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Embassies

Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Lithuania
Ambassador: Ms. Yang Xiuping
Address: Algirdo Street 36, Vilnius 03218, Lithuania
Tel: +370-5-2162861, 2162862
Fax: +370-5-2162682

Office Hours:
09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00, Monday-Thursday (except holidays)
09:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00, Friday (except holidays)
Email: chinaemb_lt@mfa.gov.cn
Website: http://lt.chineseembassy.org/eng/


Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Beijing
Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Rokas Bernotas
Address: B-30, King's Garden Villas, No.18, Xiao Yun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Postal Code: 100125
Tel: (+86)10 8451 8520
Fax: (+86)10 8451 4442
E-mail: amb.cn@urm.lt



Geography

Lithuania is situated in Northern Europe. It has around 99 kilometres (61.5 mi) of sandy coastline, of which only about 38 kilometres (24 mi) face the open Baltic Sea and which is the shortest among the Baltic Sea countries; the rest of the coast is sheltered by the Curonian sand peninsula. Lithuania's major warm-water port, Klaipèda, lies at the narrow mouth of the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuanian: Kursiu marios), a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad. The main river, the Nemunas River, and some of its tributaries carry international shipping vessels.
The Lithuanian landscape has been smoothed by glaciers. The highest areas are the moraines in the western uplands and eastern highlands, none of which are higher than 300 metres (1,000 ft) above sea level, with the maximum elevation being Aukstojas Hill at 294 metres (964 ft). The terrain features numerous lakes, Lake Vistytis for example, and wetlands; a mixed forest zone covers nearly 33% of the country.
The country's climate, which ranges between maritime and continental, is relatively mild. Average temperatures on the coast are -2.5 C in January and 16 °C in July. In Vilnius the average temperatures are -6 °C in January and 16 °C in July. Simply speaking, 20 °C is frequent on summer days and 14 °C at night although temperatures can reach 30 or 35 °C. Some winters can be very cold. -20 °C occurs almost every winter. Winter extremes are -34 °C in coastal areas and -43°C in the east of Lithuania. The average annual precipitation is 800 millimeters on the coast, 900 mm in Samogitia highlands and 600 millimeters in the eastern part of the country. Snow occurs every year, it can snow from October to April. In some years sleet can fall in September or May. The growing season lasts 202 days in the western part of the country and 169 days in the eastern part. Severe storms are rare in the eastern part of Lithuania but common in the coastal areas.




Government

The Lithuanian head of state is the President, elected directly for a five-year term, serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. The post of president is largely ceremonial; main policy functions however include foreign affairs and national security policy. The president is also the military commander-in-chief. The President, with the approval of the parliamentary body, the Seimas, also appoints the prime minister and on the latter's nomination, appoints the rest of the cabinet, as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts.
The unicameral Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members who are elected to four-year terms. 71 of the members of this legislative body are elected in single constituencies, and the other 70 are elected in a nationwide vote by proportional representation. A party must receive at least 5% of the national vote to be represented in the Seimas.




Population

The population of Lithuania stands at 3.3662 million, 84.6% of whom are ethnic Lithuanians who speak Lithuanian which is the official language of the country. Several sizable minorities exist, such as Poles (6.3%), Russians (5.1%), and Belarusians (1.1%).[43]
Poles are the largest minority, concentrated in southeast Lithuania (the Vilnius region). Russians are the second largest minority, concentrated mostly in two cities. They constitute sizeable minorities in Vilnius (14%) and Klaip?da (28%), and a majority in the town of Visaginas (52%).
84% of the country's population speak Lithuanian as their native language, 8.2% are the native speakers of Russian, 5.8% - of Polish. More than 60% are fluent in Russian, while only about 16% say they can speak English.
In 2005, 79% of Lithuanians belonged to the Roman Catholic Church. The country also has minority communities of Judaism, Islam, and Karaism which make up another 1.6% of the population. Lithuania was historically home to a large and influential Jewish community that was almost entirely eliminated during the Holocaust. The first noticeable presence of Islam in Lithuania began in the 14th century. From this time it was primarily associated with the Lipka Tatars (also known as Lithuanian Tatars), many of whom settled in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth while continuing their traditions and religious beliefs.
Population: 3,555,179 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.2% (male 258,423/female 245,115)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 1,214,743/female 1,261,413)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 198,714/female 376,771) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.279% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
Birth rate: 9.11 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Death rate: 11.12 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.9 years
country comparison to the world: 86
male: 69.98 years
female: 80.1 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:		 2,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
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)
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 72




Economy

Lithuania's economy grew on average 8% per year for the four years prior to 2008, driven by exports and domestic consumer demand. Unemployment stood at 4.8% in 2008, while wages grew at double digit rates. The current account deficit rose to roughly 15% of GDP in 2007-08. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Despite Lithuania's EU accession, Lithuania's trade with its Central and Eastern European neighbors, and Russia in particular, accounts for a growing percentage of total trade. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities is nearly complete. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $63.25 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$61.29 billion (2007)
$56.28 billion (2006
GDP (official exchange rate): $48.75 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.2% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
8.9% (2007 est.)
7.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $17,700 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$17,100 (2007 est.)
$15,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 32.8%
services: 62.8% (2008 est.)
Labor force: 1.601 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14%
industry: 29.1%
services: 56.9% (2005)
Unemployment rate: 4.8% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
3.5% (2007 est.)
note: based on survey data, official registered unemployment of 5.7%
Population below poverty line: 4% (2003)
Household income
or consumption by % share		 lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 27.7% (2003)
Budget: revenues: $15.4 billion
expenditures: $15.86 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt: 11.9% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
5.7% (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish
Industries: metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry
Electricity - production: 11.91 billion kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Electricity - consumption: 10.4 billion kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Telephones - main lines in use: 799,400 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 87
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.912 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 80
Telephone system general assessment: adequate; being modernized to provide improved international capability and better residential access
Internet hosts: 812,083 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 42
Internet users: 1.333 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 75



- Imagine Media, 2009 -