hidden pixel

Lithuania Information

Lithuania (i/ ˌ l ɪ θ uː ˈ eɪ n i ə / or / ˌ l ɪ θj uː ˈ eɪ n i ə /; Lithuanian: Lietuva), officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe, the largest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark. It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and a Russian exclave (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. The Lithuanians are a Baltic people, and the official language, Lithuanian, is one of only two living languages (together with Latvian) in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family.

For centuries, the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea was inhabited by various Baltic tribes. In the 1230s the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the first Lithuanian state, on 6 July 1253.[6] During the 14th century, Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the largest country in Europe: present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With the Lublin Union of 1569, Lithuania and Poland formed a voluntary two-state union, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth lasted more than two centuries, until neighboring countries systematically dismantled it from 1772 to 1795, with the Russian Empire annexing most of Lithuania's territory.

In the aftermath of World War I, Lithuania's Act of Independence was signed on 16 February 1918, declaring the re-establishment of a sovereign state. Starting in 1940, Lithuania was occupied first by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany. As World War II neared its end in 1944 and the Germans retreated, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania.

On 11 March 1990, the year before the break-up of the Soviet Union, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence. Prior to the global financial crisis of 2007–2010, Lithuania had one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. Lithuania is a member of NATO, the Council of Europe, and the European Union. Lithuania is also a full member of the Schengen Agreement.[7] The United Nations Human Development Index lists Lithuania as a "Very High Human Development" country. In 2011, Lithuania hosted the European men's basketball championship, EuroBasket 2011, and the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting.

Contents

History

Main article: History of Lithuania

Prehistoric

The first people settled in the territory of Lithuania after the last glacial period in the 10th millennium BC. Over a millennium, the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who arrived in the 3rd – 2nd millennium BC, mixed with the local population and formed various Baltic tribes. The first written mention of Lithuania is found in a medieval German manuscript, the Annals of Quedlinburg, in an entry dated 9 March 1009.[8]

Medieval

Trakai Island Castle

Initially inhabited by fragmented Baltic tribes, in the 1230s the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of Lithuania on 6 July 1253.[6] After his assassination in 1263, pagan Lithuania was a target of the Christian crusades of the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order. Despite the devastating century-long struggle with the Orders, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania expanded rapidly, overtaking former Slavic principalities of Kievan Rus'.

By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was one of the largest countries in Europe and included present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia.[9] The geopolitical situation between the west and the east determined the multicultural and multi-confessional character of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The ruling elite practiced religious tolerance and borrowed Chancery Slavonic language as an auxiliary language to the Latin for official documents.

Battle of Grunwald and Vytautas the Great in the centre

In 1385, the Grand Duke Jogaila accepted Poland's offer to become its king. Jogaila embarked on gradual christianization of Lithuania and established a personal union between Poland and Lithuania. It implied that Lithuania, the fiercely independent land, was one of the last pagan areas of Europe to adopt Christianity.

After two civil wars, Vytautas the Great became the Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1392. During his reign, Lithuania reached the peak of its territorial expansion, centralization of the state was begun, and the Lithuanian nobility became increasingly prominent in state politics. Thanks to close cooperation, the armies of Lithuania and Poland achieved a great victory over the Teutonic Knights in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald, one of the largest battles of medieval Europe.[10][11][12]

After the deaths of Jogaila and Vytautas, the Lithuanian nobility attempted to break the union between Poland and Lithuania, independently selecting Grand Dukes from the Jagiellon dynasty. But, at the end of the 15th century, Lithuania was forced to seek a closer alliance with Poland when the growing power of the Grand Duchy of Moscow threatened Lithuania's Russian principalities and sparked the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars and the Livonian War.

Modern

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was created in 1569. As a member of the Commonwealth, Lithuania retained its institutions, including a separate army, currency, and statutory laws.[13] Eventually Polonization affected all aspects of Lithuanian life: politics, language, culture, and national identity. From the mid-16th to the mid-17th centuries, culture, arts, and education flourished, fueled by the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. From 1573, the Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania were elected by the nobility, who were granted ever increasing Golden Liberties. These liberties, especially the liberum veto, led to anarchy and the eventual dissolution of the state.

During the Northern Wars (1655–1661), the Lithuanian territory and economy were devastated by the Swedish army. Before it could fully recover, Lithuania was ravaged during the Great Northern War (1700–1721). The war, plague, and famine caused the deaths of approximately 40% of the country's population.[14] Foreign powers, especially Russia, became dominant in the domestic politics of the Commonwealth. Numerous factions among the nobility used the Golden Liberties to prevent any reforms. Eventually, the Commonwealth was partitioned in 1772, 1792, and 1795 by the Russian Empire, Prussia, and Habsburg Austria.

The largest area of Lithuanian territory became part of Russian Empire. After unsuccessful uprisings in 1831 and 1863, the Tsarist authorities implemented a number of Russification policies. They banned the Lithuanian press, closed cultural and educational institutions, and made Lithuania part of a new administrative region called Northwestern Krai. These ruthless Russification policies failed owing to extensive network of book smugglers and secret Lithuanian home schooling.

After the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), when German diplomats assigned what were seen as Russian spoils of war to Turkey, the relationship between Russia and the German Empire became complicated. The Russian Empire resumed the construction of fortresses at its western borders for defence against a potential invasion from Germany in the West. On 7 July 1879 the Russian Emperor Alexander II approved of a proposal from the Russian military leadership to build the largest "first-class" defensive structure in the entire state – the 65 km2 (25 sq mi) Kaunas Fortress.[15] Between 1868 and 1914, approximately 635,000 people, almost 20% of the population, emigrated from Lithuania.[16] Large numbers of Lithuanians went to the United States in 1867–1868 after a famine.[17] A Lithuanian National Revival laid the foundations of the modern Lithuanian nation and independent Lithuania.

20th and 21st century

The original 20 members of the Council of Lithuania after signing the Act of Independence of Lithuania, 16 February 1918. Map showing changes in the territory of Lithuania from the 13th century to the present day.

During World War I, the Council of Lithuania (Lietuvos Taryba) declared the independence of Lithuania on 16 February 1918, and the re-establishment of the Lithuanian State. Lithuania's foreign policy was dominated by territorial disputes with Poland and Germany. The Vilnius Region, and Vilnius, the historical capital of Lithuania, (and so designated in the Constitution of Lithuania) were seized by the Polish army during Żeligowski's Mutiny in October 1920 and annexed two years later by Poland. For 19 years Kaunas became the Temporary capital of Lithuania. The Polish occupation of Vilnius was greatly resented by Lithuania; there were no diplomatic relations between the two states for most of the period between the two world wars.

