Lithuania

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuva; official â€" Lietuvos Respublika), is a country in northern Europe. The largest of the three Baltic States situated along the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland to the south, and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest. Lithuania has been a member state of the European Union since May 1 2004.

History

Lithuania entered into the annals of European history when it was first mentioned in a medieval German manuscript, the Quedlinburg Chronicle, on February 14, 1009. Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas in 1235, and neighboring countries referred to it as "Lithuanian state". The official coronation of Mindaugas as King of Lithuania, on July 6, 1253, marked its recognition by Christendom, and the official recognition of the Lithuanian statehood as Kingdom of Lithuania Tomas Baranauskas. Lietuvos karalystei â€" 750 (750 years for Kingdom of Lithuania).2001 .

During the early period of the Gediminids (1316-1430), the state occupied the territories of present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia Paul Magocsi. History of the Ukraine. University of Toronto Press, 1996. p.128 . By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe Robert Bideleux. A History of Eastern Europe: Crisis and Change. Routledge, 1998. p.122 . The Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched across a big part of Europe, from the Baltic, to the Black Sea. Lithuanian nobility, city dwellers and peasents accepted Christianity in 1385 by way of Poland, following Poland's offer of its crown to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila. Grand Duke Jogaila was crowned King of Poland on February 2, 1386. Lithuania and Poland were joined into a personal union, as both countries were ruled by the same Jagiellon dynasty.

In 1401, the formal union was dissolved on disputes over legal terminology, and Vytautas, the cousin of Jogaila became the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1429 Vytautas had been bestowed a royal crown by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, but Polish magnates prevented the coronation of Vytautas by seizing his royal crown as it was being brought to him. A new crown was ordered in Germany and new date set for coronation, but a month later Vytautas died.
In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the Commonwealth Lithuania retained its sovereignty and its institutions, including a separate army and currency Stone, Daniel. The Polish-Lithuanian state: 1386-1795. University of Washington Press , 2001. p. 63. In 1795, the joint state was dissolved by the third Partition of the Commonwealth, which forfeited its lands to Russia, Prussia and Austria, under duress. Over ninety percent of Lithuania was incorporated into the Russian Empire and, the remainder into Prussia.

On February 16, 1918, Lithuania re-established its independence. From July, 1918, until November of that year, Monaco-born King Mindaugas II was pronounced the titular monarch of Lithuania, until the country's parliament opted for a republican form of government. From the outset, territorial disputes with Poland (over the Vilnius region and the Suvalkai region) and Germany (over the KlaipÄ—da region, German: Memelland) preoccupied the foreign policy of the new nation. During the interwar period, the constitutional capital was Vilnius, although the city itself was annexed by Poland from 1920 to 1939 (see History of Vilnius for more details). The Lithuanian government at the time was relocated to Kaunas, which officially held the status of temporary capital.

In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Lithuania in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. It later came under German occupation during which around 190,000 or 91% of Lithuanian Jews were killed, resulting in one of the worst death rates of the Holocaust. Along with the retreat of the German army, Lithuania was re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.

During the Soviet and Nazi occupations between 1940 and 1954, Lithuania lost over 780,000 residents; with an estimated 120,000 to 300,000 of that number killed or exiled to Siberia by the Soviets, while others choosing to emigrate.

Map showing changes in the territory of Lithuania from the 13th century to the present day

Fifty years of communist rule ended with the advent of perestroika and glasnost. By that time Lithuania, led by SÄ…jÅ«dis, an anti-communist and anti-Soviet independence movement, proclaimed its renewed independence on March 11, 1990. Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to do so, though Soviet forces unsuccessfully tried until August 1991 to suppress this secession, including an attack on the Vilnius TV Tower on the night of January 13, 1991 that resulted in the death of 13 Lithuanian civilians BBC Story. The last Russian troops left Lithuania on August 31, 1993 â€" even earlier than they departed East Germany.

