The Republic of Lithuania is one of the Baltic states that gained independence from the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991. The capital of Lithuania is the city of Vilnius. The official state language is Lithuanian. The population of 2.8 million people.
Territory and political system
The total area of the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is about 65.3 thousand square meters. kilometers, making it the largest of the three states located in the Baltic region.
The country is a presidential-parliamentary republic, in which the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania plays a leading role. The president is elected for a five-year term. At the moment, the head of the country is Dalia Grybauskaite.
In 2008, the law of the Republic of Lithuania equated the symbols of fascism and the Soviet Union, making them equally illegal. In general, the country is actively promoting anti-Soviet and anti-Russian sentiment. Most Russian-speaking residents of the country have a specially created category of “non-citizens” of Lithuania.
Economy and Population
Despite the almost complete absence of any natural resources and resources in the country, the Republic of Lithuania managed to restore its economy after the collapse of the USSR and switch to the capitalist type of farming.
In many respects, the success of the transition and restoration of the Lithuanian economy depended on foreign investment, assistance and subsidies, primarily on the European Union. Today, the country has developed processing industry and services. In general, the economic situation is good, although the country has the lowest income level among the Baltic countries. The positive point is the low annual inflation rate (just over 1%).
Today, about 2.8 million people live in the country. The republic has great demographic problems, as the country's population is steadily and steadily declining. A few years ago, more than 3 million people lived in Lithuania. And the Lithuanian Soviet Republic totaled more than three and a half million inhabitants.
The largest city in the country is the capital city of Vilnius, which is home to more than 500 thousand inhabitants. Then come Kaunas (about 400 thousand inhabitants) and Klaipeda, where less than 200,000 people live.
About 85% of the country's population is ethnic Lithuanians. Then come the Poles, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Jews.
Conclusion
Despite significant demographic problems, the lack of a raw material base for industrial development and a small territory, the Republic of Lithuania managed to create a very stable and successful market economy, become a full member of the European Union and rebuild its monetary system, making the euro a national currency.
Today, Lithuania is one of the most prosperous countries that were once part of the USSR, as well as an active member of the pan-European trade market. It has a rich history, which often came into contact with the Russian, and in a certain historical period, Lithuania was part of the first Russian Empire, and then was one of the republics of the USSR.