Acquired during the Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, the Klaipėda Region was ceded to Germany after a German ultimatum in March 1939. During the interwar period, the domestic affairs of Lithuania were controlled by the authoritarian President, Antanas Smetona and his party, the Lithuanian Nationalist Union, who came to power after the coup d'état of 1926.

The Soviet Union returned Vilnius to Lithuania after the Soviet invasion of Eastern Poland in September 1939.[18] In June 1940, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Lithuania in accordance to the secret protocols of Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.[19][20] A year later the Soviet Union was attacked by Nazi Germany, leading to the Nazi occupation of Lithuania. The Nazis and their collaborators murdered around 190,000 Jews of Lithuania[21] (91% of the pre-war Jewish community) during the Holocaust.

After the retreat of the German armed forces, the Soviets re-established the annexation of Lithuania in 1944. It followed with massive deportations of citizens to Siberia,[22] complete nationalisation and collectivisation and general sovietization of everyday life. From 1944 to 1952 approximately 100,000 Lithuanian partisans fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet system. An estimated 30,000 partisans and their supporters were killed, and many more were arrested and deported to Siberian gulags. It is estimated that Lithuania lost 780,000 people during World War II.[23]

The advent of perestroika and glasnost in the late 1980s allowed the establishment of Sąjūdis, an anti-communist independence movement. After a landslide victory in elections to the Supreme Soviet, members of Sąjūdis proclaimed Lithuania's independence on 11 March 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so. The Soviet Union attempted to suppress the secession by imposing an economic blockade. Soviet troops attacked the Vilnius TV Tower and killed 14 Lithuanian civilians on the night of 13 January 1991 (January Events).[24][25] On 31 July 1991 Soviet paramilitaries killed seven Lithuanian border guards on the Belarusian border in what became known as the Medininkai Massacre.

On 4 February 1991, Iceland became the first country to recognise Lithuanian independence. After the Soviet August Coup, independent Lithuania received wide official recognition and joined the United Nations on 17 September 1991. The last Soviet troops left Lithuania on 31 August 1993 – even earlier than they departed from East Germany. Lithuania, seeking closer ties with the West, applied for NATO membership in 1994. After a transition from a planned economy to a free market one, Lithuania became a full member of NATO and the European Union in the spring of 2004 and a member of the Schengen Agreement on 21 December 2007.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Lithuania

Lithuania is located in Northern Europe. It covers an area of 65,200 km2. Thus it is roughly the same size as the American state of West Virginia, and larger, in terms of total area, than the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland.

The Geographic Centre of Europe is in Lithuania

Lithuania lies between latitudes 53° and 57° N, and mostly between longitudes 21° and 27° E (part of the Curonian Spit lies west of 21°). It has around 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) of sandy coastline, of which only about 38 kilometres (24 mi) face the open Baltic Sea and which is the shortest among the Baltic Sea countries; the rest of the coast is sheltered by the Curonian sand peninsula. Lithuania's major warm-water port, Klaipėda, lies at the narrow mouth of the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuanian: Kuršių marios), a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad. The main and largest river, the Nemunas River, and some of its tributaries carry international shipping.

Lithuania lies at the edge of North European Plain. Its landscape has been smoothed by the glaciers of the last ice age. Lithuania's terrain is an alternation of moderate lowlands and highlands; its maximum elevation is Aukštojas Hill at 294 metres (965 ft) in the eastern part of the country. The terrain features numerous lakes, Lake Vištytis for example, and wetlands; a mixed forest zone covers nearly 33% of the country. The climate ranges between maritime and continental, with wet, moderate winters and mildly hot summers.

After a re-estimation of the boundaries of the continent of Europe in 1989, Jean-George Affholder, a scientist at the Institut Géographique National (French National Geographic Institute) determined that the Geographic Centre of Europe is located at 54°54′N 25°19′E / 54.9°N 25.317°E).[26] The method used for calculating this point was that of the centre of gravity of the geometrical figure of Europe. This point is located in Lithuania, specifically 26 kilometres (16 mi) north of its capital city, Vilnius.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Lithuania Aukstaitija National Park

Lithuania's climate, which ranges between maritime and continental, is relatively mild. Average temperatures on the coast are −2.5 °C in January and 16 °C (61 °F) in July. In Vilnius the average temperatures are −6 °C (21 °F) in January and 16 °C (61 °F) in July. During the summer, 20 °C (68 °F) is common during the day while 14 °C (57 °F) is common at night; in the past, temperatures have reached as high as 30 °C (86 °F) or 35 °C (95 °F). Some winters can be very cold. −20 °C (−4 °F) occurs almost every winter. Winter extremes are −34 °C (−29 °F) in coastal areas and −43 °C (−45 °F) in the east of Lithuania.

Sand dunes of Curonian Spit (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Lithuanian countryside

The average annual precipitation is 800 millimeters on the coast, 900 mm in the Samogitia highlands and 600 millimeters in the eastern part of the country. Snow occurs every year, it can snow from October to April. In some years sleet can fall in September or May. The growing season lasts 202 days in the western part of the country and 169 days in the eastern part. Severe storms are rare in the eastern part of Lithuania but common in the coastal areas.

The longest measured temperature records from the Baltic area cover about 250 years. The data show that there were warm periods during the latter half of the 18th century, and that the 19th century was a relatively cool period. An early 20th century warming culminated in the 1930s, followed by a smaller cooling that lasted until the 1960s. A warming trend has persisted since then.[27]

Lithuania experienced a drought in 2002, causing forest and peat bog fires.[28] The country suffered along with the rest of Northwestern Europe during a heat wave in the summer of 2006.

Reported extreme temperatures in Lithuania by month are following:[29]

Extreme temperatures in Lithuania (°C)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Highest Temperatures +12.6 +16.5 +21.8 +28.8 +34.0 +35 +37.5 +36 +32 +26 +18.5 +15.6
Lowest Temperatures -40.5 -42.9 -37.5 -23.0 -6.8 -2.8 +0.9 -2.9 -6.3 -19.5 -23 -34

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Lithuania and Elections in Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė has been the President of Lithuania since 12 July 2009.

Since Lithuania declared the restoration of its independence on 11 March 1990, it has maintained strong democratic traditions. In the first general elections after the independence on 25 October 1992, 56.75% of the total number of voters supported the new constitution.[30] There were intense debates concerning the constitution, especially the role of the president. A separate referendum was held on 23 May 1992 to gauge public opinion on the matter and 41% of all the eligible voters supported the restoration of the President of Lithuania.[30] According to the explanation of Constitutional Court of Lithuania on January 10, 1998, Republic of Lithuania is a parliamentary Republic with some semi-presidential features inside of parliamentary republic type.[31]

The Lithuanian head of state is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. The post of president is largely ceremonial; main policy functions however include foreign affairs and national security policy. The president is also the military commander-in-chief. The President, with the approval of the parliamentary body, the Seimas, also appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter's nomination, the rest of the cabinet, as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts.

The current Lithuanian head of state, Dalia Grybauskaitė was elected on May 17, 2009 becoming the first female President in the country's history. This marked a dramatic shift in Eastern European politics after its European neighbour, Latvia elected their first female political leader late on in the previous decade.[32]

The judges of the Constitutional Court (Konstitucinis Teismas), who serve nine-year terms, are appointed by the President (three judges), the Chairman of the Seimas (three judges) and the Chairman of the Supreme Court (three judges). The unicameral Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members who are elected to four-year terms. 71 of the members of this legislative body are elected in single member constituencies, and the other 70 are elected in a nationwide vote by proportional representation. A party must receive at least 5% of the national vote to be eligible for the 70 national seats in the Seimas.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Counties of Lithuania, Municipalities of Lithuania, and Elderships of Lithuania Alytus County Kaunas County Klaipėda County Marijampolė County Panevėžys County Šiauliai County Tauragė County Telšiai County Utena County Vilnius County Baltic sea Latvia Belarus Poland Russia

The current administrative division was established in 1994 and modified in 2000 to meet the requirements of the European Union. Lithuania has a three-tier administrative division: the country is divided into 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular – apskritis, plural – apskritys) that are further subdivided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: singular – savivaldybė, plural – savivaldybės) which consist of over 500 elderships (Lithuanian: singular – seniūnija, plural – seniūnijos).

The counties are ruled by county governors (Lithuanian: apskrities viršininkas) appointed by the central government. They ensure that the municipalities adhere to the laws of Lithuania and the constitution. County government oversees local governments and their implementation of the national laws, programs and policies.[33] As the counties have limited functions, there are numerous proposals to reduce their number and organize the new counties around the ethnographic regions of Lithuania[34] or five major cities with population over 100,000.[35]

Municipalities are the most important administrative unit. Some municipalities are historically called "district municipalities", and thus are often shortened to "district"; others are called "city municipalities", sometimes shortened to "city". Each municipality has its own elected government. In the past, the election of municipality councils occurred once every three years, but it now takes place every four years. The council elects the mayor and appoints elders to govern the elderships. There is currently a proposal for direct election of mayors and elders, however that would require an amendment to the constitution.[36]

Elderships, numbering over 500, are the smallest units and do not play a role in national politics. They provide necessary public services close to their homes; for example, in rural areas the elderships register births and deaths. They are most active in the social sector: they identify needy individuals or families and distribute welfare or organise other forms of relief.[37] While the elderships have a potential of becoming a source of local initiative to tackle rural problems, complaints are made that elderships have no real power and receive too little attention.[38]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Lithuania Lithuania is a member of the European Union

Lithuania became a member of the United Nations on 18 September 1991, and is a signatory to a number of its organizations and other international agreements. It is also a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and its adjunct North Atlantic Coordinating Council. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization on 31 May 2001. It also seeks membership in the OECD and other Western organizations.

Lithuania has established diplomatic relations with 149 countries.[39]

In 2011, Lithuania hosted the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting. In 2013, Lithuania will assume the role of the Presidency of the European Union.

Military

Main article: Lithuanian Armed Forces Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade (MIB "Iron Wolf")

The Lithuanian Armed Forces is the name for the unified armed forces of Lithuanian Land Force, Lithuanian Air Force, Lithuanian Naval Force, Lithuanian Special Operations Force and other units: Logistics Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Headquarters Battalion, Military Police. Directly subordinated to the Chief of Defence are the Special Operations Forces and Military Police. The Reserve Forces are under command of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces.

Soldier of the Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces. Lithuanian soldiers on the international NATO mission in Afghanistan

The Lithuanian Armed Forces consist of some 15,000 active personnel, which may be supported by some 100,000 reserve forces.[40] The compulsory conscription service has ended in 2008 and Lithuania has moved on to rely solely on the professional armed forces. The Lithuanian Armed Forces currently have deployed personnel on international missions in Afghanistan (over 2000), Iraq (2) and Somalia (1).

In March 2004, Lithuania has become a full member of the NATO. Since then, fighter jets of NATO members are deployed in Zokniai airport and provide safety for the Baltic airspace – an inseparable part of NATO airspace.

Since the summer of 2005 Lithuania has been part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF), leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the town of Chaghcharan in the province of Ghor. The PRT includes personnel from Denmark, Iceland and USA. There are also special operation forces units in Afghanistan. They are placed in Kandahar province. Since joining international operations in 1994 Lithuania has lost two soldiers. 1st Lt. Normundas Valteris fell in Bosnia, Sgt. Arūnas Jarmalavičius made the supreme sacrifice while on international mission in Afghanistan.[41]

Lithuanian Naval Force Vidar class ship N42 Jotvingis

The Lithuanian National Defence Policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land, territorial waters, airspace and its constitutional order. At the moment the main strategic goals is to be able to defend the country's interests and maintain the armed forces which would be ready to contribute, cooperate and participate with the other armed forces of NATO and European Union member states, and also increase their further capability to participate in NATO missions.[42]

The defence ministry is responsible for combat forces, search and rescue, and intelligence operations. The 5,400 border guards fall under the Interior Ministry's supervision and are responsible for border protection, passport and customs duties, and share responsibility with the navy for smuggling and drug trafficking interdiction. A special security department handles VIP protection and communications security.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Lithuania Swedbank Headquarters in Vilnius

Infrastructure

Port of Klaipėda Major highways in Lithuania

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Lithuania Population of Lithuania (in millions) from 1950–2010.