On February 4, 1991, Iceland became the first country to recognize Lithuanian independence, and Sweden - the first to open an embassy in the country. The United States of America never recognized the Soviet claim to Lithuania or to the other two Baltic republics.

Lithuania joined the United Nations on September 17, 1991. On May 31, 2001, Lithuania became the 141st member of the World Trade Organization. Since 1988, Lithuania has sought closer ties with the West, and so on January 4, 1994, it became the first of the Baltic States to apply for NATO membership. On March 29, 2004, it became a full and equal NATO member and on May 1, 2004, Lithuania joined the European Union.

Politics

Current President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus (right) meeting with Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney in Vilnius in May 2006

Since Lithuania declared independence on March 11, 1990, it has kept strong democratic traditions. In the first general elections after the independence on October 25, 1992, 56.75% of the total number of voters supported the new constitution Nuo 1991 m. iki Å¡iol paskelbtÅ³ referendumÅ³ rezultatai (Results from Refrenda 1991-Present), Microsoft Word Document, Seimas. Accessed June 4, 2006.. Drafting the constitution was a long and complicated process. The role of the President's institution fuelled most heated debates. Drawing from the interwar experiences, politicians made many different proposals ranging from strong parliamentarism to the United States' model. Eventually a compromise semi-presidential system was settledLina KulikauskienÄ—, Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija (Constitution of Lithuania), Native History, CD, 2002. ISBN 9986-9216-7-8.

The Lithuanian head of state is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, maximum two terms consecutively. The post of President is largely ceremonial with functions of overseeing foreign affairs and national security policy. The President is also the commander-in-chief. The President, on the approval of the Seimas, also appoints the prime minister and on the latter's nomination, appoints the rest of the cabinet, as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts. Judges of the Constitutional Court (Konstitucinis Teismas), who serve for 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 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 represented in the Seimas.

Administrative division

Lithuania is subdivided into 10 counties and 60 municipalities

The current administrative division was established in 1994 and modified in 2000 to meet the requirements of European Union. Lithuania now has a three-step administrative division: Lithuania is divided into 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular â€" apskritis, plural â€" apskritys) that are later subdivided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: singular â€" savivaldybÄ—, plural â€" savivaldybÄ—s) which consist of over 500 elderates (Lithuanian: singular â€" seniÅ«nija, plural â€" seniÅ«nijos).

The counties are ruled by county governors (Lithuanian: apskrities virÅ¡ininkas) who are appointed by the central government. These officials ensure that the municipalities adhere to the laws of Lithuania and the constitution. They main goal is to oversee the local governments and how they implement the national laws, programs, and policies Lietuvos Respublikos apskrities valdymo Ä¯statymas (Republic of Lithuania Law on County Governing), Seimas law database, December 15, 1994, Law no. I-707. Accessed June 3, 2006..

Municipalities are the most important unit. Some municipalities are historically called "district municipalities", and thus are often shortened to "district"; others are called "city municipalities", sometimes are shortened to "city." Each municipality has its own elected government. In the past, the election of municipality councils occurred once every three years, but now take place every four years. The council elects the mayor of the municipality and other required personnel. The municipality councils also appoint elders to govern the elderates. There is currently a proposal for direct election of mayors and elders, however that would require to amend the constitution Justinas Vanagas, Seimo prioritetai Å¡iÄ… sesijÄ… â€" tiesioginiai mero rinkimai, gyventojÅ³ nuosavybÄ— ir euras (Seimas Priorities this session: direct election of mayors, property of residents, and euro), Delfi.lt, September 5, 2005. Accessed June 3, 2006..

Elderates are the smallest units and they do not play a role in the national politics. They were created so that people could receive necessary services close to their homes, for example, in rural areas elderates register births and deaths. They are most active in the social sector: determining the needy individuals or families and distributing welfare or organizing other relief Lietuvos Respublikos vietos savivaldos Ä¯statymo pakeitimo Ä¯statymas (Republic of Lithuania Law on Amending the Law on Local Self-Governing), Seimas law database, October 12, 2000, Law no. VIII-2018. Accessed June 3, 2006..

