Lithuania - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Lithuania is a northern European country. It is located on the Baltic Sea's eastern shore.

Lithuania has an area of 25,174 square miles (65,200 square kilometers).

Most of Lithuania is lowland. There are many rivers, lakes and marshes.

The Neman River runs through Belarus, Lithuania and Russia.

Courland spit, one the largest sand spits on the Baltic coast, is located in Lithuania and Russia. There is a small delta where the Neman River flows into Courland spit, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius.

3,287,000 people live in Lithuania.

83% are Lithuanian, 7% are Polish, 6% are Russian and 1% are Belorussian.

The official language is Lithuanian. Russian is also spoken.

83% of the people are Roman Catholic and 5% are Protestant.

Lithuania's economy is based primarily on manufacturing.

Chemicals, mineral products and machinery are the main exports.

Fishing, agriculture and forestry also play important roles in the economy.

Lithuania was once a republic of the Soviet Union. It became independent 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed.

It joined the European Union in 2004.

Lithuania has a parliamentary system of government.

The official currency of Lithuania is the litas, which is equal to 100 centu.