Since the Neolithic period the native inhabitants of the Lithuanian territory have not been replaced by any other ethnic group, so there is a high probability that the inhabitants of present day Lithuania have preserved the genetic composition of their forebears relatively undisturbed by the major demographic movements,[54] although without being actually isolated from them.[55] The Lithuanian population appears to be relatively homogeneous, without apparent genetic differences among ethnic subgroups.[56]

A 2004 analysis of MtDNA in the Lithuanian population revealed that Lithuanians are close to the Indo-European and Uralic-speaking populations of Northern Europe. Y-chromosome SNP haplogroup analysis showed Lithuanians to be closest to Latvians, Estonians, and Finns.[57]

According to 2009 estimates, the age structure of the population was as follows: 0–14 years, 14.2% (male 258,423/female 245,115); 15–64 years: 69.6% (male 1,214,743/female 1,261,413); 65 years and over: 16.2% (male 198,714/female 376,771).[58] The median age was 39.3 years (male: 36.8, female: 41.9).[59]

Ethnic groups

Main article: Ethnic minorities in Lithuania

Lithuania has the most homogenous population in the Baltic States. The population of Lithuania stands at 3,244,600, 83.9% of whom are ethnic Lithuanians who speak Lithuanian, which is the official language of the country. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.6%), Russians (5.4%), and Belarusians (1.3%).[60]

Poles are the largest minority, concentrated in southeast Lithuania (the Vilnius region). Russians are the second largest minority, concentrated mostly in two cities. They constitute sizeable minorities in Vilnius (14%) and Klaipėda (28%), and a majority in the town of Visaginas (52%).[61] About 3,000 Roma live in Lithuania, mostly in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Panevėžys; their organizations are supported by the National Minority and Emigration Department.[62]

According to the Lithuanian population census of 2001, about 84% of the country's population speak Lithuanian as their native language, 8.2% are native speakers of Russian, 5.8% – of Polish. More than 60% are fluent in Russian, while only about 16% say they can speak English. According to the Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2005, 80% of Lithuanians can speak Russian and 32% can speak English. Most Lithuanian schools teach English as the first foreign language, but students may also study German, or, in some schools, French or Russian. Schools where Russian or Polish are the primary languages of education exist in the areas populated by these minorities.

Urbanization

Largest cities of Lithuania Statistics Lithuania (2011)[63]
Rank City name County Pop. Rank City name County Pop.
Vilnius

Kaunas

 1 Vilnius Vilnius 542,932 11 Kėdainiai Kaunas 29,824 Klaipėda

Šiauliai
2 Kaunas Kaunas 336,912 12 Telšiai Telšiai 29,107
3 Klaipėda Klaipėda 177,812 13 Visaginas Utena 26,804
4 Šiauliai Šiauliai 120,969 14 Tauragė Tauragė 26,429
5 Panevėžys Panevėžys 109,028 15 Ukmergė Vilnius 25,866
6 Alytus Alytus 63,642 16 Plungė Telšiai 22,287
7 Marijampolė Marijampolė 44,885 17 Kretinga Klaipėda 20,748
8 Mažeikiai Telšiai 38,819 18 Šilutė Klaipėda 19,720
9 Jonava Kaunas 33,172 19 Radviliškis Šiauliai 18,436
10 Utena Utena 31,139 20 Palanga Klaipėda 17,234

Health

As of 2010 Lithuanian life expectancy at birth was 68 years for males and 78.8 for females, the infant mortality rate was 4.3 per 1,000 births.[64] The annual population growth rate increased by 0.3% in 2007. At 30.4 people per 100,000,[65] Lithuania has seen a dramatic rise in suicides in the post-Soviet years, and now records the highest suicide rate in the world. In 1995, it had the highest suicide rate of 45.6 per 100,000 of population in recorded world history.[66] Lithuania also has the highest homicide rate in the EU.[67]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Lithuania Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai.

In 2005, 79% of Lithuanians belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.[68] The Church has been the majority denomination since the Christianisation of Lithuania at the end of the 14th century. Some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime (symbolised by the Hill of Crosses).

Wooden church in Palūšė. Lithuania has strong Roman Catholic traditions. St. Anne's Church and the church of the Bernardine Monastery in Vilnius Tatar mosque in the Tatar cemetery of Nemėžis near Vilnius

In the first half of the 20th century, the Lutheran Protestant church had around 200,000 members, 9% of the total population, but it has declined since 1945. Small Protestant communities are dispersed throughout the northern and western parts of the country. Believers and clergy suffered greatly during the Soviet occupation, with many killed, tortured or deported to Siberia. Various Protestant churches have established missions in Lithuania since 1990.[69] 4.9% are Orthodox (mainly among the Russian minority), 1.9% are Protestant and 9.5% have no religion.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[70] 49% of Lithuanian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", 36% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force", and 12% said that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force".

Education

Main article: Education in Lithuania

The first documented school in Lithuania was established in 1387 at Vilnius Cathedral.[71] The school network was influenced by the Christianization of Lithuania. Several types of schools were present in medieval Lithuania – cathedral schools, where pupils were prepared for priesthood; parish schools, offering elementary education; and home schools dedicated to educating the children of the Lithuanian nobility. Before Vilnius University was established in 1579, Lithuanians seeking higher education attended universities in foreign cities, including Kraków, Prague, and Leipzig, among others.[71] During the Interbellum a national university – Vytautas Magnus University was founded in Kaunas.

The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania proposes national educational policies and goals. These are sent to the Seimas for ratification. Laws govern long-term educational strategy along with general laws on standards for higher education, vocational training, law and science, adult education, and special education.[72] County administrators, municipal administrators, and school founders (including non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, and individuals) are responsible for implementing these policies.[72] By constitutional mandate, ten years of formal enrollment in an educational institution is mandatory, ending at age 16.[73]

26 percent of the 1999 state budget was allocated to education expenses.[74] Primary and secondary schools receive funding from the state via their municipal or county administrations. The Constitution of Lithuania guarantees tuition-free attendance at public institutions of higher education for students deemed 'good'; the number of such students has varied over the past decade, with 68 percent exempted from tuition fees in 2002.[75]

Raudonė Basic School, located in Raudonė Castle.

The World Bank designates the literacy rate of Lithuanian persons aged 15 years and older as 100%.[76] As of 2008, 30.4% of the population aged 25 to 64 had completed tertiary education; 60.1% had completed upper secondary and post-secondary (non-tertiary) education.[77] According to Invest in Lithuania, Lithuania has twice as many people with higher education than the EU-15 average and the proportion is the highest in the Baltic. Also, 90% of Lithuanians speak at least one foreign language and half of the population speaks two foreign languages, mostly Russian and English.[78]

As with other Baltic nations, in particular Latvia, the large volume of higher education graduates within the country, coupled with the high rate of spoken second languages is contributing to an education brain drain. Many Lithuanians are choosing to emigrate seeking higher earning employment and studies throughout Europe. Since their inclusion into the European Union in 2004, Lithuania's population has fallen by approximately 180,000 people.[79] [80]

As of 2008, there were 15 public universities in Lithuania, 6 private institutions, 16 public colleges, and 11 private colleges.[81] Vilnius University is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe and the largest university in Lithuania. Kaunas University of Technology is the largest technical university in the Baltic States and the second largest university in Lithuania. Other universities include Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Vilnius Pedagogical University, Vytautas Magnus University, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, The General Jonas Zemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Klaipėda University, Lithuanian Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Šiauliai University and Vilnius Academy of Art.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Lithuania

Lithuanian language

Main article: Lithuanian language

The Lithuanian language (lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 0.2 million abroad.

