Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania () is a country in Eastern, often referred to as Northern Europe^[1] or in Baltic Division.^[2] 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 is a member of NATO and of the European Union. Its population is 3.4 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius.

During the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe: present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With the Lublin Union of 1569 Poland and Lithuania formed a new state, the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth lasted more than two centuries, until neighboring countries systematically dismantled it from 1772 to 1795, with the Russian Empire annexing most of Lithuania's territory. In the wake of WWI, Lithuania's Act of Independence was signed on February 16, 1918, declaring re-establishment of a sovereign state. Starting in 1940, Lithuania was occupied first by the Soviet Union then Nazi Germany. As World War II neared its end in 1944 and the Nazis retreated, the Soviet Union re-occupied Lithuania. On March 11, 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare its renewed independence.

Present-day Lithuania has one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. Lithuania became a full member of the Schengen Agreement on 21 December 2007.^[3] In 2009, Lithuania will celebrate the millennium of its name.

History

The first written mention of Lithuania is found 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 was on July 6, 1253, and the official recognition of Lithuanian statehood as the Kingdom of Lithuania.^[4]

Vytautas the Great, under his reign Lithuania reached zenith of power (17th century painting)

During the early period of Vytautas the Great (1316?1430), the state occupied the territories of present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia.^[5] By the end of the fourteenth century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe, and was also the only remaining pagan state.^[6] 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 Gediminas branch, the 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 the Teutonic Knights in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald, one of the largest battles of mediaeval Europe.

A royal crown had been bestowed upon Vytautas in 1429 by Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, but Polish magnates prevented his coronation by seizing the crown as it was being brought to him.^[7] A new attempts were made to send a crown, but a month later Vytautas died as the result of an accident.^[8]

As a result of the growing centralised power of the Grand Principality of Moscow, in 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single state called the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a member of the Commonwealth, Lithuania retained its institutions, including a separate army, currency and statutory law which was digested in three Statutes of Lithuania.^[9] 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.

The original 20 members of the Council of Lithuania after signing the Act of Independence of Lithuania, February 16, 1918

After a century of occupation, Lithuania re-established its independence on February 16, 1918. 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 Klaip?da region or Memelland). Most obviously, the Lithuanian constitution designated Vilnius as the nation's capital, even though the city itself lay within Polish territory as a result of a general election. At the time, Poles and Jews made up a majority of the population of Vilnius, with a small Lithuanian minority of only 0.8%.^[10] In 1920 the capital was relocated to Kaunas, which was officially designated the provisional capital of Lithuania. (See History of Vilnius for more details.)^[11]

In June 1940, around the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Lithuania in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.^[12][13] A year later it came under German occupation. After the retreat of the German armed forces (Wehrmacht), Lithuania was re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.

From 1944?1952 approximately 100,000 Lithuanians participated in partisan fights against the Soviet system and the Red Army. More than twenty thousand partisans ("forest brothers") were killed in those battles and many more were arrested and deported to Siberian GULAGs. Lithuanian historians view this period as a war of independence against the Soviet Union.

Map showing changes in the territory of Lithuania from the 13th century to the present day.

Forty-six years of Soviet occupation ended with the advent of perestroika and glasnost in the late 1980s. Lithuania, led by S?j?dis, 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.^[15] The last Red Army troops left Lithuania on August 31, 1993 ? even earlier than they departed from 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. Russia currently refuses to recognize the occupation of Lithuania, claiming that Lithuanians decided to join the Soviet Union voluntarily, although Russia signed a treaty with Lithuania prior to the disintegration of the USSR which acknowledged Lithuania's forced loss of sovereignty at the hands of the Soviets, thereby recognizing the occupation.

Lithuania joined the United Nations on September 17, 1991, and on May 31, 2001, it 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 NATO member, and on May 1, 2004, Lithuania joined the European Union.

Politics

Current President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus (right) meeting with Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney in Vilnius in May 2006.

The Lithuanian head of state is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. The post of president is largely ceremonial; main policy functions however include foreign affairs and national security policy. The president is also the military 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 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.

