1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

44 regions (rajonai, singular - rajonas) and 11 municipalities*: Akmenes Rajonas, Alytaus Rajonas, Alytus*, Anyksciu Rajonas, Birsionas*, Birzu Rajonas, Druskininkai*, Ignalinos Rajonas, Jonavos Rajonas, Joniskio Rajonas, Jurbarko Rajonas, Kaisiadoriu Rajonas, Marijampoles Rajonas, Kaunas*, Kauno Rajonas, Kedainiu Rajonas, Kelmes Rajonas, Klaipeda*, Klaipedos Rajonas, Kretingos Ragonas, Kupiskio Rajonas, Lazdiju Rajonas, Marijampole*, Mazeikiu Ragonas, Moletu Rajonas, Neringa* Pakruojo Rajonas, Palanga*, Panevezio Rajonas, Panevezys*, Pasvalio Rajonas, Plunges Rajonas, Prienu Rajonas, Radviliskio Rajonas, Raseiniu Rajonas, Rokiskio Rajonas, Sakiu Rajonas, Salcininky Rajonas, Siauliai*, Siauliu Rajonas, Silales Rajonas, Siltues Rajonas, Sirvinty Rajonas, Skuodo Rajonas, Svencioniu Rajonas, Taurages Rajonas, Telsiu Rajonas, Traky Rajonas, Ukmerges Rajonas, Utenos Rajonas, Varenos Rajonas, Vilkaviskio Rajonas, Vilniaus Rajonas, Vilnius*, Zarasu Rajonas

Agriculture

employs around 18% of labor force; accounts for 25% of GDP; sugar, grain, potatoes, sugar beets, vegetables, meat, milk, dairy products, eggs, fish; most developed are the livestock and dairy branches, which depend on imported grain; net exporter of meat, milk, and eggs

Airports

total: 96 usable: 18 with permanent-surface runways: 12 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 5 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 11 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Area

total area: 65,200 sq km land area: 65,200 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia

Birth rate

14.71 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard (Skat)

Budget

revenues: $258.5 million expenditures: $270.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

Capital

Vilnius

Climate

maritime; wet, moderate winters and summers

Coastline

108 km

Constitution

adopted 25 October 1992

Currency

introduced the convertible litas in June 1993

Death rate

10.95 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, 5.5% of GDP (1993 est.)

Digraph

LH

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Alfonsas EIDINTAS chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 234-5860, 2639

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million; Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million

Electricity

capacity: 5,925,000 kW production: 25 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,600 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Ethnic divisions

Lithuanian 80.1%, Russian 8.6%, Polish 7.7%, Byelorussian 1.5%, other 2.1%

Exchange rates

litai per US$1 - 4 (fixed rate 1 May 1994); 3.9 (late January 1994)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS (since 25 November 1992; elected acting president by Parliament 25 November 1992 and elected by direct vote 15 February 1993); election last held 14 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS was elected; note - on 25 November 1992 BRAZAUSKAS was elected chairman of Parliament and, as such, acting president of the Republic; he was confirmed in office by direct balloting 15 February 1993 head of government: Premier Adolfas SLEZEVICIUS (since 10 March 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister

Exports

$NA commodities: electronics 18%, petroleum products 5%, food 10%, chemicals 6% (1989) partners: Russia 40%, Ukraine 16%, other FSU countries 32%, West 12%

External debt

$NA

FAX

(202) 328-0466 consulate(s) general: New York

370-2-222-779

Fiscal year

calendar year

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red

Highways

total: 44,200 km paved: 35,500 km unpaved: earth 8,700 km (1990)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia and Latin America to Western Europe; limited producer of illicit opium; mostly for domestic consumption

Imports

$NA commodities: oil 24%, machinery 14%, chemicals 8%, grain NA% (1989) partners: Russia 62%, Belarus 18%, other FSU countries 10%, West 10%

Independence

6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Industrial production

growth rate -52% (1992)

Industries

employs 42% of the labor force; accounts for 23% of GOP shares in the

freezers 5.4%; other branches

petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, and amber

total production of the former USSR are

metal-cutting machine tools 6.6%; electric motors 4.6%; television sets 6.2%; refrigerators and

