% discount around the year with the exception of July and August.
In addition to common busses, there are minibuses which usually operate express routes. For schedules, consult
By Taxi
Taxis are run on a metre and can be booked by the phone numbers shown on the door of the taxi,. Taxi's are relatively cheap compared to western Europe. Beware however, some companies may not be as safe as others, common sense will keep you safe in this regard. "Taking the long way round" used to be common but had nearly been irradicated, western Europeans may still find themselves taking the scenic route, don't worry though, the maximum that this will add is a few litas. It is customary to give a small tip at the end of your journey.
It's usually cheaper to order a taxi by phone instead of taking one in the street, especially in bus stations or airports.
Talk
The official language of Lithuania is Lithuanian, making up one of only two languages on the Baltic branch of the Indo-European family. Despite the kinship of Lithuanian to many other European languages, the archaic nature of its grammar makes it hard for foreigners unfamiliar with the language even to form basic sentences. Russian is spoken almost universally by the older generation, whilst the younger generation is becoming more and more proficient in English. Polish and, to a lesser extent, German are also spoken in some places for historical reasons. Lithuanians are always eager for an opportunity to practise their English, but those who learn a few basic phrases of the local language are always amply awarded with good will and appreciation for their efforts.
Buy
Vilnius recently became a shopper's paradise when plenty of massive shopping centres were opened all over the city. Akropolis is one of them and definitely worth visiting, as it houses an ice track, bowling lanes and a cinema.
Eat
Lithuanian dinners usually include meat, potato and a curd sauce of some sort. Case in point: the cepelinai, or zeppelin, which is a meat or cheese-filled potato zeppelin slathered in dairy. Needless to say, vegans will have a hard time eating out.
Many restaurants have menus in English and Russian. Though use caution as sometimes menus in other languages may have inflated prices.
Drink
Lithuania is a beer drinking country, with the most famous brands being Svyturys, Kalnapilis, Utenos and Gubernija. Compared to other European countries, beer is usually affordable, in shops approx. 0.50 to 1 € a litre, in bars approx. 1 to 1.50 € per half litre(beer is sold by the half or full litre). The beer tastes excellent, putting global brands to shame and it can be said that Lithuanian lager is of at least equal quality to Czech and Slovak lager.
In addition to beer, rather cheap but high quality vodka is consumed, but not to the extent usually associated with this part of the world. Also, every region has its own home-made speciality of which "Samane" is most famous/notorious.
For tourists, quality sparkling wines, such as Alita or Mindaugas, and local liqueurs are popular choices to bring back home.
In shops and cafés different tea and coffee qualities are widely available. The selection in coffee ranges from northern European brands to French ones. In coffee houses, you should expect to pay up to 1.50 € for your coffee. Some cafés offer also a variety of special coffees with more or less special prices. Tea is usually sold at 50% of the price of coffee.
A law banning smoking in cafés, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, discotheques and other public establishments was passed in May 2006, and came into effect on January 1 2007.
Stay safe
In general, Lithuania is a safe country. But you should take basic safety measures: try to avoid showing big sum of money, visiting potentially dangerous neighbourhoods at night, etc.
Respect
Lithuanians are not Russians, nor even Slavic. They are a distinct nationality and speak their own language (Lithuanian). Thinking that Lithuanians are Russians, or speaking in Russian, is insulting to many Lithuanians as Lithuania was under Russian occupation for many years. You should also try to remember that the Lithuanian capital is Vilnius, not Riga, which is the capital of neighbouring Latvia. This mistake is not as insulting, because Lithuanians and Latvians have always had good relations, but it is a frequent mistake and tends to annoy locals.
Lithuania (Lietuva), officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika), is a country in northern Europe. Situated along the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest. Lithuania has been a member state of the European Union since 1 May, 2004.
History
Lithuania entered into European history when it was first mentioned in a medieval German manuscript, the Quedlinburg Chronicle, on 14 February, 1009. The Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas in 1236, and neighbouring countries referred to it as "the state of Lithuania". The official coronation of Mindaugas as King of Lithuania, on July 6, 1253, and the official recognition of Lithuanian statehood as the Kingdom of Lithuania.
During the early period of the Gediminas (1316-1430), the state occupied the territories of present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia. By the end of the fourteenth century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched across a substantial part of Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Lithuanian nobility, city dwellers and peasants accepted Christianity in 1386, following Poland's offer of its crown to Jogaila, the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Grand Duke Jogaila was crowned King of Poland on February 2, 1386. Lithuania and Poland were joined into a personal union, as both countries were ruled by the same Jagiellon dynasty.
In 1401, the formal union was dissolved as a result of disputes over legal terminology, and Vytautas, the cousin of Jogaila, became the Grand Duke of Lithuania. Thanks to close cooperation, the armies of Poland and Lithuania achieved a great victory over Teutonic Knights in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald, the biggest battle in medieval Europe.
A royal crown had been bestowed upon Vytautas in 1429 by Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, but Polish magnates prevented the coronation of Vytautas by seizing the crown as it was being brought to him. A new crown was ordered in Germany and a new date set for the coronation, but a month later Vytautas died in an accident.
As a result of the growing centralised power of the Grand Principality of Moscow, in 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a member of the Commonwealth, Lithuania retained its sovereignty and its institutions, including a separate army, currency, statutory law which was digested in three Statutes of Lithuania. In 1795, the joint state was dissolved by the third Partition of the Commonwealth, which forfeited its lands to Russia, Prussia and Austria, under duress. Over ninety percent of Lithuania was incorporated into the Russian Empire and the remainder into Prussia.
After a century of occupation, Lithuania re-established its independence on February 16, 1918. The titular monarchy of the Monaco-born King Mindaugas II, the official government from July through November 1918, was quickly replaced by a republican government. From the outset, the newly-independent Lithuania's foreign policy was dominated by territorial disputes with Poland (over the Vilnius region and the Suvalkai region) and with Germany (over the Klaipėda region, German: Memelland). Most obviously, the Lithuanian constitution designated Vilnius as the nation's capital, even though the city itself lay within Polish territory. At the time, Poles and Jews made up a majority of the population of Vilnius, with a small Lithuanian minority of only 1%. Such demographic obstacles were the legacy of the Russian occupation of Lithuania from the early 19th century onward and the attendant purges, which reduced the population of ethnic Lithuanians throughout the country, and most especially within Vilnius. In 1939 the capital was relocated to Kaunas, which was officially designated the temporary capital of Lithuania. (see History of Vilnius for more details).
In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Lithuania in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. A year later it came under German occupation, during which around 190,000 or 91% of the Lithuanian Jews were killed, one of the highest total mortality rates of the Holocaust. After the retreat of the Wehrmacht, Lithuania was re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944 .
During the Soviet and Nazi occupations between 1940 and 1954, Lithuania lost over 780,000 residents. An estimated 120,000 to 300,000 of that number were killed or exiled to Siberia by the Soviets, while others chose to emigrate to western countries.
Fifty years of communist rule ended with the advent of perestroika and glasnost in the late 1980s. Lithuania, led by Sąjūdis, an anti-communist and anti-Soviet independence movement, proclaimed its renewed independence on March 11, 1990. Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to do so, though Soviet forces unsuccessfully tried to suppress this secession. The Red Army attacked the Vilnius TV Tower on the night of January 13, 1991, an act that resulted in the death of 13 Lithuanian civilians. The last Red Army troops left Lithuania on August 31, 1993 — even earlier than they departed East Germany
On February 4, 1991, Iceland became the first country to recognize Lithuanian independence. Sweden was the first to open an embassy in the country. The United States of America never recognized the Soviet claim to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Lithuania joined the United Nations on September 17, 1991. On May 31, 2001, Lithuania became the 141st member of the World Trade Organization. Since 1988, Lithuania has sought closer ties with the West, and so on January 4, 1994, it became the first of the Baltic states to apply for NATO membership. On March 29, 2004, it became a full and equal NATO member and on May 1, 2004, Lithuania joined the European Union.
Politics
Since Lithuania declared independence on March 11, 1990, it has kept strong democratic traditions. In the first general elections after the independence on October 25, 1992, 56.75% of the total number of voters supported the new constitution. Drafting the constitution was a long and complicated process. The role of the President fuelled the most heated debates. Drawing from the interwar experiences, politicians made many different proposals ranging from strong parliamentarism to the United States' model. Eventually a compromise semi-presidential system was agreed upon.