Counties, municipalities and elderates

Lithuania is subdivided into ten counties and sixty municipalities.

Counties

The counties are ruled by county governors (Lithuanian: apskrities vir?ininkas) appointed by the central government. They 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.^[18] Lithuania are divided to 10 counties:

1. Alytus County
2. Kaunas County
3. Klaip?da County
4. Marijampol? County
5. Panev??ys County
6. ?iauliai County
7. Taurag? County
8. Tel?iai County
9. Utena County
10. Vilnius County

Municipalities

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.^[19] Lithuania are divided to 70 municipalities.

Elderates

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 organise other forms of relief. ^[20] Lithuania are divided to more than 500 elderates.

Possible changes of administrative division

The current system of administrative division receives frequent criticism for being too bureaucratic and ineffective. Significant complaints have been made about the number of counties, since they do not have much power. 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.^[21] 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.^[22] 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.^[23]

Geography

Physical map of Lithuania

A cottage hotel in a rural area near Kretinga, a sign of increasingly popular agritourism.

Auk?taitija National Park near Ignalina.

Phytogeographically, Lithuania is shared between the Central European and Eastern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Lithuania can be subdivided into two ecoregions: the Central European mixed forests and Sarmatic mixed forests.

Lithuania consists of the following historical and cultural regions:

• Auk?taitija ? literally, the "Highlands"
• Samogitia (Lithuanian: ?emaitija) ? literally, the "Lowlands"
• Dz?kija (Lithuanian: Dz?kija or Dainava)
• Suvalkija (Lithuanian: Suvalkija or S?duva)
• Lithuania Minor also known as "Prussian Lithuania" ? (Lithuanian: Ma?oji Lietuva or Pr?s? Lietuva). Region was part of the Prussia since Middle Ages until 1945. Most of it today is part of Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast).

Economy

Vilnius Financial Centre

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%; 2007 — 8.8%, 2008 Q1 — 7.0% growth in GDP reflects the impressive economic development.^[24] 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,^[25] and Lithuania is expected to switch to the Euro on January 1,2010. There is gradual but consistent shift towards knowledge based economy with special emphasis on biotechnology (industrial and diagnostic), because in Lithuania there are concentrated major biotech producers in the Baltic countries, as well as laser equipment. Also mechatronics and information technology (IT) are seen as prospective knowledge based economy directions in Lithuania.

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 wealthier 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 reduction to 24% was made in October 2007. Income tax reduction and 19.1 % annual wage growth^[26] is starting to make an impact with some emigrants gradually beginning to come back.^[27] 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.

Corporate tax rate is 15%, one of the lowest in the European Union. The government offers special incentives for investments into the hi-tech sectors and high value added products.

Lithuania has the highest rating of Baltic states in the Economist Intelligence Unit?s quality of life index.

Education

According to Invest in Lithuania, Lithuania has two times more people with higher education than the EU-15 average and the proportion is the highest in the Baltic. Also, 90% of Lithuanians speak at least one foreign language and half of the population speaks two foreign languages, mostly Russian and English or Polish.^[28]

Vilnius University is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe and the largest university in Lithuania. Kaunas University of Technology is the largest technical university in the Baltic States and the second largest university in Lithuania. Other universities include Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Vytautas Magnus University, and Mykolas Romeris University.

Infrastructure

Klaip?da port is the only port in Lithuania. Vilnius International Airport is the largest airport. It served 1.7 million passengers in 2007.

Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is a Soviet-era nuclear station. Unit #1 was closed in December 2004, as a condition of Lithuania's entry into the European Union; the plant is similar to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in its lack of a robust containment structure. The remaining unit, as of 2006, supplied about 70% of Lithuania's electrical demand.^[29] Unit #2 is tentatively scheduled for closure in 2009. Proposals have been made to construct another nuclear power plant in Lithuania.

Demographics

The great yard of Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. About 70% of Lithuanian high school graduates continue their studies in universities and colleges.