Infant mortality rate

16.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

188% (1993)

Inland waterways

600 km perennially navigable

International disputes

dispute with Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) over the position of the Nemunas (Nemen) River border presently located on the Lithuanian bank and not in midriver as by international standards

Irrigated land

430 sq km (1990)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, Court of Appeals

Labor force

1.836 million by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%, other 40% (1990)

Land boundaries

total 1,273 km, Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km

Land use

arable land: 49.1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 22.2% forest and woodland: 16.3% other: 12.4%

Languages

Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian

Legal system

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.24 years male: 66.53 years female: 76.19 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 9-49 can read and write (1989) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98%

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 941,273; fit for military service 744,867; reach military age (18) annually 27,375 (1994 est.)

Map references

Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Member of

BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Merchant marine

44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 276,265 GRT/323,505 DWT, cargo 29, combination bulk 11, railcar carrier 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Names

conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania conventional short form: Lithuania local long form: Lietuvos Respublika local short form: Lietuva former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 February (1918)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $12.4 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Lithuanian statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)

National product per capita

$3,240 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-10% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Lithuanian(s) adjective: Lithuanian

Natural resources

peat

Net migration rate

3.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Other political or pressure groups

Homeland Union; Lithuanian Future Forum; Farmers Union

Overview

Since independence in September 1991, Lithuania has made steady progress in developing a market economy. Over 40% of state property has been privatized and trade is diversifying with a gradual shift away from the former Soviet Union to Western markets. Nevertheless, the process has been painful with industrial output in 1993 less than half the 1991 level. Inflation, while lower than in most ex-Soviet states, has exceeded rates in the other Baltic states. Full monetary stability and economic recovery are likely to be impeded by periodic government backtracking on key elements of its reform and stabilization program as it seeks to ease the economic pain of restructuring. Recovery will build on Lithuanian's strategic location with its ice-free port at Klaipeda and its rail and highway hub in Vilnius connecting it with Eastern Europe, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, and on its agriculture potential, highly skilled labor force, and diversified industrial sector. Lacking important natural resources, it will remain dependent on imports of fuels and raw materials.

Pipelines

crude oil, 105 km; natural gas 760 km (1992)

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Party (LKDP), Povilas KATILIUS, chairman; Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania (LDDP), Adolfas SLEZEVICIUS, chairman; Lithuanian Nationalist Union (LTS), Rimantas SMETONA, chairman; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), Aloyzas SAKALAS, chairman; Farmers' Union, Jonas CIULEVICIUS, chairman; Center Union, Romualdas OZOLAS, chairman; Conservative Party, Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, chairman; Lithuanian Polish Union (LLS), Rytardas MACIKIANEC, chairman

Population

3,848,389 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.74% (1994 est.)

Ports

coastal - Klaipeda; inland - Kaunas

Railroads

2,000 km (1,524-mm gauge); 120 km electrified

Religions

Roman Catholic, Lutheran, other

Seimas (parliament)

elections last held 26 October and 25 November 1992 (next to be held NA); results - LDDP 51%; seats - (141 total) LDDP 73, Conservative Party 30, LKDP 17, LTS 8, Farmers' Union 4, LLS 4, Center Union 2, others 3

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

Lithuania ranks among the most modern of the former Soviet republics in respect to its telecommunications system; telephone subscriber circuits 900,000; subscriber density 240 per 1,000 persons; land lines or microwave to former USSR republics; international connections no longer depend on the Moscow gateway switch, but are established by satellite through Oslo from Vilnius and through Copenhagen from Kaunas; 2 satellite earth stations - 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT; an NMT-450 analog cellular network operates in Vilnius and other cities and is linked internationally through Copenhagen by EUTELSAT; international electronic mail is available; broadcast stations - 13 AM, 26 FM, 1 SW, 1 LW, 3 TV

Terrain

lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Total fertility rate

2.01 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

1.8% (July 1993)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Darryl N. JOHNSON embassy: Akmenu 6, Vilnius 232600 mailing address: APO AE 09723 telephone: 370-2-223-031