Facts about Lithuania

Area: 65,300 km2.

Location: Lithuania is a state on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

Neighbouring states: Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia.

Climate: between maritime and continental. Average temperature in July is 23°C, and average temperature in January is -4.9°C.

Landscape: Lithuania is a flat country, lowland plains make up 75% of its territory.

Language: the official language of the Republic of Lithuania is the Lithuanian language.

Population: 3,394,000.

Capital: Vilnius.

Form of government: parliamentary democracy. Head of state: President, the executive branch: Government (appointed by the President), the legislative branch: Seimas (unicameral parliament, direct election).

Administrative division: the territory of Lithuania is divided into 10 counties. Counties are subdivided into 60 municipalities. Municipalities consist of 546 elderships.

Largest cities according to the population: Vilnius (553,200), Kaunas (373,700), Klaipėda (191,600), Šiauliai (132,700), Panevėžys (118,800).

Ethnic composition: Lithuanians: 83.5%, Poles: 6.7%, Russians: 6.3%, Belorussians: 1.2%, other: 2.3%. There are 115 ethnicities in total in Lithuania.

Religion: Roman Catholic Church. There are also communities of Eastern Orthodox Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evangelical Reformation Church, Old Believers, Judaism, Islam, and others.

Life expectancy: average life expectancy for Lithuanians: 71 years; men: 66, women: 77.

National currency: litas (Lt). 3.4528 Lt = 1 euro.

Independence:

• declared: 16 February 1918
• restored: 11 March 1990

Lithuania joined NATO 29 March 2004, and on 1 May 2004 it became a member state of the EU.

Coat of Arms and Flag:

             

Public Holidays:

• January 1: New Year’s Day
• February 16: Day of Reestablishment of the State of Lithuania (1918)
• March 11: Day of Restitution of Independence of Lithuania (from the Soviet Union, 1990)
• Easter (First Sunday and Monday of spring with full moon)
• May 1: International Labour Day
• June 24: St John‘s Feast (Midsummer)
• July 6: Statehood Day (Coronation of Mindaugas)
• August 15: Assumption Day (Žolinė)
• November 1: All Saints’ Day
• December 25 and 26: Christmas