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Background:
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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 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. |
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Location:
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Eastern
Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and
Russia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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56 00 N,
24 00 E |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
65,200 sq km
land: NA sq km
water: NA sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than West Virginia |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,273 km
border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km,
Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km |
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Coastline:
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99 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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transitional, between maritime and continental; wet,
moderate winters and summers |
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Terrain:
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lowland,
many scattered small lakes, fertile soil |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m |
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Natural resources:
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peat,
arable land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 45.22%
permanent crops: 0.91%
other: 53.87% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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90 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum
products and chemicals at military bases |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
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Geography - note:
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fertile
central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are
ancient glacial deposits |
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Population:
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3,596,617
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 16.1% (male 297,271/female 282,269)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 1,206,731/female
1,264,359)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 186,979/female
359,008) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
37.83 years
male: 35.25 years
female: 40.46 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.3%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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8.62
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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10.92
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.71
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
6.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.25 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 73.97 years
male: 68.94 years
female: 79.28 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.19
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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1,300
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or
unspecified 3.6% (2001 census) |
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Religions:
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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)
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Languages:
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Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%,
other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form: Lithuania
local long form: Lietuvos Respublika
local short form: Lietuva
former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Vilnius
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Administrative divisions:
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10
counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus,
Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu,
Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus |
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Independence:
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11 March
1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's
independence) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February
1918 is the date Lithuania declared its independence
from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11
March 1990 is the date it declared its independence from
the Soviet Union |
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Constitution:
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adopted
25 October 1992 |
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Legal system:
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based on
civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to
the constitutional court |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July
2004)
head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas
BRAZAUSKAS (since 3 July 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the nomination of the premier
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held 13 June 2004 and 27
June 2004 (next to be held June 2009); premier appointed
by the president on the approval of the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected
president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%,
Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members
are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by
proportional representation; members serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next
to be held October 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party -
Labor 28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and
Social Liberals) 20.7%, Homeland Union (Conservatives)
14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and
Lithuanian People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center
Union 9.1%, Union of Farmers and New Democracy 6.6%;
seats by faction - Labor 39, Homeland Union 25, Social
Democrats 20, Liberal and Center Union 18, Social
Liberals 11, Union of Farmers and New Democracy Parties
10, Liberal Democrats 10, Electoral Action 2,
independents 6 |
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
judges for all courts appointed by the President |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Electoral
Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI,
chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS
[Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor Party [Viktor
USPASKICH, chairman]; Liberal and Center Union [Arturas
ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas
MAZURONIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or
LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's
Union for a Fair Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic
Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of
the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP and the
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP; New
Democracy and Farmer's Union or VNDPS [Kazimiera
PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; Social Liberals (New Union)
[Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Union of
Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman];
Young Lithuania and New Nationalists |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT
(observer), Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Vygaudas USACKAS
chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860
FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Stephen D. MULL
embassy: 2600 Akmenu 6, Vilnius
mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC
78, Box V, APO AE 09723
telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500
FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red
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Economy - overview:
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Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most
trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998
Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11%
in 2003 to 8% in 2004. Growing domestic consumption and
increased investment have furthered recovery. 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, particularly in the energy
sector, is nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of
enterprises have been privatized. Foreign government and
business support have helped in the transition from the
old command economy to a market economy. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$45.23
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6.6%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $12,500 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 6.1%
industry: 33.4%
services: 60.5% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.63
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (1997 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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8% (2004
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 25.6% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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34 (1999)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.1%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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21.9% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $6.542 billion
expenditures: $7.121 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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25.2% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grain,
potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk,
eggs; fish |
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Industries:
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metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television
sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining,
shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles,
food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery,
optical equipment, electronic components, computers,
amber |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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12% (2004
est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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17.93
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 16.5%
hydro: 5.7%
nuclear: 77.7%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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10.17
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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6.8
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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300
million kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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4,594
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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72,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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2.76
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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2.76
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$-1.6
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$8.88
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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mineral
products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and
equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%,
foodstuffs 5% (2001) |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany
10.2%, Latvia 10.2%, Russia 9.3%, France 6.3%, UK 5.3%,
Sweden 5.1%, Estonia 5%, Poland 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8%,
Denmark 4.8%, US 4.7%, Switzerland 4.6% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$11.02
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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mineral
products 21%, machinery and equipment 17%, transport
equipment 11%, chemicals 9%, textiles and clothing 9%,
metals 5% (2001) |
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Imports - partners:
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Russia
23.1%, Germany 16.7%, Poland 7.7%, Netherlands 4% (2004)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$4.61
billion (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$10.01
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$228.5
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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litas
(LTL) |
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Currency code:
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LTL |
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Exchange rates:
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litai per
US dollar - 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002),
4 (2001), 4 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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824,200
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,169,900
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: inadequate, but is being
modernized to provide an improved international
capability and better residential access
domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable,
interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural
exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile
cellular systems are being installed; access to the
Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone
subscriber applications
international: country code - 370; landline
connections to Latvia and Poland; major international
connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine
cable for further transmission by satellite |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 29, FM
142, shortwave 1 (2001) |
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Radios:
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1.9
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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27
note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting
stations, but may have as many as 100 transmitters,
including repeater stations (2001) |
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Televisions:
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1.7
million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.lt |
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Internet hosts:
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67,769
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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32 (2001)
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Internet users:
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695,700
(2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
1,998 km
broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km
electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
77,148 km
paved: 69,202 km (including 417 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 7,946 km (2002) |
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Waterways:
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600 km
(2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 1,696
km; oil 331 km; refined products 109 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Klaipeda
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Merchant marine:
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total:
54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 296,856 GRT/317,731 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 24, chemical
tanker 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1,
refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 12)
registered in other countries: 16 (2005) |
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Airports:
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102 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
28
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 14 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
74
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 68 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Ground
Forces, Navy, Air Force, National Defense Volunteer
Forces (SKAT) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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19-45
years of age for compulsory military service, conscript
service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for
volunteers (2004) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 19-49: 830,368 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 19-49: 590,606 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
29,689 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$230.8
million (FY01) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.9%
(FY01) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 2003,
the Lithuania-Russia land and maritime boundary treaty
was ratified and a transit regime established through
Lithuania linking Russia and its Kaliningrad coastal
exclave, leaving only improvements to the border
demarcation in 2005; by 2004, a third of the
Belarus-Lithuania boundary had been demarcated; the
Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime
boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to
concerns over oil; as a member state that forms part of
the EU's external border, Lithuania must implement the
strict Schengen border rules |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs
from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe
to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of
methamphetamine and ecstasy; susceptible to money
laundering despite changes to banking legislation |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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