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Background: Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
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Common Name: Lithuania
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Local Official Name: Lietuva
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Lithuania
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Official Name: Lietuvos Respublika
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Official Script Name: Lithuania
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Local Common Name: Lithuania
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Former Name: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Valdas ADAMKUS
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Government Type: parliamentary democracy
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Independence: 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)
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Constitution: 1992 October 25 (adopted)
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 16 February
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International Organization Participation: ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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Administrative Divisions: 10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions
Legislative Branch:
unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS 14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29, Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11, National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union) 11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center Political Group 8, independents 3
Judicial Branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President
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Party Leaders: Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor Party; Liberal and Center Political Group [Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Valentinas MAZURONIS, chairman]; Liberal Movement; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS, chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP; Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists
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International Disputes: Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, to strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons
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Illicit Drugs: transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation
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Location of Lithuania: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
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Continent: Europe
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Land Area Total: 65,200 sq km
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Region: Eastern Europe |
Land Area Land: 0 sq km
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Capitol City: Vilnius
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Land Area Water: 0 sq km
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Current: +2
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Latitude: 056 00 N
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Border Boundary Land: 1,613 km
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Longitude: 024 00 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 90 km
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Arable Land: 44.81 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.00 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 293 m
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Location: Juozapines Kalnas
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Baltic Sea
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Largest City in Lithuania: Vilnius
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Vilnius Largest City Population: 579,000
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Threatened Species: 18
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Environmental Issues: contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
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Irrigated Land: 70
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Bordering Countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 km
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Natural Resources: peat, arable land, amber
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Geographical Terrain: lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
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Comparative Area of Lithuania: slightly larger than West Virginia
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Lithuania's Geography: fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Lithuania.
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General Climate: transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
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Natural Hazards: NA
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Economic Overview: 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 Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.
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GDP: $49,410,000,000 USD
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Currency: litas
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GDP per Capita: $13,700 USD
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Currency Code: LTL
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GDP Growth Rate: 7.50 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% LTL
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Currency Exchange Rate History: litai per US dollar - 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002), 4 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 5.50 %
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GDP of Industry: 32.50 %
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GDP of Services: 62.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 2.70 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 4.80 %
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Tourism: 1,422,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 3.10 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $8,429,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 25.60 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $9,103,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 18,640,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 12,370,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 9,109,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 4,144,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 20.16%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 76.78%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 3.06%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Oil Production: 12,360 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 89,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 3,030,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 2,760,000,000 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $12,500,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $228,500,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
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Primary Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic comp
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Industrial Growth Rate: 7.30 %
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Import Amount in USD: $13,330,000,000 USD - mineral products 23%, machinery and equipment 16%, chemicals 9%, textiles and clothing 9%, transport equipment 9%
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Import Partners: Russia 27.9%, Germany 15.2%, Poland 8.3%
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Export Amount in USD: $10,950,000,000 USD - mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5%
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Export Partners: Russia 10.4%, Latvia 10.2%, Germany 9.4%, France 7%, Estonia 5.9%, Poland 5.5%, Sweden 5%, US 4.7%, UK 4.7%, Denmark 4.3%
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GINI Index: 31.90%
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Labor Force Number of People: 1,610,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 172 |
Number of People with Radios: 1,900,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 27 |
Number of People with Televisions: 1,700,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 801,100 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 4,353,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 136,346 |
Internet Users: 1,221,700 |
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Internet Country Code: .lt |
Newspapers: 29 |
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Two Letter Country Code: LH |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 370 |
Electricity Voltage: 220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications
international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite
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Highways: 70,549 km |
Railways: 1,771 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 2,136 km |
Waterways: 425 km
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Airports: 34 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 326 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 16,697,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 4.00 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 49 ships (1000 GRT or over) 353,094 GRT/352,883 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 14, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 10)
registered in other countries: 17 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 1, North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, unknown 3)
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Ports and Harbors: Klaipeda
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Population: 3,585,906 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 8.75 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 53.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 10.98 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: -0.30% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.20 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 284,888 |
Population Female 0-14: 270,458 |
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Population Male 15-64: 1,210,557 |
Population Female 15-64: 1,265,542 |
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Population Male 65+: 190,496 |
Population Female 65+: 363,965 |
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Population 0-14: 15.50% |
Literacy Rate: 99.60% |
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Population 15-64: 69.10% |
Literacy rate of Males: 99.70% |
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Population 65+: 15.50% |
Literacy rate of Females: 99.60% |
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Population that is Male: 44.50
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Population that is Female: 55.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 74.20 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 6.78 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 69.20 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 79.49 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.10%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 1,300
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -0.71
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Nationality: LITHUANIAN
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Ethnic Groups: Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6%
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Primary Language: Lithuanian
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Other Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4%
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5%
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Branches: Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air Forces, National Defense Volunteer Forces
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 1,660,892 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 1,266,708 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 58,232 People per year
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Expenditures: $230,800,000 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.90
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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