Population: 3.6 million
Capital: Vilnius
Major language: Lithuanian
Major religion: Roman Catholicism
Life expectancy: 69.2 years (men), 79.49 years (women)
Monetary unit: Litas
Main exports: Mineral products, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals
Average annual income: US $13,900
Internet domain: .lt
International dialing code: +37
About Lithuania
A flurry of countries burst onto the scene with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this was not the first time that a sovereign Lithuanian state had appeared on the European map. For much of the Middle Ages, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania dominated a vast expanse of Eastern Europe.
The Lithuanians are Balts, and the main religion is Roman Catholicism, which although suppressed during the Cold War years, has made a comeback in recent times. Lithuania is the largest Baltic nation, and it is divided into ten counties, with a 100 kilometre coastline in the northwest. The majority of the country is relatively flat, but the gently undulating landscape of the west endures as a classic Lithuanian image, as do the country's many lakes.
Lithuania's destiny has been closely intertwined with that of Poland, and in 1385, a personal union was signed between the two countries. Although Polish became the language of the gentry, the nobles tended to regard themselves as 'Gente Lituani, natione Poloni.' (Lithuanian origin, Polish nationality). From time to time an ambitious magnate considered seceding from the 'Commonwealth of Two Nations,' as it became known in 1569, but the union survived until the 1795, when the state was wiped off the map by Russia, Austria and Prussia.
A renewed interest in the Lithuanian language, which had by and large been kept alive by rural folk, grew steadily throughout the nineteenth century. Cultural repression by the Russians further heightened the desire to salvage ancient traditions. A significant portion of the emerging middle class in the towns rallied to this Lithuanian identity, but in Vilnius the majority remained Polish speaking.
A new Lithuania was born after the First World War, but friction occurred with the freshly independent Poland, largely due to claims over Vilnius. After proclamations from both sides, General Zeligowski seized Vilnius for the Poles. Kaunas became the Lithuanian capital, and relations between the two countries were by and large suspended.
The Second World War changed the face of Lithuania. The ancient Jewish community, which had been present for over eight hundred years, was largely annihilated under the command of the Nazis. The Nazis endeavoured to play the occupied communities off against each other, with tragic results. Meanwhile, the Soviets had been responsible for deporting large numbers of the Polish, Jewish and Lithuanian intelligentsia in 1940-41. When the Soviets returned in 1944 they absorbed Lithuania into the Soviet Union and encouraged the repatriation of most Polish speakers to the new Poland. Vilnius became the nominal capital of Lithuania, but Russification began immediately.
The Lithuanians liberated themselves from the Soviet Union in 1991, and the country soon became a leader in the region. The democratic system was adopted relatively smoothly, and in the first wave of EU Enlargement in 2004, Lithuania was amongst the 10 countries chosen.