Lithuania

noun:

Lithuanian(s)

adjective:

Lithuanian

total:

45.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

40.9 years

female:

49.2 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.53 male(s)/female

total population:

0.86 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

3.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.1 years (2024 est.)

male:

70.8 years

female:

81.7 years

total:

11.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

4.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

1.48 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

32% (2020 est.)

male:

42.1% (2020 est.)

female:

21.8% (2020 est.)

• 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

urban population:

68.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

-0.12% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

10.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

12.96 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

3.15 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.3 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

297,960 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

22.9% (2015 est.)

municipal:

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Lithuania

conventional short form:

Lithuania

local long form:

Lietuvos Respublika

local short form:

Lietuva

former:

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (while occupied by the USSR)

etymology:

meaning of the name "Lietuva" remains unclear and is debated by scholars; 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 many times, last in 2022

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, 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);
• first round held on 12 May 2024 (runoff held on 12 May 2024);
• prime minister appointed by the president, approved by Parliament

election results:

2024: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote -Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 75.6%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (TS-LKD) 24.4%; 2019: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 66.7%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (independent) 33.3%

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 13 October 2024 first round (next to be held on 27 October 2024 - second round)

election results:

• preliminary first-round results percent of vote by party - LSDP 19.4%, TS-LKD 18%, NA 15%, DSVL 9.2%, LRLS 7.7%, LVZS 7%, LLRA-KSS 6%;
• seats by party - LSDP 20, TS-LKD 18, NA 15, DSVL 8, LRLS 8, LVZS 6, LLRA-KSS 2, Independents 1

highest court(s):

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 speaker, 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

• Dawn of Nemunas or NA
• Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania or LLRA–KŠS
• Freedom and Justice Party or LT (formerly Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals))
• Freedom Party or LP
• Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD
• Labour Party or DP
• Lithuanian Center Party or LCP
• Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party or LKDP
• Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union or LVZS
• Lithuanian Green Party or LZP
• Liberals' Movement or LRLS
• Lithuanian List or LL
• Lithuanian Regions Party or LRP
• Social Democratic Party of Lithuania or LSDP
• Union of Democrats for Lithuania or DSVL

chief of mission:

Ambassador Audra PLEPYTĖ (since 7 July 2021)

chancery:

2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-5860

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-0466

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://usa.mfa.lt/usa/en/

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kara C. McDONALD (since 26 January 2024)

embassy:

Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106

mailing address:

4510 Vilnius Place, Washington DC 20521-4510

telephone:

[370] (5) 266-5500

FAX:

[370] (5) 266-5510

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://lt.usembassy.gov/

• 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

total World Heritage Sites:

5 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Vilnius Historic Center;
• Curonian Spit;
• Kernavė Archaeological Site;
• Struve Geodetic Arc;
• Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939

• high-income EU and eurozone member, largest Baltic economy;
• growth stalled due to Ukraine war impact on energy, exports, and fiscal spending for defense and refugee support;
• rebound supported by EU fund-driven investments and reduced inflation;
• structural challenges include pension reform, labor market inefficiencies, health care, and education spending

Fitch rating:

A (2020)

Moody's rating:

A3 (2015)

Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

3% (2023 est.)

industry:

24.1% (2023 est.)

services:

63.1% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

13.9% (2023 est.)

male:

16.3% (2023 est.)

female:

11.3% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

19.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

5.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.6% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

29.1% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

263,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

154,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports:

496,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

total petroleum production:

4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

68,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

12 million barrels (2021 est.)

consumption:

1.601 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports:

1.921 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports:

3.53 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

general assessment:

• Lithuania’s small telecoms market is among the more advanced in Europe, particularly given the universal access to long-term evolution (LTE) infrastructure and the extensive fiber footprint;
• Operator investment has been focused on fiber broadband and mobile network upgrades;
• Fiber is now by far the dominant fixed broadband platform, with the number of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable connections in steady decline;
• LTE services are available nationally, operators have made steady investments in 5G (2024)

domestic:

nearly 9 per 100 for fixed-line subscriptions; mobile-cellular subscriptions at 139 per 100 persons (2022)

international:

• country code - 370;
• landing points for the BCS East, BCS East-West Interlink and NordBalt connecting Lithuania to Sweden, and Latvia ;
• further transmission by satellite;
• landline connections to Latvia and Poland (2019)

• 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 ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

1

small:

0

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Butinge Oil Terminal, Klaipeda

• approximately 18,000 active-duty personnel (14,000 Army, including about 5,000 active National Defense Voluntary Forces);
• 500 Navy;
• 1,000 Air Force;
• 2,500 other, including special operations forces, logistics support, training, etc) (2024)

• 19-26 years of age for conscripted military service for men;
• 9-month service obligation;
• in 2015, Lithuania reinstated conscription after having converted to a professional military in 2008;
• 18-38 for voluntary service for men and women (2024)

note 1: Lithuania conscripts up to 4,000 males each year; conscripts are selected using an automated lottery system

note 2: as of 2020, women comprised about 12% of the military's full-time personnel

refugees (country of origin):

41,490 (Ukraine) (as of 11 March 2024)

stateless persons:

2,720 (2022)