Basic Country Data
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…a Northeastern European country which combines what is regarded as Scandinavian - clean, orderly, progressive, natural and attractive, as well as what is regarded as Eastern European – new, rapidly developing, on the rise, and as yet undiscovered. Sometimes called a Northern, and sometimes an Eastern European country, Lithuania is an authentic combination of Northern and Eastern features.
…extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and was the largest country in Europe in the 15th century. By the end of the 14th century the Grand Duchy of Lithuania occupied the territories of present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia, and not because of conquest but because of diplomacy and inclusiveness.
… was the last pagan state in Europe to accept Christianity. Lithuania officially adopted Christianity in 1387.
…turned 1000 years old in 2009. Lithuania entered European history when it was first mentioned in a medieval German manuscript, the Quedlinburg Chronicle, on 14 February 1009.
...has unique, unspoilt nature with 22,000 rivers and rivulets, about 3,000 lakes, a clean seaside and 4 UNESCO World Heritage masterpieces. Lithuania is sometimes called “the land of lakes” and attracts tourists looking for a vacation in the clean and calm countryside. Also, the country welcomes those who want to explore unique natural as well as urban treasures and the deeply rooted Baltic culture and customs.
…is the European Union’s prime transport centre. The European Union has recognized Lithuania as the prime transport centre in the region linking the EU with the East.
…is known as a homeland of talented basketball players. For millions of people all over the world, it was precisely basketball that put the name of Lithuania on the map together with its star players such as Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and others. In the relatively short history of Lithuanian basketball (the first basketball game took place in 1922), the men's national team won three Olympic bronze medals, was three times the European champion, and once earned the European silver.
Lithuania is an independent democratic republic. In Lithuania, the powers of the state are exercised by the Seimas (Parliament), the President, the Government, and the Judiciary.
Lithuania has common borders with Latvia in the north (588 km), Belarus in the south-east (653 km), Poland in the south-west (104 km), and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation, also in the south-west (249 km).
Size & Territory
Lithuania is the largest of the 3 Baltic States in terms of population, territory, and economy. Its territory of 65,300 sq km is larger than that of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, or Switzerland. 70% of its lowland plains and hilly uplands are arable and 28% are forested. Lithuania’s 722 rivers, more than 2,800 lakes, and 99 km of the Baltic Sea coastline are mostly devoted to recreation and nature preservation.
Major Cities
The capital, Vilnius (population ~556,000); Kaunas (~358,000); Klaipėda (~186,000); Šiauliai (~128,000), and Panevėžys (~115,000).
Population
Lithuania has the largest population of the three Baltic States, ~3.4 million (83.5% are ethnic Lithuanians, 6.7% Polish, 6.3% Russians, and 3.5% of other nationalities).
Religion
Mostly Roman Catholic. Other religions include Russian Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran, Judaic, etc.
State Language
Lithuanian is closely related to the old Sanskrit and belongs to the Baltic family of Indo-European languages.
Currency
Time
Lithuania is in the Central European Time Zone: GMT+2 hours (+3 hours summer time). When it is noon in Vilnius, it is 11:00 am in Stockholm and Frankfurt, 10:00 am in London and 5:00 am in New York.
Maritime/continental. Average July temperature +23°C; January - 5°C.
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National Flag
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Historical Highlights
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1009 |
Lithuania is first mentioned in the Annales Quedlinburgenses (Millennium celebration in 2009). |
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1253 |
The Lithuanian Kingdom is founded. |
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XIV - XV cent. |
The territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania extended to the Black Sea. |
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1569 |
Lithuania merges with Poland and forms a federal state. |
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1795 |
Lithuania is incorporated into the Russian Empire. |
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16 February 1918 |
The Council of Lithuania adopts a resolution on the restoration of the independent state of Lithuania with the capital based in Vilnius. |
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1920-1939 |
Poland occupies Eastern Lithuania and the country’s capital Vilnius. |
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1940 |
Lithuania is occupied by the Soviet Union. |
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1941-1944 |
Lithuania is occupied by the Nazi Germany. |
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1944 |
Renewed Soviet occupation, tens of thousands flee to the West, mass deportations to Siberia, armed resistance by Lithuanian freedom fighters till 1953. |
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11 March 1990 |
Lithuania re-establishes its independence, the first Soviet republic to do so. |
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17 September 1991 |
Lithuania is admitted into the United Nations. |
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4 January 1994 |
Lithuania becomes the first Baltic State to apply for NATO membership. |
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31 May 2001 |
Lithuania is admitted into the World Trade Organisation. |
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29 March 2004 |
Lithuania is accepted into NATO. |
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1 May 2004 |
Lithuania joins the European Union. |
| 21 December 2007 | Lithuania is accepted into the Schengen area. |
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National Holidays
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Lithuanians…
... are a nation of 3.4 million who are sometimes called Northern Italians because of their emotional nature as well as open-mindedness and tolerance towards other nationalities and religions. Lithuanians are regarded as more emotional, expressive and temperamental, comparing to their Northern neighbours. Also, Lithuanians have always lived in peace with other nationalities and respected their cultures. People of 115 different ethnic backgrounds live in Lithuania. 6.7 % of the population are Polish, 6.3 % Russian, 1.2 % Belarusian, and 2.3 % are of other nationalities. Most of the population is Roman Catholic, but there are also Russian Orthodox, Evangelical Lutherans, Evangelical Reformers, Old Believers, Jews, Sunni Muslims, and Karaites.
…speak the most archaic living Indo-European language, which is closely related to Sanskrit. It is possible to compare Lithuanian and Sanskrit in such a way that even those who have not studied linguistics may observe the similarities.
ENGLISH: God gave teeth, God will give bread.
LITHUANIAN: Dievas davė dantis, Dievas duos duonos.
SANSKRIT: Devas adadat datas, Devas dat dhanas.
…are one of the best-educated and multilingual people in Central and Eastern Europe. The percentage of the Lithuanian population with a higher education is twice as high as the EU-15 average. 90% of Lithuanians speak a foreign language: every third Lithuanian speaks English, and eight Lithuanians out of 10 speak Russian. Polish is much more widespread in Lithuania than in all other EU countries. Half of the population speaks two foreign languages.
…have produced some globally significant achievements. Lithuanian pharmacy specialists created a cheaper, but no less effective, version of an existing medicine for treating cancer. Also, Lithuanian laser companies were among the first in the world to transfer fundamental research into manufacture.
Whether it’s playing jazz or spearheading the Fluxus avant-garde art movement, Lithuanians have a natural inclination for rearranging, for looking at things with fresh eyes, for coming at reality from an unusual angle. So it should not come as a surprise that Lithuanian bio scientists have invented a way of using enzymes to cut genes three times quicker than the best previously known methods.