The current system of administrative division receives frequent criticism as too bureaucratic and ineffective. Significant complaints are made about the number of counties since they do not have much power wested in them. One proposal is to create four lands, a new administrative unit, the boundaries of which would be determined by the ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The benefit would be that the lands are naturally formed and not decided by bureaucrats or politicians Dr. Å½ilvytis Bernardas Å aknys Lietuvos Respublikos administracinio teritorinio suskirstymo perspektyvos: etnografiniai kultÅ«riniai regionai (Perspectives of Republic of Lithuania Administrative Subdivision: Ethnographic â€" Cultural Regions), The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, Seimas, December 12, 2002. Accessed June 4, 2006.. Another of the proposed solutions involve reducing the number counties so that there would be five in total, each based in one of the five largest cities with population of over 100,000 Dr. Antanas Tyla, Pastabos dÄ—l ApskriÄiÅ³ valdymo reformos koncepcijos (Notes on Conception of County Governing Reform), The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture, Seimas, May 16, 2001. Accessed June 4, 2006.. Others complain that elderates have no real power and receive too little attention; they could potentially become local initiative communities which could tackle many rural problems IndrÄ— MakaraitytÄ—, Europos SÄ…jungos pinigai kaimo neiÅ¡gelbÄ—s (Money from the European Union Will Not Save the Rural Areas), Atgimimas, Delfi.lt, December 16, 2004. Accessed June 4, 2006..

Geography

Physical map of Lithuania. Click on the image for better resolution.

A cottage at a hotel in a rural area - a sign of increasingly popular rural tourism

Lithuania is situated in northern Europe and is the largest and most populous of the Baltic states, it has around 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) of sandy coastline, of which only about 38 kilometres (24 mi) faces the open Baltic Sea. Lithuania's major warm-water port of KlaipÄ—da lies at the narrow mouth of Curonian Lagoon (Lithuanian: KurÅ¡iÅ³ marios), a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad. The main river, the Nemunas, and some of its tributaries carry international shipping vessels.

The Lithuanian landscape is glacially flat, except for morainic hills in the western uplands and eastern highlands that are no higher than 300 metres (1,000 ft), with the highest point being found at JuozapinÄ—s at 292 metres (958 ft). The terrain features numerous lakes, Lake ViÅ¡tytis for example, swamps, and a mixed forest zone covers 30% of the country. The climate lies between maritime and continental, with wet, moderate winters and summers. According to some geographers, Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, lies a few kilometres south of the geographical centre of Europe.

Lithuania consists of the following historical and cultural regions:
*AukÅ¡taitija - literally, the "Highlands"
*Samogitia (Lithuanian: Å½emaitija) - literally, the "Lowlands"
*DzÅ«kija (Lithuanian: DzÅ«kija or Dainava)
*Suduvia (Lithuanian: SÅ«duva or Suvalkija)
*MaÅ¾oji Lietuva - Lithuania Minor, also known as "Prussian Lithuania" (PrÅ«sÅ³ Lietuva). Now most of it is under control by Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast).

Economy

Vilnius Financial Center is a symbol of rapid economic growth of Lithuania

In 2003, prior to joining the European Union, Lithuania had the highest economic growth rate amongst all candidate and member countries, reaching 8.8% in the third quarter. In 2004 -7%; 2005 - 7.5%; 2006 second quarter - 7.7% growth in GDP reflected impressive economic development Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Change of GDP, 2002-2006 . Most of the trade Lithuania conducts is within the European Union.

It is a member of the World Trade Organization, and the European Union. By UN classification, Lithuania is a country with a high average income. The country boasts a well developed modern infrastructure of railways, airports and four lane highways. It has almost full employment, with an unemployment rate of only 2.9%. According to officially published figures, EU membership fueled a booming economy, increased outsourcing into the country, and boosted the tourism sector. The litas, the national currency, has been pegged to the Euro since February 2, 2002 at the rate of EUR 1.00 = LTL 3.4528 Lietuvos Bankas, and Lithuania is expected to switch to the Euro on 1 January 2009.