Contrary to popular myth, it is neither a Slavic or Russian-based language. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they are not mutually intelligible. It is written in an adapted version of the Roman script. Lithuanian is believed to be the most linguistically-conservative living Indo-European tongue, retaining many features of Proto Indo-European.[82]

Literature

Main article: Lithuanian literature The first Lithuanian printed book The Simple Words of Catechism (1547)

There is a great deal of Lithuanian literature written in Latin, the main scholarly language of the Middle Ages. The edicts of the Lithuanian King Mindaugas is the prime example of the literature of this kind. Letters of Gediminas is another crucial heritage of the Lithuanian Latin writings.

Lithuanian literary works in the Lithuanian language started being first published in the 16th century. In 1547 Martynas Mažvydas compiled and published the first printed Lithuanian book The Simple Words of Catechism, which marks the beginning of printed Lithuanian literature. He was followed by Mikalojus Daukša with Katechizmas. In the 16th and 17th centuries, as in the whole Christian Europe, Lithuanian literature was primarily religious..

The evolution of the old (14th–18th century) Lithuanian literature ends with Kristijonas Donelaitis, one of the most prominent authors of the Age of Enlightenment. Donelaitis poem The Seasons is the national epic and landmark of the Lithuanian fiction literature.[83]

With a mix of Classicism, Sentimentalism, and Romanticism, the Lithuanian literature of the first half of the 19th century is represented by Maironis, Antanas Baranauskas, Simonas Daukantas and Simonas Stanevičius.[83] During the Tsarist annexation of Lithuania in 19th century, Lithuanian press ban was implemented, which lead to a formation of the Knygnešiai (Book smugglers) movement. This movement is thought to be the very reason of the survival of the Lithuanian language and literature until today.

20th century Lithuanian literature is represented by Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Antanas Vienuolis, Bernardas Brazdžionis and Vytautas Mačernis and Justinas Marcinkevičius.

Art and museums

Lithuanian artist Jonas Mekas, regarded as godfather of American avant-garde cinema Lithuanian artist George Maciunas – creator of Fluxus

The Lithuanian Art Museum was founded in 1933 and is the largest museum of art conservation and display in Lithuania.[84] Among other important museums is the Palanga Amber Museum, where amber pieces comprise a major part of the collection.

Perhaps the most renowned figure in Lithuania's art community was the composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911), an internationally renowned musician. The 2420 Čiurlionis asteroid, identified in 1975, honors his achievements. The M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum, as well as the only in Lithuania military Vytautas the Great War Museum are located in Kaunas.

Music

Main article: Music of Lithuania Violeta Urmanavičiūtė, one of the finest soprano voices in the world

Lithuanian folk music belongs to Baltic music branch which is connected with neolithic corded ware culture. Two instrument cultures meet in the areas inhabited by Lithuanians: stringed (kanklių) and wind instrument cultures. Lithuanian folk music is archaic, mostly used for ritual purposes, containing elements of paganism faith. There are three ancient styles of singing in Lithuania connected with ethnographical regions: monophony, heterophony and polyphony. Folk song genres: Sutartinės, Wedding Songs, War-Historical Time Songs, Calendar Cycle and Ritual Songs and Work Songs.

Traditional Lithuanian dance

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis is the most renowned Lithuanian painter and composer. During his short life he created about 200 pieces of music. His works have had profound influence on modern Lithuanian culture. His symphonic poems In the Forest (Miške) and The Sea (music)|The Sea (Jūra) were performed only posthumously.

Vytautas Miškinis (born 1954) is a professor, composer and choir director of the famous Lithuanian boys' choir Ąžuoliukas. He is very popular in Lithuania and abroad. He has written over 400 secular and about 150 religious works.

In Lithuania choral music is very important. Vilnius is the only city with three choirs laureates (Brevis, Jauna Muzika and Chamber Choir of the Conservatoire) at the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. There is a long-standing tradition of the Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival (Dainų Šventė). The first once took place in Kaunas in 1924. Since 1990, the festival has been organised every four years and summons roughly 30,000 singers and folk dancers of various professional levels and age groups from across the country. In 2008, Lithuanian Song and Dance Festival together with its Latvian and Estonian versions was inscribed as UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Lithuania Lithuania national basketball team is ranked 5th worldwide in FIBA Rankings. Lithuania hosted the EuroBasket 2011 Simona Krupeckaitė holds two world records

See also

Geography portal
Europe portal
European Union portal
NATO portal
Lithuania portal
Lithuania topics
History
Early history Baltic tribes · Name of Lithuania · Lithuania proper · Grand Duchy of Lithuania (History of Lithuania (1219–1295) · Duchy of Lithuania · Kingdom of Lithuania · Christianization of Lithuania · Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth)
Revival & Independence Lithuanian press ban · Lithuanian national revival · Great Seimas of Vilnius · Act of Independence · Wars of Independence (Lithuanian–Soviet War · Polish–Lithuanian War)
WWII & Occupation Occupation of the Baltic states (By the Soviet Union (1940) · By Nazi Germany · By the Soviet Union (1944)) · Resistance in Lithuania during World War II · Baltic states under Soviet rule (1944–1991)
Restoration Reform Movement of Lithuania · Singing Revolution in Lithuania · Baltic Way · Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania · January Events in Lithuania
Geography Extreme points of Lithuania · Climate of Lithuania · Regions of Lithuania · List of cities in Lithuania · Flora of Lithuania · Lakes of Lithuania · Rivers of Lithuania · List of forests in Lithuania · List of regional parks of Lithuania
Politics
Government & Law Constitution · President · Government (Prime minister) · Parliament · Political parties · Elections · Law · Foreign relations
Subdivisions Administrative divisions of Lithuania (Counties of Lithuania · Municipalities of Lithuania · Elderships of Lithuania)
Military Lithuanian Armed Forces (Land Force · Naval Force · Air Force · Special Operations Force)
Economy Agriculture · Communications · Lithuanian litas · Transport (Airports · Rail transport · Roads · Seaport) · Tourism
Demographics Lithuanian people · Ethnic minorities in Lithuania · Religion in Lithuania · Education in Lithuania
Culture Lithuanian language · Lithuanian literature · Lithuanian music · Sports in Lithuania · Religion in Lithuania · Lithuanian mythology
Symbols Flag of Lithuania · Coat of arms of Lithuania · National anthem of Lithuania
See also: Category · Commons · Portal · WikiProject
Geographic national
Counties of Lithuania
Municipalities of Lithuania
District municipalities Akmenė · Alytus · Anykščiai · Biržai · Ignalina · Jonava · Joniškis · Jurbarkas · Kaišiadorys · Kaunas · Kėdainiai · Kelmė · Klaipėda · Kretinga · Kupiškis · Lazdijai · Mažeikiai · Molėtai · Pakruojis · Panevėžys · Pasvalys · Plungė · Prienai · Radviliškis · Raseiniai · Rokiškis · Skuodas · Šakiai · Šalčininkai · Šiauliai · Šilalė · Šilutė · Širvintos · Švenčionys · Tauragė · Telšiai · Trakai · Ukmergė · Utena · Varėna · Vilkaviškis · Vilnius · Zarasai
City municipalities Alytus · Kaunas · Klaipėda · Palanga · Panevėžys · Šiauliai · Vilnius · Visaginas
Municipalities Birštonas · Druskininkai · Elektrėnai · Kalvarija · Kazlų Rūda · Marijampolė · Neringa · Pagėgiai · Rietavas
Geographic international
Sovereign states and dependent territories of Europe
Sovereign states
States with limited recognition
Dependencies and other territories
Denmark
Finland
United Kingdom
Baltic states

Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania
Countries bordering the Baltic Sea
International membership
United Nations (UN)
UN System

Member states • Observers • General Assembly • Security Council • Department of Economic and Social Affairs • Economic and Social Council • Secretariat (Secretary-General) • Trusteeship Council • International Court of Justice
History

League of Nations • Peacekeeping missions (history • timeline) • Enlargement
Major offices

New York (Headquarters) • Geneva (Office) • Nairobi (Office) • Vienna (Office)
Programmes and agencies

FAO • ICAO • ILO • IMO • IPCC • IAEA • UNIDO • ITU • UNAIDS • SCSL • UNCTAD • UNCITRAL • UNDG • UNDP • UNDPI • UNEP (OzonAction, UNEP/GRID-Arendal) • UNESCO • UNODC • UNFIP • UNFPA • OHCHR • UNHCR • UNHRC • UN-HABITAT • UNICEF • UNITAR • UNOSAT • UNRWA • UN Women • UNWTO • UPU • WFP • WHO • WMO
Resolutions

General Assembly • Security Council
Related topics

Bretton Woods system • Charter • Delivering as One • Flag • Honor Flag • Global Compact • ICC • Laissez-Passer • OPCW • Treaty Series • UN Day • UDHR • MDGs • UN reform
Category • Portal
Member states of the European Union
Member states by political system and GDP
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
History
Structure
Members
Council of Europe
Institutions
Members
Full
Observer

Canada
Former

Czechoslovakia (1991–1992)
1 Provisionally referred to by the Council of Europe as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
History Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · OECD Anti-Bribery Convention
Guidelines Multinational Enterprises · Testing of Chemicals
Members

Australia · Austria · Belgium · Canada · Chile · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Israel · Japan · Luxembourg · Mexico · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Korea · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States
World Trade Organization
System
Issues
Agreements
Ministerial Conferences
People
Members

1. All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right:

2. Special administrative region of the People's Republic of China

3. Designated name for the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan)
Member states of the Council of the Baltic Sea States
Denmark · Estonia · Finland · Germany · Iceland · Latvia · Lithuania · Norway · Poland · Russia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Sweden · European Commission
Observer member status: France · Italy · Netherlands · Slovakia · Ukraine · United Kingdom · United States of America
States belonging to the Community of Democracies at the United Nations
Members
Union for the Mediterranean
Member states
See also
  • Bold: countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea
  • Italic: countries with overseas territory bordering the sea
Member states of the Baltic Assembly
Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania
Member states and observers of the Francophonie
Members
Observers
  • 1 Associate member.
  • 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute.

