The light in the north is dazzling, the colours dizzying. In Vilnius, the capital, nature and towns blend almost seamlessly and the warmth of the inhabitants is almost reminiscent of Latin countries. After visiting the Russian Orthodox monastery and watching the making of amber pearls in the workshops of the old town, you can head for the birch forests, the prairies and lakes, then the wheat fields: palettes of blue, green, yellow and ochre…
Geography
Lithuania's area (65,300 square kilometers) is greater than that of Belgium, Denmark or Switzerland.
Length of borders: 1846 km, of which 99 are coastal.
The country borders Latvia on its north, Bielorussia and Poland on the southeast, and the Russian region of Kaliningrad in the southwest.
The climate is semi-maritime, semi-continental. The average January temperature is -4.9° C and 17.2° C in July. The country is flat: plains and plateaus predominate. It has a coastline on the Baltic sea, and contains over 3000 lakes. Klaipeda is the ice-free port.
The geographic centre of Europe is found 25 km north of Vilnius, the capital. This fact was calculated by the National Geographical Institute of France in 1989.
Lithuania is divided into 4 main regions:
- Aukstatija - Capital: Vilnius
- Dzukija - Capital: Alytus
- Suvalkija - Capital: Marimampole
- Zemaitija - Capital: Telsai
Main cities
- Vilnius
- Kaunas
- Klaipeda
- Siauliai
- Panevezys
Status
Republic
Government
Republic, pluralist democratic system made up of a president, prime minister and parliament (Seimas) consisting of 141 members
Important Date
March 11, 1990 marked Lithuania's independence from the USSR
Capital: Vilnius
Currency: litas
Languages spoken
Lithuanian, Russian
Natural resources
Gravel, sand, quartz sand, gypsum, dolomite, clay, peat, mineral water, amber, etc.
Agriculture
wheat, barley, fishing, lumber
- January 1: New Year's Day
- February 16: Restoration of the Lithuanian State
- March 11: Restoration of Lithuanian Independence
- Easter Sunday and Monday
- May 1: Worker's Day
- July 6: Feast of King Mindaugas
- August 15: Ascension Day
- November 1: All Saints' Day
- Christmas Day and December 26
