Литва

History

 Lithuania was first mentioned in 1009 in the Qedlinburg annals. Lithuania emerged as a state in the early 13th century, and by the beginning of the 15th century, had become one of the most powerful states in Eastern Europe. Lithuanians built castles which are still admired today for their defensive construction. In 1386, Grand Duke Jagello (Jogaila) accepted the Polish crown, introduced Christianity, and established a personal union between Poland and Lithuania. In 1569 the Union of Liublin, sealed the Poland-Lithuania Union as a Commonwealth (Rzecspospolita). In 1795, Lithuania was incorporated into Russia, and its statehood was not restored until February 16, 1918 when Lithuania proclaimed independence.  In 1940 the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania. In 1988, the anti-Communist Sajudis conducted a successful campaign to restore Lithuanian independence. In February 1990, Sajudis won an overwhelming majority in free parliamentary elections, and in March independence was proclaimed. In 2004 Lithuania was accepted into NATO and joined the European Union.

Geography

Lithuania is the biggest of the three Baltic countries, and lies between Latvia in the north, Belarus in the southeast, Poland and Kaliningrad Region in the southwest. Lithuania has a 99 km coastline covered with sand beaches and dunes, and the geographic centre of Europe lies 24 km northwest of Vilnius.

Lithuania regained its independence in 1991, and is now a member of the EU and NATO. It is a parliamentary democracy, and the head of State is the President.

Facts and Figures

Language: Lithuanian is a Baltic language, related to Latvian. English, German, Rusian and Polish are also widely spoken.

Capital city: Vilnius

Population: 3,600,000 of which 600,000 live in Vilnius. Lithuanians form 83% of the population – most of the others are Russian or Polish.

Area: 65,200 square kilometres.

International telephone calling code: 370 Dial 00 for outbound international calls. IDD system is available at all hotels. Telephone cards are used and GSM and NMT net are widely available.

Emergency number: 112

Time zone: Eastern European Time (GMT + 2 hours) daylight saving time is in operation from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Electricity: 220 Volts/50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

Currency: LTL. 1 litas = 100 sents. The litas is pegged to the euro at 1 EUR = approx. 3.45 LTL. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in banks and exchange offices. Most hotels, restaurants, banks, larger stores and gas stations also accept credit cards and banks also offer cash advances on major credit cards.

Entry requirements: Citizens of other EU countries and most European countries do not require visas. For more information contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at http://www.tourism.lt/en/default.htm.

National holidays: January 1st (New Year's Day), February 16th (Independence Day), April 8-9 th (Easter), July 6th (Day of Statehood), August 15th (Feast of Assumption), November 1st (All Saint’s Day ), December 25-26th (Christmas, winter solstice), December 31st (New Year's Eve).

Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, also Evangelical Lutheran and Russian Orthodox communities.

Weather: The climate in Lithuania varies between the coast and inland areas. Average temperatures range from + 20 C in summer (July and August are the warmest months) to –4.8 C in winter.

© Public Enterprise Vilnius Tourist Information Centre, www.vilnius-tourism.lt