References

  1. ^ "Population by ethnicity 2009 year". DB1.stat.gov.lt. Statistics Lithuania. http://db1.stat.gov.lt/statbank/selectvarval/saveselections.asp?MainTable=M3010215&PLanguage=1&TableStyle=&Buttons=&PXSId=3236&IQY=&TC=&ST=ST&rvar0=&rvar1=&rvar2=&rvar3=&rvar4=&rvar5=&rvar6=&rvar7=&rvar8=&rvar9=&rvar10=&rvar11=&rvar12=&rvar13=&rvar14=. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  2. ^ Nutarimas. Lithuanian Constitutional Court. 1998
  3. ^ Gyventojų skaičius . Požymiai: statistiniai rodikliai ir mėnuo. Statistics Lithuania
  4. ^ a b c d "Lithuania". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2008&ey=2011&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=946&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=43&pr.y=0. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Human Development Report 2011". United Nations. 2011. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Table1.pdf. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  6. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Tomas Baranauskas. Lietuvos karalystei – 750. 2001.
  7. ^ (Lithuanian) "Lietuva įsiliejo į Šengeno erdvę". Vidaus reikalų ministerija. 21 December 2007. http://www.vrm.lt/index.php?id=131&backPID=4&tt_news=1458&. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
  8. ^ Baranauskas, Tomas (Fall 2009). "On the Origin of the Name of Lithuania". Lithuanian Quarterly Journal of Arts and Sciences 55 (3). ISSN 0024-5089.
  9. ^ Paul Magocsi. History of the Ukraine. University of Toronto Press, 1996. p.128
  10. ^ Lane, Thomas (2001). Lithuania: Stepping Westward. Routledge. pp. ix, xxi. ISBN 0415267315. http://books.google.com/?id=fecMC0LXU-sC&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  11. ^ The New Encyclopædia Britannica v. 17 (1998) p. 545
  12. ^ Rick Fawn (1 September 2003). Ideology and national identity in post-communist foreign policies. Psychology Press. pp. 186–. ISBN 978-0-7146-5517-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=SBtYrTANgvUC&pg=PA186. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  13. ^ Stone, Daniel. The Polish–Lithuanian State: 1386–1795. University of Washington Press, 2001. p. 63
  14. ^ "The Roads to Independence". Lithuania in the World 16 (2). 2008. http://www.liw.lt/archive_vid.php?shid=1211283347&id=1211283055. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  15. ^ (Lithuanian) Kauno tvirtovės istorija. Gintaras Česonis. 2004. http://tvirtove.kaunas.lt/. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  16. ^ "Lithuanian Americans". Lithuanian Americans. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5kx7L1NnV.
  17. ^ "Lithuanians in the United States". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
  18. ^ Ready, J. Lee (1995). World War Two: Nation by Nation. London: Cassell. p. 191. ISBN 1-85409-290-1.
  19. ^ Žiemele, Ineta, ed. (2002). Baltic Yearbook of International Law (2001). 1. p. 2. ISBN 9789041117366. ISSN 1569-6456. http://books.google.com/?id=iGLp7QEelbIC&lpg=PA111&dq=Baltic%20Yearbook%20of%20International%20Law%20volume%201&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q&f=true. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  20. ^ Krickus, Richard J. (June 1997). "Democratization in Lithuania". In Dawisha, K.; Parrott, B.. The Consolidation of Democracy in East-Central Europe. p. 293. ISBN 9780521599382. http://books.google.com/?id=NRkpNovMd_cC&lpg=PA29&dq=Consolidation%20of%20Democracy%20in%20East-Central%20Europe&pg=PA293#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  21. ^ "Lithuania: Back to the Future". Travel-earth.com. 2004-05-01. http://www.travel-earth.com/lithuania/. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  22. ^ Communism and Crimes against Humanity in the Baltic states. Rel.ee. Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
  23. ^ "US Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs". State.gov. August 2006. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5379.htm. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  24. ^ Keller, Bill (1991-01-14). "Soviet crackdown; Soviet loyalists in charge after attack in Lithuania; 13 dead; curfew is imposed". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/14/world/soviet-crackdown-soviet-loyalists-charge-after-attack-lithuania-13-dead-curfew.html?pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  25. ^ "On This Day 13 January 1991: Bloodshed at Lithuanian TV station". BBC News. 13 January 1991. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/13/newsid_4059000/4059959.stm. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  26. ^ Jan S. Krogh. "Other Places of Interest: Central Europe". http://geosite.jankrogh.com/other.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  27. ^ "Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin – The BACC Project – 22–23 May 2006, Göteborg, Sweden" (PDF). http://www.baltex-research.eu/BACC/events/goteborg/Poster_2_1.pdf. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  28. ^ Sakalauskiene, G.; Ignatavicius, G. (2003). "Research Note Effect of drought and fires on the quality of water in Lithuanian rivers". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 7 (3): 423–427. Bibcode 2003HESS....7..423S. doi:10.5194/hess-7-423-2003.
  29. ^ "Records of Lithuanian climate". www.meteo.lt. http://www.meteo.lt/. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  30. ^ a b (Lithuanian) Nuo 1991 m. iki šiol paskelbtų referendumų rezultatai, Microsoft Word Document, Seimas. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
  31. ^ Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinio Teismo nutarimas dėl Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo 1996 . Gruodžio 10 D. nutarimo
  32. ^ "Lithuania gets first woman leader". BBC News. 2009-05-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8054053.stm. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  33. ^ (Lithuanian) Lietuvos Respublikos apskrities valdymo įstatymas (Republic of Lithuania Law on County Governing), Seimas law database, 15 December 1994, Law no. I-707. Retrieved 3 June 2006.
  34. ^ (Lithuanian) Dr. Žilvytis Bernardas Šaknys Lietuvos Respublikos administracinio teritorinio suskirstymo perspektyvos: etnografiniai kultūriniai regionai, The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, Seimas, 12 December 2002. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
  35. ^ (Lithuanian) Dr. Antanas Tyla, Pastabos dėl Apskričių valdymo reformos koncepcijos, The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, Seimas, 16 May 2001. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
  36. ^ (Lithuanian) Justinas Vanagas, Seimo prioritetai šią sesiją – tiesioginiai mero rinkimai, gyventojų nuosavybė ir euras, Delfi.lt, 5 September 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2006.
  37. ^ (Lithuanian) Lietuvos Respublikos vietos savivaldos įstatymo pakeitimo įstatymas, Seimas law database, 12 October 2000, Law no. VIII-2018. Retrieved 3 June 2006.
  38. ^ (Lithuanian) Indrė Makaraitytė, Europos Sąjungos pinigai kaimo neišgelbės, Atgimimas, Delfi.lt, 16 December 2004. Retrieved 4 June 2006.
  39. ^ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs: List of countries with which Lithuania has established diplomatic relations". Urm.lt. http://www.urm.lt/index.php?949836981. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  40. ^ Personnel size in 1998–2009 Ministry of National Defence
  41. ^ (Lithuanian) In remembrance. Kariuomene.kam.lt. Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
  42. ^ "White Paper Lithuanian defence policy" (in (Lithuanian)). Kam.lt. http://www.kam.lt/kam/download/7963/bk-en1.pdf. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  43. ^ Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. National Accounts of Lithuania 2006, p. 20
  44. ^ Darbo Rinka – Situacija. Ldb.lt (2011-04-26). Retrieved on 2011-09-12.
  45. ^ "GDP per capita in PPS". Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-25062009-BP/EN/2-25062009-BP-EN.PDF. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  46. ^ Vilnius, Lithuania | Global locations|Barclays GRB. Lifeintechnology.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-09-12.
  47. ^ Western Union opens centre in Vilnius. Alfa.lt (2011-05-06). Retrieved on 2011-09-12.
  48. ^ Lithuanian Innovation Strategy for 2010–2020. None. Retrieved on 2011-09-12.
  49. ^ Lietuvos Bankas. lb.lt
