General information
Location: The country is located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. In 1989, the National Geographic Institute of France identified the geographical centre of Europe 24 km northwest of Vilnius. Neighbouring countries: Latvia, Belarus, Poland, Russia (the Kaliningrad Region).
Area: 65.300 sq. km.
Population: 2.900.000.
Ethnic Composition
83,1% Lithuanian, 6,0% Polish, 4,8% Russian, 1,1% Belarusian, and 5% other. People of 115 different ethnic backgrounds live in Lithuania.
Religions
The religion in Lithuania is predominantly Roman Catholic. In addition to Roman Catholics, you will find Russian Orthodox, Evangelical Lutherans, Evangelical Reformers, Old Believers, Jews, Sunni Muslims and Karaims.
National Currency
Euro (EUR) = 100 cents (ct).
Time
GMT + 2 hours.
Language
Lithuanian is the oldest surviving Indo-European language, which has preserved the most phonetical and morphological aspects of the proto-language which many other European languages come from. Melodic and pleasant to the ear, Lithuanian may appear to be a real mind bender because of its conservative character. It doesn’t have articles – the connections between words are expressed by declining the endings. The Lithuanian language and the kindred Latvian language belong to the Baltic group of Indo-European languages. To this day, some people base their own understanding of ethnic identity on linguistic identity. Lithuanians proudly quote the French linguist Antoine Meillet, who said that ‘anyone wishing to hear how Indo-Europeans spoke should come and listen to a Lithuanian peasant’.
Many popular Lithuanian names are linked with nature:
Aušra – dawn
Eglė – fir-tree
Gintaras – amber
Linas – flax
Ramunė – chamomile flower
Rasa – dew
Rūta – rue-flower
Saulė – sun