Ethnic composition

The population of Lithuania stands at 3.3662 million, 84.6% of whom 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 country. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.3%), Russians (5.1%), and Belarusians (1.1%).^[30]

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 Klaip?da (28%), and a majority in the town of Visaginas (52%).^[31] About 3,000 Roma live in Lithuania, mostly in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Panev??ys; their organizations are supported by the National Minority and Emigration Department.^[32]

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.

Health and welfare

Kaunas University Hospital - the largest medical institution in Lithuania

Lithuania leads all countries in its suicide rate, 42.1 per 100,000 persons, according to World Health Organization statistics as of 2007. Lithuania is followed by Belarus (36.8) and the Russian Federation (36.2). The other Baltic states, Latvia (25.7) and Estonia (21.4), are in 9th and 13th place, respectively.^[35] The problem is most acute among middle-aged men and is growing most rapidly in rural areas.^[36]

Largest cities

City	Region	Population	Density* (/km²)	Area (km²)
Vilnius	East			401
Kaunas	Middle			157
Klaip?da	West			98
?iauliai	North			81
Panev??ys	North			52
Alytus	South			40
Marijampol?	South			21
Ma?eikiai	North			14
Jonava	Middle
Utena	East			15,1

Religion

Wooden church in Pal???. Lithuania has strong Roman Catholic traditions.

In 2005 79% of Lithuanians belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.^[37] The Church has been the majority denomination since the Christianisation of Lithuania in the end of fourteenth century and beginning of fifteenth century. Some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime (symbolised by the Hill of Crosses). Church attendance has increased since the end of the Soviet Union and the country has a high level of religious practice.

In the 16th century, protestantism started to spread from Western Europe. United reformed church organization in Lithuania's church province can be counted from the year 1557 at the Synod in Vilnius on December14th of that year. From that year the Synod met regularly forming all the church provinces of The Grand Duchy Of Lithuania, at first from two and later growing to six districts and representative district synods. The abbreviated name for the church is in Latin, Unitas Lithuaniae or in Polish, Jednota Litewska (Lithuanian church provincial union). It sent its representatives to the General Polish/Lithuanian Synods; however in it's administration it was in fact a self-governing Church. The first Superintendent was Simonas Zacijus (Szymon Zacjusz, approx 1507-1591). In 1565 the anti- Trinitarian Lithuanian Brotherhood who rejected the learning of the Trinity separated from UL. The UL parish network covered nearly all of The Grand Duchy. Its district centers were Vilnius, Kedainai, Bir?ai, Slucke, Kojdanove and Zabludove later Izabeline.

In the first half of 20th century Lutheran Protestant church had around 200,000 members, 9% of total population, although Lutheranism has declined since 1945. Small Protestant communities are dispersed throughout the northern and western parts of the country. Various Protestant churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990.^[38] 4.9% are Eastern Orthodox (mainly among the Russian minority), 1.9% are Protestant and 9.5% have no religion. The country also has minority communities of Judaism, Islam, and Karaism which make up another 1.6% of the population. According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,^[39] 12% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force" , 36% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 49% of Lithuanian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God".

Culture

The well-known angel statue which stands in the U?upis district of Vilnius.

• List of famous Lithuanians
• Lithuanian literature
• Lithuanian mythology
• Music of Lithuania
• Symbols of Lithuania

See also

• Lithuanians
• Foreign relations of Lithuania
• Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
• Lithuania national football team
• Lithuania national basketball team
• Lithuania national rugby union team
• Military of Lithuania
• Culture of Lithuania

Notes and references

External links

• Prezidentas (in Lithuanian) ? Official presidential site
• Seimas (in Lithuanian) ? Official parliamentary site
• Vyriausyb? (in Lithuanian and English) ? Official governmental site
• Statistics - Official site of Department of Statistics
• Lithuania Pages ? Sights, history, a picture gallery and a lot of links.
• Lithuania Online ? Wide collection of Lithuanian links
• www.travel.lt - The Official Lithuanian Travel Guide
• Lithuanian State Department of Tourism
• Lietuva.lt (in english) - Information about Lithuania
• Information about Lithuania
• Aerial photos of Lithuania by Marius Jovai?a

Maps and GIS

• Maps of Lithuania on Maps.lt
• Maps of Lithuania on Mapquest

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