Lithuania
Lithuania, republic in northeastern
Europe, bounded on the north by Latvia; on the east and south by Belarus; on the southeast
by Poland and Russias Kaliningrad Oblast; and on the west by the Baltic Sea. With
Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania is one of the Baltic states. Its name in Lithuanian is
Lietuvos Respublika (Republic of Lithuania). Vilnius, the capital and largest city of
Lithuania, is located in the southeastern portion of the country.
Lithuania is situated
on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Ethnic Lithuanians constitute a majority of the
countrys population. Lithuania was an independent republic from 1918 until 1940,
when it was annexed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). In 1991 Lithuania
regained its independence, and in 1992 it adopted a new constitution and held its first
post-Soviet democratic elections. Since the early 1990s Lithuanians have been working to
establish a free-market economy in place of the centralized economy of the Soviet period.
Lithuania is the largest of the Baltic states with an area of about 65,300 sq km (about
25,200 sq mi). The country consists primarily of a low-lying plain; nearly its entire
territory is less than 200 m (less than 660 ft) in elevation. A centrally located lowland
is broken in the extreme east and southeast by adjacent highlands. To the west of the
central lowland, a hilly region gradually gives way to a low-lying coastal area.
Lithuanias Baltic coast extends 108 km (67 mi). The southern half of the coastline
is buttressed by a long, narrow sandbar that forms an offshore lagoon. Lithuania has about
3000 small lakes and many rivers. The countrys longest and largest river is the
Nemunas (Neman), which flows north from Belarus to the center of Lithuania, and then west
until it reaches the Baltic. Marshes and swamps are prevalent in Lithuania, especially in
the north and west, although much of the original wetlands have been drained for
agricultural purposes.
Forests,
which occupy 31 percent of the countrys total land area, are most dense in the
southeast. Pine trees are found in the coastal region and the south, while oak trees
predominate in the central portion of the country. Spruce, birch, black alder, and aspen
are less common. Lithuanias nature reserves support a vast array of wildlife. There
are 68 known species of mammal, including elk, deer, wolves, foxes, and wild boar. The
countrys 305 bird species include white storks, herons, geese, ducks, and hawks.
Lithuanias
limited mineral resources include peat (a compact, high-carbon material used for fuel and
mulch), sulfates, limestone, chalk, sand, and gravel. Amber, a fossil tree resin, is found
along the Baltic shore. Minor oil and gas deposits are found in coastal and offshore
areas.
The climate of
Lithuania is dominated by marine influences, but conditions are more variable in the
eastern portion of the republic. In the west, summers are cooler and winters are milder.
Average annual precipitation ranges from less than 600 mm (less than 24 in) in the center
of the country to more than 850 mm (33 in) in the west.
Lithuania, like
other parts of the former USSR, suffers from rampant industrial pollution. Factories and
industries built during the Soviet period continue to operate without adequate pollution
controls due to the high cost of upgrading or replacing them. Pollution is especially
pronounced at the cement works at Akmenė and the fertilizer plant at Jonava. The Ignalina
nuclear power plant, built in the 1980s, also poses an environmental threat, as it has a
history of operational problems. Its nuclear reactors are of the same Soviet-engineered
design as those at Ukraines Chernobyl plant, where a disastrous explosion
occurred in 1986 (see Chernobyl Accident).
Another
environmental concern in Lithuania is its polluted coastal waters, which receive untreated
sewage as well as fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals washing out from rivers.
Although the outflow of pollution persists, pollution levels in the Baltic Sea have been
reduced significantly since 1974, when the nations bordering the sea signed a pact to
protect its waters. In the 1980s Lithuanians began to publicly oppose the degradation of
their environment. Because they held the Soviet government responsible, their concerns
became part of the independence movement. Environmental awareness is strong in Lithuania,
and the government allocates funds for environmental initiatives.
Lithuania
is a democratic republic. According to its constitution, which was ratified in October
1992, a president is head of state. The president is elected by direct popular vote for a
term of five years and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. With the approval of
parliament, the president appoints a prime minister. The president also appoints members
of the council of ministers on the nomination of the prime minister. For administrative
purposes, the country is divided into 44 regions and 11 municipalities.
The highest
legislative authority in Lithuania is the Seimas, or parliament, a single-chamber body
composed of 141 members elected to four-year terms. Seventy-one seats in the Seimas are
determined by direct popular vote in single-member districts, while the remaining seats
are allocated on a proportional basis to each party that receives at least 5 percent of
the vote. All citizens age 18 and older may vote.
Lithuanias
judicial system, which is based on a civil law system, consists of the Constitutional
Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and district and local courts. The Supreme
Court is the highest court. Its judges are appointed by the Seimas on the recommendation
of the president. The Seimas also appoints the members of the Constitutional Court, which
rules on the constitutionality of legislation. The president appoints all other judges,
with appointments to the Court of Appeal subject to approval by the Seimas.
Lithuanias
major political parties are the Homeland Union, the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party,
the Lithuanian Center Union Party, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Lithuanian
Democratic Labor Party (DLP; formerly the Communist Party of Lithuania), and the
Lithuanian Democratic Party. Parties representing ethnic minorities include the Union of
Poles. In parliamentary elections held in 1996, the DLP lost most of its seats. The
Homeland Union, a newly formed conservative party, emerged with the largest number of
seats (70) and joined a ruling coalition with the Christian Democrats.
During the
Soviet period, Lithuania had no armed forces separate from those of the Soviet Union.
Lithuanias defense forces now include an army of 4300, a paramilitary border guard
of 4000, and a volunteer home guard reserve of 12,000. The country also has a small navy
and air force. Men are conscripted for 12 months beginning at age 18.
Lithuania is a
member of the United Nations (UN) and the Council of Europe. The country also participates
in the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Lithuanias relations with its Baltic neighbors, Latvia and Estonia, are loosely
coordinated through the Baltic Assembly, a consultative intergovernmental body established
in late 1991. Like the other Baltic states, Lithuania has declined membership in the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose alliance of most of the former Soviet
republics. |