Country
Countries A-Z
Lithuania
Republic of Lithuania
Lietuvos Respublika
Political Status: Independence from Russia declared February 16, 1918; absorption of independent state by the Soviet Union on August 3, 1940, repudiated on March 11, 1990, by the Lithuanian Supreme Council; independence recognized by the USSR State Council on September 6, 1991; current constitution approved by referendum of October 25, 1992.
Area: 25,174 sq. mi. (65,200 sq. km).
Population: 2,840,000 (2018E—World Bank); 2,793,284 (2018E—U.S. Census).
Major Urban Centers (2018E—UN): VILNIUS (574,221), Kaunas (312,120), Klaipėda (164,310), Panevėžys (98,598), Šiauliai (107,086).
Official Language: Lithuanian.
Monetary Unit: Euro (market rate October 19, 2018: 0.87 euro = $1US). Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004, and adopted the euro in January 2015. The Litas was the currency until December 31, 2014.
President: Dalia GRYBAUSKAITĖ (nonparty); elected in first-round balloting on May ...