Lithuania

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 this proclamation was not generally recognized until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently has restructured its economy for eventual integration into Western European institutions.

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

0-14 years:

18.2% (male 333,966; female 319,992)

15-64 years:

68% (male 1,184,969; female 1,265,711)

65 years and over:

13.8% (male 167,789; female 328,711) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.51 male(s)/female

total population:

0.88 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Lithuanian(s)

adjective:

Lithuanian

conventional long form:

Republic of Lithuania

conventional short form:

Lithuania

local short form:

Lietuva

former:

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form:

Lietuvos Respublika

chief of state:

President Rolandas PAKSAS (since 26 February 2003)

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 22 December 2002 and 5 January 2003 (next to be held in late 2007);
• premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament

election results:

Rolandas PAKSAS elected president; percent of vote - Rolandas PAKSAS 54.9%, Valdas ADAMKUS 45.1%

• Constitutional Court;
• Supreme Court;
• Court of Appeal;
• judges for all courts appointed by the President

• Christian Democratic Party or LKDP [Kazys BOBELIS, chairman];
• Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman];
• Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, chairman];
• Lithuanian Center Union or LCS [Kestutis GLAVECKAS, chairman];
• Lithuanian Farmer's Party or LUP [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS, chairman];
• Lithuanian Green Party [Rimantas BRAZIULIS];
• Lithuanian Liberal Union [Eugenijus GENTVILAS, chairman];
• Lithuanian Liberal Youth [Neringa MOROZAITE];
• Lithuanian National Democratic Party [Vygintas GONTIS];
• Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSPD, and New Democracy;
• Moderate Conservative Union [Gediminas VAGNORIUS];
• Modern Christian Democratic Union [Vytautas BOGUSIS, chairman];
• New Democracy and Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman];
• New Union-Social Liberals [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman];
• Young Lithuania [Arnoldas PLATELIS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Vygaudas USACKAS

consulate(s) general:

Chicago and New York

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-0466

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-5860

chancery:

2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission:

Ambassador John F. TEFFT

embassy:

2600 Akmenu 6, Vilnius

mailing address:

American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723

telephone:

[370] (2) 665-500

FAX:

[370] (2) 665-510

lowest 10%:

3%

highest 10%:

26% (1996) (1996)

• grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables;
• beef, milk, eggs;
• fish

• litai per US dollar - 3.4946 (15 October 2002), 3.4794 (1 July 2002), 4.000 (fixed rate between 1 May 1994 and 1 February 2002);
• note - litai is the plural of litas;
• effective 1 February 2002 the litas was pegged to the euro at a rate of 3.4528

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:

• landline connections to Latvia and Poland;
• major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

total:

1,998 km

broad gauge:

1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

169 km 0.750-m gauge (2001)

standard gauge:

22 km 1.435-m gauge

total:

44,000 km

paved:

35,500 km

unpaved:

8,500 km (2001)

total:

47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 279,743 GRT/304,156 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 25, combination bulk 8, petroleum tanker 2, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 3

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 13 (2002 est.)

• the Russian Duma has not ratified 1997 boundary treaty;
• the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights

• 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