KlaipÄ—da port is the only port in Lithuania and is vital to its economy

Like other countries in the region (Estonia, Latvia) Lithuania also has a flat tax rate rather than a progressive scheme. Lithuanian income levels still lag behind the rest of the older EU members, with per capita GDP in 2006 at 56% of the EU average. Lower wages may have been a factor that in 2004 influenced the trend of emigration to wealthiest EU countries, something that has been made legally possible as a result of accession to the European Union. In 2006 income tax was reduced to 27% and a further reduction to 24% is expected in 2008. Income tax reduction and 12% annual wage growth is starting to make an impact with some emigrees gradually beginning to come back.Lithuanian News The latest official data show emigration in early 2006 to be 30% lower than the previous year, with 3,483 people leaving in four months.

Demographics

The great yard of Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. About 70% of high school graduates continue their studies in universities and colleges

The oldest wooden church is located in PalÅ«Å¡Ä—. Lithuania has strong Catholic traditions.

Ethnic diversity

83,5% of the Lithuanian population are ethnic Lithuanians who speak the Lithuanian language (one of two surviving members of the Baltic language group), which is the official language of the state. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.7%), Russians (6,3%), and Belarusians (1.2%) Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Population by ethnicity, census. Updated in 2005 .

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 (13%) and KlaipÄ—da (20%) and a slim majority in the town of Visaginas (55%)

Because of Soviet occupation, most Lithuanians are bilingual in Russian. According to the Eurostat poll about 80% of the Lithuanians can hold a conversation in Russian and almost all are familiar with the most general phrases and expressions. Nowadays, most Lithuanian schools teach English as a first foreign language, but students may also study German, or, in some schools, French. Schools where Russian and Polish are the primary languages of education exist in the areas populated by these minorities.

Religion

The historically predominant religion is Roman Catholicism. The Roman Catholic Church has been the majority confession since the Christianization of Lithuania in the 14th century. No less than 79% Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Population by Religious Confession, census. Updated in 2005 of Lithuanians are Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church used to be an influential factor in the country, and some priests actively led the resistance against the Communist regime and, after independence was regained, against socialism and liberalism, especially in ethical questions.

The nationally renowned anti-communist resistance shrine, the Hill of Crosses, upon which thousands of Latin rite crosses were erected or placed, is located near the city of Å iauliai. During the late 1800s, the erecting of Latin crosses upon the mentioned hill was forbidden by the Czarist Russian Orthodox authorities. During the 20th century, the Soviet authorities also forbade such explicit religious symbols. The crosses were removed in 1961, with tractors and bulldozers, but despite Soviet prohibitions, Lithuanian Roman Catholics continued to put small crucifixes and larger crosses on this Hill of the Crosses. Pope John Paul II visited the hill during his visit to Lithuania, primarily because it was a sign of anti-Communist Catholic resistance, as well as a Roman Catholic religious site. Lithuania was the only majority-Catholic former Soviet republic.

The diverse Protestant community (1.9 % of the total population) is much smaller than the Roman Catholic Church; Protestants are scattered all over the northern and western parts of Lithuania. Lithuania was historically positioned in between the two German-controlled states of Livonia to the north and the Protestant formerly monastic, Teutonic State of Prussia to its south. From those two regions in 16th century Lutheran Protestantism started to spread into the country. After 1945 Lutheranism in the country has declined. Baptist and Calvinist and other Protestant churches, have attempted to convert members into their faiths since 1990.

The country also has minority communities of Eastern Orthodoxy (mainly among the Russian minority), to which about 4.9 % of the total population belong, as well as of Judaism, Islam and Karaism (an ancient offshoot of Judaism represented by a long-standing community in Trakai), which together make up for another 1.6 % of the population.