Lithuania is country of Europe located in east Europe
Official Name: Republic of Lithuania
Capital: Vilnius
Total area: 65 300 km2
GDP per capita: $21,615
Native Language: Lithuanian
Government: Parliamentary republic
Population: 2,955,986
Major Religion: Roman Catholicism
Monetary Unit: Euro (EUR)
Lithuania is the southernmost of the three Baltic States - and the largest and most populous of them. Lithuania was the first occupied Soviet republic to liberate itself from the Soviet Union and restore its sovereignty with the declaration of independence on March 11, 1990.
The Lithuanian landscape is mostly flat, with some low hills in the western highlands and the eastern highlands. The highest point is Aukštasis at 294 meters. Lithuania has 758 rivers, more than 2,800 lakes and 99 km of Baltic Sea coast, most of which are used for recreation and nature conservation. Forests cover just over 30% of the country.
About 84% of the population are ethnic Lithuanians. The two largest minorities are Poles, who make up just over 6% of the population, and Russians, who make up just over 5% of the population. The Lithuanian language belongs to the family of Indo-European languages.
The capital, Vilnius, is a picturesque city on the banks of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, and the architecture in the old part of the city is among the most beautiful in Eastern Europe. Founded in 1579, Vilnius University is a Renaissance-style complex with countless courtyards, forming a city within a city.
The President of Lithuania is directly elected for a five-year term and is mainly involved in foreign and security policy. The unicameral Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members.
Perhaps Lithuania's most famous culinary export is cold beet soup. Potatoes are also regularly found on the menu, popular dishes are potato pancakes and cepelinai - potato dumplings filled with meat, quark or mushrooms.
Health & Welfare
The Lithuanian constitution of 1992 provides guarantees of social rights including paid leave for working mothers before and after child birth, old-age and disability pensions, unemployment and sick leave compensation, and free medical care.
Economy & Jobs
Oil production and refining, banking, railroad equipment, electric machinery, appliances, mining, iron, steel, chemical manufacturing, natural-gas, and electric power production.
Main Attractions
Vilnus, Curonian Spit, Druskininkai resort, Hill of Crosses, and Palanga city.
Economy
In 2003, before joining the European Union, Lithuania had the highest economic growth rate amongst all candidate and member countries, reaching 8.8% in the third quarter. In 2004 – 7.4%; 2005 – 7.8%; 2006 – 7.8%; 2007 – 8.9%, 2008 Q1 – 7.0% growth in GDP reflects the impressive economic development and as a result is often termed as a Baltic Tiger. However, 2009 marked a dramatic decline in GDP at −14.74% attributed to overheating of the economy. In 2010, the rate was 1.33%. As of June 2013, the unemployment rate is 10.4%.
Lithuania has a flat tax rate rather than a progressive scheme. In 2007, personal income tax was reduced to 24% and a reduction to 21% was made in January 2009. Lithuanian income levels are lower than in the older EU Member States. According to Eurostat data, Lithuanian PPS GDP per capita stood at 61 per cent of the EU average in 2008.
