Lithuania owes much to the rich cultural currents of central Europe: it once shared an empire with neighbouring Poland that stretched from the Baltic Sea almost to the Black Sea. Its capital Vilnius boasts a Baroque Old Town that is the largest in Eastern Europe and praised as the 'New Prague'.
Any country that gives pride of place to a memorial statue of singer Frank Zappa has got to be worth a visit. The Lithuanian people are regarded as much more outgoing and less organised than their Estonian and Latvian counterparts; you'll make many friends.
Full country name: Republic of Lithuania
Area: 65,200 sq km
Population: 3.59 million
Capital City: Vilnius
People: Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Byelorussian 1.6%
Language: Lithuanian, Russian
Religion: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, evangelical Christian Baptist, Islam, Judaism
Government: parliamentary democracy
Head of State: President Valdas Adamkus
Head of Government: Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas
GDP: US$30.8 billion
GDP per capita: US$8,400
Annual Growth: 4.5%
Inflation: 5.1%
Major Industries: petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, electronic components, agriculture
Major Trading Partners: Russia, Germany, Belarus, Latvia, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Finland
Member of EU: Yes
Lithuania Introduction
