Lithuania

• water pollution;
• air pollution;
• deforestation;
• threatened animal and plant species;
• chemicals and waste materials released into the environment contaminate soil and groundwater;
• soil degradation and erosion

noun:

Lithuanian(s)

adjective:

Lithuanian

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.8 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.52 male(s)/female

total population:

0.86 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2020)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis

conventional long form:

Republic of Lithuania

conventional short form:

Lithuania

local long form:

Lietuvos Respublika

local short form:

Lietuva

former:

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

meaning of the name "Lietuva" remains unclear; it may derive from the Lietava, a stream in east central Lithuania

name:

Vilnius

geographic coordinates:

54 41 N, 25 19 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology:

named after the Vilnia River, which flows into the Neris River at Vilnius; the river name derives from the Lithuanian word "vilnis" meaning "a surge"

• 16 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia and Germany);
• 11 March 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union);
• 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union);
• notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date);
• 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

• Independence Day (or National Day), 16 February (1918);
• note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia and Germany;
• 11 March 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Lithuanian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union

history:

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992, entered into force 2 November 1992

amendments:

• proposed by at least one fourth of all Parliament members or by petition of at least 300,000 voters;
• passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of two readings three months apart and a presidential signature;
• amendments to constitutional articles on national sovereignty and constitutional amendment procedure also require three-fourths voter approval in a referendum;
• amended 1996, 2003, 2006

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Lithuania

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

President Gitanas NAUSEDA (since 12 July 2019)

head of government:

Prime Minister Ingrida SIMONYTE (since 24 November 2020)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, and approved by Parliament

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 12 and 26 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024);
• prime minister appointed by the president, approved by Parliament

election results:

• Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round;
• percent of vote - Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 66.7%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (independent) 33.3%;
• Saulius SKVERNELIS (LVZS) approved as prime minister by Parliament vote - 90 to 4

description:

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 70 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 11 and 25 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - TS-LKD 50, LVZS 32, LSDP 13, LRLS 13, Freedom 11, DP 10, AWPL 3, LSDDP 3, LT 1, Greens 1, independent 4;
• composition - men 103, women 38, percent of women 27%

highest courts:

Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas;
• judges serve 5-year renewable terms;
• Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Seimas from nominations - 3 each by the president of the republic, the Seimas chairperson, and the Supreme Court president;
• judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms;
• one-third of membership reconstituted every 3 years

subordinate courts:

Court of Appeals; district and local courts

• Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]
• Farmers and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]
• Freedom Party or LP [Ausrine ARMONAITE]
• Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS]
• Labor Party or DP [Viktor USPASKICH]
• Lithuanian Center Party or LCP [Naglis PUTEIKIS]
• Lithuanian Green Party or LZP [Remigijus LAPINSKAS]]
• Lithuanian Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Viktorija CMILYTE]
• Lithuanian List or LL [Darius KUOLYS]
• Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Gintautas PALUCKAS]
• Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party or LSDDP [Gediminas KIRKILAS]
• Freedom and Justice Party or LT [Remigijus ZEMAITAITIS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Rolandas KRISCIUNAS (since 17 September 2015)

chancery:

2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-5860

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-0466

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Robert S. GILCHRIST (since 4 February 2010)

telephone:

[370] (5) 266-5500

embassy:

Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106

mailing address:

American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106

FAX:

[370] (5) 266-5510

• three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red;
• yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as the sun, light, and goodness;
• green represents the forests of the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope;
• red stands for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland

name:

"Tautiska giesme" (The National Song)

lyrics/music:

Vincas KUDIRKA

note: adopted 1918, restored 1990; written in 1898 while Lithuania was a part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990

Fitch rating:

A (2020)

Moody's rating:

A3 (2015)

Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2020)

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

agriculture:

9.1%

industry:

25.2%

services:

65.8% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

28.8% (2015)

• public broadcaster operates 3 channels with the third channel - a satellite channel - introduced in 2007;
• various privately owned commercial TV broadcasters operate national and multiple regional channels;
• many privately owned local TV stations;
• multi-channel cable and satellite TV services available;
• publicly owned broadcaster operates 3 radio networks;
• many privately owned commercial broadcasters, with repeater stations in various regions throughout the country

number of registered air carriers:

3 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 50

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

26,031 (2018)

total:

1,768 km (2014)

standard gauge:

22 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

broad gauge:

1,746 km 1.520-m gauge (122 km electrified) (2014)

total:

84,166 km (2012)

paved:

72,297 km (includes 312 km of expressways) (2012)

unpaved:

11,869 km (2012)

total:

58

by type:

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 21, oil tanker 2, other 32 (2019)

major seaport(s):

Klaipeda

oil terminal(s):

Butinge oil terminal

LNG terminal(s) (import):

Klaipeda

• Lithuanian Armed Forces (Lietuvos Ginkluotosios Pajegos): Land Forces (Sausumos Pajegos), Naval Forces (Karines Juru Pajegos), Air Forces (Karines Oro Pajegos), Special Operations Forces (Specialiuju Operaciju Pajegos);
• National Defense Volunteer Forces (Savanoriu Pajegos);
• National Riflemen's Union (paramilitary force that acts as an additional reserve force) (2020)

• estimates for the Lithuanian Armed Forces vary;
• approximately 17,000 active duty personnel (12,500 Army, including about 5,000 National Defense Voluntary Forces; 700 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 3,000 other, including special operations forces, logistics support, training, etc);
• est. 11,000 Riflemen Union (2020)

• the Lithuanian Armed Forces' inventory is mostly a mix of Western weapons systems and Soviet-era equipment (primarily aircraft and helicopters);
• Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of armaments to Lithuania since 2010 (2019 est.)

• contributes about 350 troops to the Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine joint military brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG), which was established in 2014;
• the brigade is headquartered in Warsaw and is comprised of an international staff, three battalions, and specialized units (2019)

• 19-26 years of age for conscripted military service (males);
• 9-month service obligation;
• in 2015, Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in 2008;
• 18-38 for voluntary service (male and female) (2019)

• Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999;
• Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to strict Schengen border rules;
• boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania;
• as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation

• transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries;
• growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines;
• susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation