Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, Lithuania extended its territory through alliances and conquest to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when surrounding countries partitioned its remnants. Lithuania regained its independence after World War I, but the USSR annexed it in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. In 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until 1991. The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into West European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in 2004. In 2015, Lithuania joined the euro zone, and it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2018.
Area: 65,300 km2
Climate: transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
Natural resources: peat, arable land, amber
Groups: Lithuanian 84.6%, Polish 6.5%, Russian 5%, Belarusian 1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.8% (2021 est.)
Languages: Lithuanian (official) 85.3%, Russian 6.8%, Polish 5.1%, other 1.1%, two mother tongues 1.7% (2021 est.)major-language sample(s): Pasaulio enciklopedija – naudingas bendrosios informacijos šaltinis. (Lithuanian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Roman Catholic 74.2%, Russian Orthodox 3.7%, Old Believer 0.6%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other (including Sunni Muslim, Jewish, Greek Catholic, and Karaite) 0.9%, none 6.1%, unspecified 13.7% (2021 est.)
Capital: Vilnius
Government type: semi-presidential republic
Chief of state: President Gitanas NAUSEDA (since 12 July 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Gintautas PALUCKAS (since 12 December 2024)cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president, approved by Parliamentelections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 May 2024 (next election to be held in 2029); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by Parliamentelection results: 2024: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote -Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 75.6%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (TS-LKD) 24.4%2019: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 66.7%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (independent) 33.3%
Description: legislature name: Parliament (Seimas)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 141 (all directly elected)electoral system: mixed systemscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 10/13/2024 to 10/27/2024parties elected and seats per party: Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) (52); Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) (28); Political Party "The Dawn of Nemunas" (PPNA) (20); Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” (DSVL) (14); Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania (LS) (12); Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) (8); Other (7)percentage of women in chamber: 28.4%expected date of next election: October 2028
Information derived by "The World Factbook 2021. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2021. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/"