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LITHUANIA is

…a Northeastern European country which combines what is regarded as Scandinavian - clean, orderly, progressive, natural and attractive, as well as what is regarded as Eastern European – new, rapidly developing, on the rise,  and as yet undiscovered. Sometimes called a Northern, and sometimes  an Eastern European country, Lithuania is an authentic combination of Northern and Eastern features.

…extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and was the largest country in Europe in the 15^th century. By the end of the 14^th century the Grand Duchy of Lithuania occupied the territories of present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia, and not because of conquest but because of diplomacy and inclusiveness.

 …turned 1000 years old in 2009. Lithuania entered  European history when it was first mentioned in a medieval German manuscript, the Quedlinburg Chronicle, on 14 February 1009.

...has  unique, unspoilt nature with 22,000 rivers and rivulets, about 3,000 lakes, a clean seaside and 4 UNESCO World Heritage masterpieces. Lithuania is sometimes called “the land of lakes” and attracts tourists looking for a vacation in the clean and calm countryside. Also, the country welcomes those who want  to explore unique natural as well as urban treasures and the deeply rooted Baltic culture and customs.

…is the European Union’s prime transport centre. The European Union has recognized Lithuania as the prime transport centre in the region linking the EU with the East.

…is known as a homeland of talented basketball players. For millions of people all over the world, it was precisely basketball that put the name of Lithuania on the map together with its star players such as Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and others. In the relatively short history of Lithuanian basketball (the first basketball game took place in 1922), the men's national team won three Olympic bronze medals, was three times  the European champion, and once earned the European silver.

Source: Lithuanian Development Agency www.lda.lt

General Facts & Figures

Capital	Vilnius
Area	65300 sq. km
Average Population	3,340 million
Language	Lithuanian
Legal system	Parliamentary republic
Currency	Lithuanian litas (LTL)
Exchange rate	1 EUR = 3,4528 LTL
GDP (2008)*	LTL 111499 million
GDP growth (2009)	- 11 %
Labour force (2009)	1,627 million
Unemployment rate (June 2009)	11,9 %
Average Annual Inflation (June 2009)	8,7 %
Average Earnings Gross	2193,1 LTL
Net	1702.1 LTL

*   In I half of 2009, GDP made LTL 43416 million, which is by 18.1 per cent less than a year ago. In I–II quarters of 2009, the largest decrease of the value added was observed in construction, industry and production services. 

Source: Lithuanian Department of Statistics ( www.stat.gov.lt ); Eurostat

Head of the state HE Dalia Grybauskaitė, since July 2009
Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, since December 2008