Lithuania

General Information

The Republic of Lithuania is situated in northeastern Europe. The country covers an area of about 65,200 sq. km.
It is bounded by Latvia to the north; by Belarus to the east and south; by Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast to the south east; and by the Baltic Sea to the west.

The capital and largest city is Vilnius.

The official state language is Lithuanian.

The unit of currency is the litas.

Historical Background

The ancestors of Lithuanians came to the Baltic area most likely around 2500 BC. With the rise of the medieval lords in Germany and Russia, Lithuania was constantly subject to invasion and attempted conquest.

In 1569, Poland and Lithuania formed a political union - Rzeczpospolita (Commonwealth) – with a common legislature and a jointly elected sovereign.

In the late 1700s, Poland was divided among the Austrian, Russian and Prussian empires, and Lithuania was annexed by Russia.

In February 1918, Lithuania declared its independence. The country was an independent republic until 1940, when it was annexed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In 1990, Lithuania regained its independence, and in 1992 it adopted a new Constitution and held its first post-Soviet democratic elections.

Government

The head of state is a president elected by direct popular vote for a maximum of two five-year terms. With the approval of parliament, the president appoints a prime minister. The president also appoints members of the Council of Ministers on the nomination of the prime minister.

The legislature is a unicameral Seimas composed of 141 members elected for a four-year term. 71 seats in parliament are determined by direct popular vote in single member districts, while the remaining seats are allocated on a proportional basis.

The judicial system consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and district and local courts.

Lithuania is administratively divided into 10 counties, which are subdivided into 44 regions and 11 municipalities.

Population

In 2006, the population of Lithuania was estimated at 3,4 mln.

An average population density is 55 persons per sq. km.

Some 69 percent of the population reside in urban areas.

Ethnic Lithuanians constitute about 83,4 percent of the population. The remainder comprises Poles (7 percent), Russians (6 percent), Belarusians (1 percent), Ukrainians (0,7 percent), and Jews (0,1 percent).

More than 80 percent of Lithuanians are Roman Catholics.

Economy

Service sector, which includes trade and financial activities, makes the biggest share of Lithuania's economy.

Forestry and fishing along with agriculture are important economic activities. Agriculture is dominated by livestock breeding and dairy farming. The principal crops are potatoes, grains such as barley and wheat, and sugar beets.

Industry, including manufacturing and construction, contributes a lot to Lithuania's economy. The most important manufactures are processed foods, petroleum products, textiles, clothing, and beverages.

Leading exports are machinery and transportation equipment, mineral fuels and metals, and consumer goods. The EU countries are Lithuania's main trading partners for both imports and exports. Other leading customers for exports are Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, and Russia.

Social System

School attendance is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. State-run educational institutions provide free education at all levels.

Vilnius University (founded in 1579) is the most prestigious of Lithuania's institutions of higher learning.

The state provides a comprehensive system of social benefits.

Membership in International Organisations

Lithuania is a member of the United Nations and a number of its specialised agencies (UN High Commissioner for Refugees, International Labour Organisation, UNESCO, World Health Organisation, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and International Monetary Fund), the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

It is a full member of the International Organisation for Migration.

Lithuania is a member of the World Trade Organisation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

In April 2004, the country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

In 1995, Lithuania applied to join the European Union (EU) and entered into negotiations for full EU membership in February 2000. In May 2004, Lithuania and nine other countries joined the EU as full members.

Lithuania's relations with its Baltic neighbours, Latvia and Estonia, are co-ordinated through the Baltic Assembly, a consultative interparliamentary body created in 1991.

Legislation on Migration and Asylum

The migration and asylum issues are regulated by the following laws:

• Law on Legal Status of Aliens, No. IX 2206, (2004)
• Law on Citizenship, No IX 1078 (2002)

Participation in International and Regional Initiatives

Lithuania participates in the following international and regional initiatives in the field of asylum, migration and border management:

• The Budapest Process
• The International Border Guard Conference (The Siófok Process)
• The Council of the Baltic Sea States
• The Söderköping process
• The Northern Dimension
• The Regional Competence Development Network

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2011