  50. ^ "Lietuviškas internetas – sparčiausias pasaulyje" (in Lithuanian). 8 April 2009. http://www.vtv.lt/naujienos/interneto-naujienos/lietuviskas-internetas-sparciausias-pasaulyje-2.html. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  51. ^ "Speedtest.net – The global Internet speed test for bandwidth throughput and VoIP performance". Speedtest.net. Archived from the original on 2007-03-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20070304111710/http://speedtest.net/global.php.
  52. ^ "Electricity Market in the Baltic Countries". Lietuvos Energija. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20090303223324/http://events.le.lt/uploads/File/20060126/Electricity%20markets%20in%20BalticStates_Jank.ppt. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
  53. ^ "Lithuania shuts down Soviet-era NPP, but being a nuclear-free nation is still under question". http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2010/ignalina_shut_down. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  54. ^ Česnys G. Anthropological roots of the Lithuanians. Science, Arts and Lithuania 1991; 1: p. 4-10.
  55. ^ Daiva Ambrasienė, Vaidutis Kučinskas (2003). "Genetic variability of the Lithuanian human population according to Y chromosome microsatellite markers". Ekologija 1: 89. http://www.ebiblioteka.lt/resursai/LMA/Ekologija/E-89.pdf.
  56. ^ Dalia Kasperavièiûtë and Vaidutis Kuèinskas (2004). "Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Analysis in the Lithuanian Population". Acta Medica Lituanica 11 (1): 1–6. Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20080227130058/http://images.katalogas.lt/maleidykla/act41/A-01.pdf.
  57. ^ Kasperaviciūte D, Kucinskas V, Stoneking M (2004). "Y Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA Variation in Lithuanians". Annals of human genetics 68 (Pt 5): 438–52. doi:10.1046/j.1529-8817.2003.00119.x. PMID 15469421. http://www.eva.mpg.de/genetics/pdf/Kasperavicuite.2004.pdf.
  58. ^ "Europe : Lithuania". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lh.html. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
  59. ^ "Field Listing : Median age". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2177.html. Retrieved 12 November 2009.
  60. ^ Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania."Population by ethnicity". http://db1.stat.gov.lt/statbank/selectvarval/saveselections.asp?MainTable=M3010215&PLanguage=1&TableStyle=&Buttons=&PXSId=3236&IQY=&TC=&ST=ST&rvar0=&rvar1=&rvar2=&rvar3=&rvar4=&rvar5=&rvar6=&rvar7=&rvar8=&rvar9=&rvar10=&rvar11=&rvar12=&rvar13=&rvar14=.
  61. ^ "The inhabitants". Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071219181605/http://www.visaginas.lt/town/inhabit?lang=en.
  62. ^ "Lithuanian Security and Foreign Policy". Tspmi.vu.lt. http://www.tspmi.vu.lt/files/mprojektai/finallithsecpapergalutinis.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  63. ^ Statistics Lithuania — Population at the beginning of the year by city / town and year
  64. ^ "Statistics Lithuania". Stat.gov.lt. http://www.stat.gov.lt/lt/news/view?id=8869. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  65. ^ "Lithuani" (PDF). Suicide prevention (SUPRE). World Health Organization. 2008. http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/lith.pdf. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  66. ^ "Eurostat – Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/refreshTableAction.do?tab=table&plugin=0&pcode=tps00122&language=en. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  67. ^ "More people are killed in Lithuania than anywhere in the EU". Delfi.lt. 2009. http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/crime/article.php?id=19885621. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  68. ^ Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. "Population by Religious Confession, census". Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061001185140/http://www.std.lt/en/pages/view/?id=1734. . Updated in 2005.
  69. ^ "United Methodists evangelize in Lithuania with ads, brochures". Umc.org. August 11, 2006. http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.2012693/k.AEBE/United_Methodists_evangelize_in_Lithuania_with_ads_brochures.htm. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  70. ^ "Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005" (PDF). p. 11. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  71. ^ a b Kiaupienė, Jūratė; Rimvydas Petrauskas (2009). Lietuvos istorija. Vol. IV. Vilnius: Baltos lankos. pp. 145–147. ISBN 978-9955-23-239-1.
  72. ^ a b "Education in Lithuania". European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education. http://www.european-agency.org/country-information/lithuania/lithuania-docs/education_lithuania.pdf. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  73. ^ "The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania came into force on 2 November 1992". Republic of Lithuania. http://www3.lrs.lt/home/Konstitucija/Constitution.htm. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  74. ^ "Reviews of National Policies for Education – Lithuania". Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania. 2000. http://www.smm.lt/en/stofedu/docs/edu_reform/OECD_report.pdf. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  75. ^ "Higher Education Finance and Cost-Sharing in Lithuania". University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. 2005. http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/IntHigherEdFinance/files/Country_Profiles/Europe/Lithuania.pdf. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  76. ^ "World Bank – ICT at a Glance". World Bank. http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/ltu_ict.pdf. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  77. ^ "Vocational Education and Training in Lithuania". Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania. http://www.smm.lt/prtm/p_reng/docs/PROFESINIS-MOKYMAS-lietuvoje-2009-ENG.pdf. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  78. ^ "Invest in Lithuania". Lda.lt. http://www.investlithuania.com/en/why-invest/talent-pool. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  79. ^ "Tarptautinė migracija – Rodiklių duomenų bazėje". Db1.stat.gov.lt. http://db1.stat.gov.lt/statbank/selectvarval/saveselections.asp?MainTable=M3020102&PLanguage=0&TableStyle=&Buttons=&PXSId=6282&IQY=&TC=&ST=ST&rvar0=&rvar1=&rvar2=&rvar3=&rvar4=&rvar5=&rvar6=&rvar7=&rvar8=&rvar9=&rvar10=&rvar11=&rvar12=&rvar13=&rvar14=.Lithuanian. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  80. ^ "Baltic brain drain hits hardest in Lithuania". Rt.com. 10 February 2011. http://rt.com/news/lithuania-exodus-unemployment-youth/. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  81. ^ "Lithuania, Academic Career Structure". European University Institute. http://www.eui.eu/ProgrammesAndFellowships/AcademicCareersObservatory/AcademicCareersbyCountry/Lithuania.aspx. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  82. ^ Zinkevičius, Z. (1993). Rytų Lietuva praeityje ir dabar. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidykla. p. 9. ISBN 5-420-01085-2. "…linguist generally accepted that Lithuanian language is the most archaic among live Indo-European languages…"
  83. ^ a b Institute of Lithuanian Scientific Society.Lithuanian Classic Literature. Retrieved on 16 February 2009
  84. ^ "History of the Lithuanian Art Museum". Ldm.lt. http://www.ldm.lt/LDM/History_LAM_en.htm. Retrieved 2011-06-05.

External links

Find more about Lithuania on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
Images and media from Commons
Learning resources from Wikiversity
News stories from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
OpenStreetMap has geographic data related to: Lithuania
Government
General information
Travel
Baltic Sea, Republic of Latvia Republic of Latvia Republic of Latvia
Russian Federation, Baltic Sea Republic of Belarus
Republic of Lithuania
Republic of Poland Republic of Belarus Republic of Belarus

Categories:

 

The above information uses material from Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Some facts may not have been fully verified for accuracy. [Disclaimers]
This page was last archived by our server on Mon May 7 20:22:12 2012.
Displaying this page or its contents does not use any Wikimedia Foundation's resources.
The owners of this site proudly support the Wikimedia Foundation.

More Information Results for "Lithuania"
[Hide]▼
'Lithuania' Images
[Hide]▲