Lithuania is one of the states of Northern Europe. Belongs to the Baltic countries. The capital is the city of Vilnius.
Lithuania is a very small country. On the meridian, the distance from border to border is 280 km, and in latitude - 370 km. The area of Lithuania is 65300 km 2. The number of inhabitants is about 3 million people. In the northwest, the country goes to the coast of the Baltic Sea, occupying its eastern coast. The coastline is 99 km. On the opposite side of the sea is Sweden. By land, Lithuania has the following borders: eastern (southeast) - with Belarus, northern - with Latvia, western - with the Kaliningrad region, south-western - with Poland.
Lithuania is a member of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), NATO, and the OECD (since 2018).
Geographic features
The territory is flat. Forestless spaces (fields and meadows) occupy a little more than half of the area, followed by forest and shrub vegetation (about a third of the total area). This is followed by swamps (6%) and the surface of water bodies (about 1%).
The climate is weakly continental, with features of the sea. Winters are mild, with an average temperature of -5 ° C. Summer is not hot: its average temperature is only +17 degrees. The amount of precipitation is significant - 748 mm per year.
Minerals are represented by building materials, peat, minerals.
Population
The population of Lithuania is rapidly declining. In 2015, it amounted to 2 898 062 people, and in 2018 - 2 810 564. The natural increase is negative. In addition, there is an outflow (emigration) of residents to the countries of Western Europe. Lithuania is one of the first places in the world on the problems of alcoholism among the population.
Lithuanian economy
The economic situation in Lithuania is generally quite favorable. A stable market economy is developing there. Resource deficits, low inflation (1.2% per year), and the use of the euro as the main currency are characteristic.
The Lithuanian industry is underdeveloped, which is explained by the low raw material base and the peculiarities of development as a secondary EU member. Of greatest importance is the production of dairy products.
A large role in the economy is played by exports and imports. Lithuania has long been a member of the World Trade Organization. The largest economic ties are with the Russian Federation, although after 2014 their weight in the Lithuanian economy has significantly decreased.
Lithuania's nominal GDP is about $ 55 billion (82nd place in the world). The people are not in poverty, but they cannot be called particularly rich either. Lithuania's GDP per capita (in nominal terms) is $ 19, 534 per year. The number of economically active residents is 1.5 million. The unemployment rate is 7.5%. The average salary before taxes is $ 1, 035 or 895 euros per month. After their payment, the numbers are significantly less: $ 810 and 700 euros per month.
The share of industry in the formation of GDP is about 31 percent, and the share of agriculture is about 6%.
Lithuanian GDP dynamics and external debt
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and to date, Lithuania's gross domestic product has changed many times. From the 89th to the 92nd years of the 20th century, the indicator fell immediately by 50%. In 1993, it was stable, after which there was a steady growth, up to the present. Until 2009, it was about 7% per year, and then it slowed down and amounted to an average of 2-3% per year. In 2009, there was a rather significant decline - immediately by 14.8%. Thus, the dynamics of Lithuania's GDP over the years shows a steady upward trend, but in the last 10 years it has noticeably decreased.
The national debt of Lithuania is up to 40 percent of GDP. However, for European countries this is not much. Countries such as Romania, Sweden, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Estonia have a lower public debt than Lithuania.
Energetics
Lithuania produces little electricity, mainly importing it. The share of natural gas is about the same as that of petroleum products. Hydroelectric power stations also operate. In recent years, as in many other EU countries, Lithuania has been developing alternative renewable energy. Obviously, its share in the energy balance will grow, especially given the lack of its own raw material base.
Currently, Lithuania imports natural gas, oil and coal. Apart from alternative energy, the cost of its production remains high due to the need to import raw materials and close its own nuclear power plant.