The Lithuanian head of state is the President, elected directly for a five-year term; he or she may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The post of President is largely ceremonial with functions of overseeing foreign affairs and national security policy. The President is also the commander-in-chief. The President, with the approval of the parliamentary body, the Seimas, also appoints the prime minister and on the latter's nomination, appoints the rest of the cabinet, as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts. The judges of the Constitutional Court (Konstitucinis Teismas), who serve for nine year terms, are appointed by the President (three judges), the Chairman of the Seimas (three judges) and the chairman of the Supreme Court (three judges).
The unicameral Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members who are elected to four-year terms. 71 of the members of this legislative body are elected in single constituencies, and the other 70 are elected in a nationwide vote by proportional representation. A party must receive at least 5% of the national vote to be represented in the Seimas.
Administration
The current administrative division was established in 1994 and modified in 2000 to meet the requirements of the European Union. Lithuania has a three-tier administrative division: the country is divided into 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular — apskritis, plural — apskritys) that are further subdivided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: singular — savivaldybė, plural — savivaldybės) which consist of over 500 elderates (Lithuanian: singular — seniūnija, plural — seniūnijos).
The counties are ruled by county governors (Lithuanian: apskrities viršininkas) who are appointed by the central government. These officials ensure that the municipalities adhere to the laws of Lithuania and the constitution. County government oversees local governments and their implementation of the national laws, programs, and policies.
Municipalities are the most important unit. Some municipalities are historically called "district municipalities", and thus are often shortened to "district"; others are called "city municipalities", sometimes shortened to "city." Each municipality has its own elected government. In the past, the election of municipality councils occurred once every three years, but it now takes place every four years. The council elects the mayor of the municipality and other required personnel. The municipality councils also appoint elders to govern the elderates. There is currently a proposal for direct election of mayors and elders, however that would require an amendment to the constitution.
Elderates are the smallest units and they do not play a role in national politics. They were created so that people could receive necessary services close to their homes; for example, in rural areas the elderates register births and deaths. They are most active in the social sector: they identify needy individuals or families and distribute welfare or organize other forms of relief.
The current system of administrative division receives frequent criticism for being too bureaucratic and ineffective. Significant complaints are made about the number of counties, since they do not have much power vested in them. One proposal is to create four lands, a new administrative unit, the boundaries of which would be determined by the ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The benefit would be that the lands would follow natural boundaries, rather than being defined by bureaucrats or politicians. Another of the proposed solutions involves reducing the number of counties so that there would be five in total, each based in one of the five largest cities with populations of over 100,000. Others complain that elderates have no real power and receive too little attention; they could potentially become local initiative communities which could tackle many rural problems.
Geography
Lithuania is situated in northern Europe. It has around 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) of sandy coastline, of which only about 38 kilometres (24 mi) face the open Baltic Sea; the rest of the coast is sheltered by the Curonian sand peninsula. Lithuania's major warm-water port, Klaipėda, lies at the narrow mouth of the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuanian: Kuršių marios), a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad. The main river, the Neman River, and some of its tributaries carry international shipping vessels.
The Lithuanian landscape has been smoothed by glaciers. The highest areas are the moraines in the western uplands and eastern highlands, none of which are taller than 300 metres (1,000 ft) above sea level, with the maximum elevation being Aukštojas Hill at 294 metres (964 feet). The terrain features numerous lakes, Lake Vištytis for example, and wetlands; a mixed forest zone covers 30% of the country. The climate lies between maritime and continental, with wet, moderate winters and summers. According to one geographical computation method, Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, lies only a few kilometres south of the geographical centre of Europe.
Lithuania consists of the following historical and cultural regions:
Economy
In 2003, prior to joining the European Union, Lithuania had the highest economic growth rate amongst all candidate and member countries, reaching 8.8% in the third quarter. In 2004 — 7.3%; 2005 — 7.6%; 2006 — 7.4% growth in GDP reflected impressive economic development. Most of the trade Lithuania conducts is within the European Union.
It is a member of the World Trade Organization, and the European Union. By UN classification, Lithuania is a country with a high average income. The country boasts a well developed modern infrastructure of railways, airports and four lane highways. It has almost full employment, with an unemployment rate of only 2.9%. According to officially published figures, EU membership fuelled a booming economy, increased outsourcing into the country, and boosted the tourism sector. The litas, the national currency, has been pegged to the Euro since February 2, 2002 at the rate of EUR 1.00 = LTL 3.4528, and Lithuania is expected to switch to the Euro on 1 January 2009.
Like other countries in the region (Estonia, Latvia) Lithuania also has a flat tax rate rather than a progressive scheme. Lithuanian income levels still lag behind the rest of the older EU members, with per capita GDP in 2007 at 60% of the EU average. Lower wages may have been a factor that in 2004 influenced the trend of emigration to wealthiest EU countries, something that has been made legally possible as a result of accession to the European Union. In 2006 income tax was reduced to 27% and a further reduction to 24% is expected in October of 2007. Income tax reduction and 19,1 % annual wage growth http://www.delfi.lt/news/economy/business/article.php?id=12277193 is starting to make an impact with some emigrants gradually beginning to come back. The latest official data show emigration in early 2006 to be 30% lower than the previous year, with 3,483 people leaving in four months.
Demographics
Ethnic composition
83.6% of the Lithuanian population are ethnic Lithuanians who speak the Lithuanian language (one of the two surviving members of the Baltic language group), which is the official language of the state. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.7%), Russians (6.3%), and Belarusians (1.2%).
Poles are the largest minority, concentrated in southeast Lithuania (the Vilnius region). Russians are the second largest minority, concentrated mostly in two cities; they constitute sizeable minorities in Vilnius (14%) and Klaipėda (28%) and a majority in the town of Visaginas (65%). About 3,000 Roma live in Lithuania, mostly in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Panevėžys; their organizations are supported by the National Minority and Emigration Department.
Because of Soviet occupation, most Lithuanians can communicate in Russian. According to the Eurostat poll around 80% of the Lithuanians can hold a conversation in Russian and almost all are familiar with the most general phrases and expressions. Nowadays, most Lithuanian schools teach English as a first foreign language, but students may also study German, or, in some schools, French. Schools where Russian and Polish are the primary languages of education exist in the areas populated by these minorities.
Religion
The historically predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Church has been the majority denomination since the Christianization of Lithuania in the end of fourteenth century and beginning of fifteenth century (in 1387 Lithuania, the Highland and in 1413 Samogitia, the Lowland). Today, 79% of Lithuanians are Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church used to be an influential factor in the country, and some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime and, after independence was regained, against socialism and liberalism, especially in ethical questions.
The nationally renowned anti-communist resistance shrine, the Hill of Crosses, upon which thousands of Latin rite crosses of all sizes have been placed, is located near the city of Šiauliai. Erecting Latin crosses on the hill was forbidden by the Czarist Russian Orthodox authorities in 1800s. In the twentieth century, the Soviet authorities also forbade such explicit religious symbols. The crosses were removed in 1961 with tractors and bulldozers, but despite Soviet prohibitions, Lithuanian Roman Catholics continued to put small crucifixes and larger crosses on the Hill of Crosses. Pope John Paul II visited the hill during his visit to Lithuania, primarily because it was a sign of anti-Communist Catholic resistance, as well as a Roman Catholic religious site. Lithuania was the only majority-Catholic Soviet republic.
The diverse Protestant community (1.9% of the total population) is much smaller than the Roman Catholic Church. Small Protestant communities are dispersed throughout the northern and western parts of the country. Lithuania was historically positioned between the two German-controlled states of Livonia to the north and the Protestant formerly monastic, Teutonic State of Prussia to its south. In the 16th century, from those two regions Lutheran Protestantism started to spread into the country. Since 1945 Lutheranism in the country has declined.
Various Protestant churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990, including the United Methodists, the Baptist Union, the Mennonites, and World Venture.
The country also has minority communities of Eastern Orthodoxy (mainly among the Russian minority), to which about 4.9% of the total population belongs, as well as of Judaism, Islam, and Karaism (an ancient offshoot of Judaism represented by a long-standing community in Trakai), which together make up another 1.6% of the population.
Health and welfare
As of 2004 Lithuanian life expectancy at birth was 66 years for males and 78 for females. The infant mortality rate was 8.0 per 1,000 births. The annual population growth rate in 2004 declined by -0.5% in 2004. Less than 2% of the population live beneath the poverty line, and the adult literacy rate is 99.6%.
Lithuanians have a high suicide rate: 91.7 per 100,000 persons, the highest in the world in 2000, followed by the Russian Federation (82.5), Belarus (73.1), Latvia (68.5), and Ukraine (62.1). This problem has been studied by a number of health organizations.
Largest cities
Culture
See also
External links
Maps and GIS
