Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US.

On March 11, 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow).

The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 3,575,439 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.9% (male 273,573/female 259,570) 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 1,213,011/female 1,264,996) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 194,500/female 369,789) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 38.6 years male: 36.1 years female: 41.2 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: -0.289% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 8.87 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 11.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.054 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.959 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.526 male(s)/female total population: 0.887 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 6.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.44 years male: 69.46 years female: 79.69 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.21 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,300 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Lithuanian(s) adjective: Lithuanian

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Ethnic groups: Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census)

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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)

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Languages: Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.6% female: 99.6% (2001 census)

Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has grown rapidly since rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment fell to 3.7% in 2006, while wages grew 17.6%, contributing to rising inflation. Exports and imports continue to grow strongly, and the current account deficit rose to nearly 10% of GDP in 2006. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. 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, but foreign direct investment declined in 2006.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $54.9 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $30.2 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 7.5% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,300 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 33.3% services: 61.2% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 1.617 million (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 15.8% industry: 28.2% services: 56% (2004)

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Unemployment rate: 3.7% note: based on survey data, official registered unemployment of 5.7% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 4% (2003)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 24.9% (2000)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.5 (2003)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 23% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $9.415 billion expenditures: $9.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 18% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish

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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

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Industrial production growth rate: 7% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 17.8 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 9.358 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 11.49 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 4.293 billion kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 56,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: 145,100 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - imports: 187,800 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - proved reserves: 12 million bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004)

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Natural gas - consumption: 2.92 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 2.92 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$2.572 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $14.64 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001)

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Exports - partners: Russia 12.8%, Latvia 11.1%, Germany 8.7%, Estonia 6.5%, Poland 6%, Netherlands 4.9%, Sweden 4.6%, UK 4.3%, US 4.3%, Denmark 4.2%, France 4.1% (2006)

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Imports: $18.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals

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Imports - partners: Russia 24.4%, Germany 14.9%, Poland 9.6%, Latvia 4.8% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $5.22 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $15.12 billion (30 June 2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $1.6 billion (1995)

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Currency (code): litas (LTL)

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Exchange rates: litai per US dollar - 2.7498 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year