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LITHUANIA
Year of EU entry 2004
Political system Republic
Capital city Vilnius
Total area 65,000 km2
Population 3.5 million
Currency Litas |
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Overview
Lithuania is the largest and most populous of the Baltic States. It became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. The Lithuanian landscape is flat except for low hills in the western uplands and eastern highlands. The highest point is Aukštasis at 294 metres. Numerous lakes and marshes dot the terrain. A mixed forest zone covers 30% of the country. Around 80% of the population is Lithuanian, 11% Polish and 7% Russian.
The capital, Vilnius, is a picturesque city on the banks of River Vilnia. Its university, founded in 1579, is a renaissance style complex with countless inner courtyards, forming a city within the city.
The Lithuanian President, elected directly for a five-year term, oversees foreign and security policy. The unicameral Lithuanian Parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members who are elected for a four-year term. A party must receive at least 5% of the popular vote to be represented in the Seimas.
Lithuanian cuisine consists of, among other things, cold beet soup, Lithuanian sausage and potato meals, the most popular of which are potato pancakes and Cepelinai - potato dumplings stuffed with meat, curd cheese or mushrooms.
Economy
Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to 5.3% in 2005. Growing domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organisation and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatisation of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatised. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.
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