Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. 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.

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

slightly larger than West Virginia

transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

peat, arable land, amber

contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases

fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits

Lithuanian 84%, Polish 6.1%, Russian 4.9%, Belarusian 1.1%, other or unspecified 3.9% (2009)

Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

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)

3,525,761 (July 2012 est.)

9.34 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

11.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

VILNIUS (capital) 546,000 (2009)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.27 children born/woman (2012 est.)

3.664 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

6.84 beds/1,000 population (2008)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

parliamentary democracy

10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus

11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

adopted 25 October 1992; last amended 25 April 2006

civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members elected in single-member districts, 70 elected by proportional representation; members to serve four-year terms)

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the president, with Seimas approval required for judges on the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court

Christian Party or KP [Gediminas VAGNORIUS]; Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas MATULEVICIUS]; Democratic Labor and Unity Party or DDVP [Kristina BRAZAUSKIENE]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]; Emigrants Party or EP [Juozas MURAUSKAS]; Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Andrius KUBILIUS]; Labor Party or DP [Viktor USPASKICH]; Liberal and Center Union or LCS [Algis CAPLIKAS]; Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Eligijus MASIULIS]; Lithuanian People's Party or LLP [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE]; Lithuanian People's Party or LZP [Joana SIMANAUSKIENE]; Lithuanian Russian Union or LRS [Sergejus DMITRIJEVAS]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS]; Nationalist Union or TS [Gintaras SONGAILA]; Order and Justice Party or TT [Rolandas PAKSAS]; Peasant and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]; Republican Party or RP [Valdemaras VALKIUNAS]; Russian Alliance or RA [Tamara LOCHANKINA]; Socialist People's Front or SLF [Algirdas PALECKIS]; Way of Courage or DK [Jonas VARKALA]; YES-Homeland Revival and Perspective or YES Union or TAIP Union or TAIP [Arturas ZUOKAS]; Young Lithuania Party or PJL [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS]

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red; yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as the sun, light, and goodness; green represents the forests of the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope; red stands for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland

mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser)

Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Despite Lithuania's EU accession, Lithuania's trade with its Central and Eastern European neighbors, and Russia in particular, accounts for a significant share of total trade. Foreign investment and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy. Lithuania's economy grew on average 8% per year for the four years prior to 2008 driven by exports and domestic demand. However, GDP plunged nearly 15% in 2009 - the three former Soviet Baltic republics were among the hardest hit by the 2008-09 financial crisis. The government's efforts to attract foreign investment, develop export markets, and to pursue broad economic reforms has been key to Lithuania's quick recovery from a deep recession making Lithuania one of the fastest growing economies in the EU. However, unemployment - at 15.8% in 2012 - remains stubbornly high.

$64.32 billion (2012 est.)

$62.61 billion (2011 est.)

$59.13 billion (2010 est.)

$41.22 billion (2012 est.)

1.587 million (2012 est.)

17.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

31.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

-4.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

36.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

36.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

3% (31 December 2010 est.)

2.06% (31 December 2009 est.)

5.8% (31 December 2012 est.)

5.78% (31 December 2011 est.)

$12.24 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$11.72 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$19.32 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$18.74 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$22.49 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$22.84 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.075 billion (31 December 2011)

$5.661 billion (31 December 2010)

$4.477 billion (31 December 2009)

grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish

-$1.053 billion (2012 est.)

-$670 million (2011 est.)

$29.01 billion (2012 est.)

$28.06 billion (2011 est.)

mineral products 22%, machinery and equipment 10%, chemicals 9%, textiles 7%, foodstuffs 7%, plastics 7%

Russia 15.6%, Latvia 9.7%, Germany 8.9%, Poland 6.7%, Estonia 6.3%, Netherlands 5.8%, Belarus 4.8% (2011)

$31.41 billion (2012 est.)

$30.17 billion (2011 est.)

mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

Russia 32.1%, Germany 9.6%, Poland 9%, Latvia 6.5%, Netherlands 4.8% (2011)

$8.821 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$8.21 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$31.37 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$31.03 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$15.75 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$14.85 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.612 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.312 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

litai (LTL) per US dollar -

4.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)

9.2 billion kWh (2011 est.)

2.184 billion kWh (2010 est.)

8.17 billion kWh (2011 est.)

3.82 million kW (2011 est.)

53.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

25.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)

2,260 bbl/day (2009 est.)

168,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)

12 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

202,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)

70,390 bbl/day (2011 est.)

149,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)

15,670 bbl/day (2008 est.)

3.1 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

15.98 million Mt (2010 est.)

5.004 million (2011)

public broadcaster operates 3 channels with the third channel - a satellite channel - introduced in 2007; various privately-owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels; many privately-owned local TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available; publicly-owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks; many privately-owned commercial broadcasters, many with repeater stations in various regions throughout the country (2007)

1.205 million (2012)

1.964 million (2009)

gas 1,695 km; refined products 114 km (2010)

441 km (navigable year round) (2007)

Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Ground Forces (Sausumos Pajegos), Naval Forces (Karines Juru Pajegos), Air Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos), National Defense Volunteer Forces (Krasto Apsaugos Savanoriu Pajegos) (2011)

18 years of age for volunteers; 12-month conscript service obligation suspended in 2008, all enlisted conscripts ending service by July 2009 (2009)

0.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to strict Schengen border rules; boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation