11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by Soviet Union)
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Religions
Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
Languages
Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Exports
mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001)
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
External Debt
$31,370,000,000 $
$413,400,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
litai (LTL) per US dollar - 2.3251 (2008 est.), 2.5362 (2007), 2.7498 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004)
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 1,101.7 (2008 est.), 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
2.700%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
5
31
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Area
65,300 km sq
99,720 km sq
Coastline
90 km
2,413 km
Climate
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
