Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form:
Lithuania
local long form:
Lietuvos Respublika
local short form:
Lietuva
former:
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name:
Vilnius
geographic coordinates:
54 41 N, 25 19 E
time difference:
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Ank??ciai, Bir??tono, Bir??ai, Druskininkai, Elektr??nai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joni??kis, Jurbarkas, Kai??iadorys, Kalvarijos, Kauno Miestas, Kaunas, Kazlu Rudos, Kedainiai, Kelme, Klaipedos Miestas, Klaipeda, Kretinga, Kupi??kis, Lazdijai, Marijampole, Ma??eikiai, Moletai, Neringa, Pag??giai, Pakruojis, Palangos Miestas, Paneve??ys, Pasvalys, Plunge, Prienai, Radvili??kis, Raseiniai, Rietavo, Roki??kis, ?�akiai, ?�alcininkai, ?�iauliu Miestas, ?�iauliai, ?�ilale, ?�ilute, ?�irvintos, Skuodas, ?�vencionys, Taurage, Tel??iai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkavi??kis, Vilniaus, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai
Independence:
11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992, entered into force 2 November 1992; amended 2003 (2012)
Legal system:
civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE (since 12 July 2009)
head of government:
Prime Minister Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS (since 22 November 2012)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister and approval of the Parliament
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 11 and 25 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament
election results:
Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE reelected president; percent of vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE 59%, Zigmantas BALCYTIS 41%; Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS approved by Parliament 90-40
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members elected in single-member districts, 70 elected by proportional representation; members to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 14 and 28 October 2012 (next to be held in October 2016)
election results:
percent of vote by party (proportional vote) - DP 19.8%, LSDP 18.4%, TS-LKD 15.1%, LS 8.6%, DK 8%, TT 7.3%, LLRA 5.8%, LVZS 3.9%, other parties 13.1%; seats by party - LSDP 38, TS-LKD 33, DP 29, TT 11, LS 10, LLRA 8, DK 7, unaffiliated 4, vacant 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges selected by Seimas from among nominations by the president, by the Seimas chairperson, and Supreme Court chairperson; judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms; note - one-third of court judges reconstituted every 3 years
subordinate courts:
Court of Appeals; district and local courts
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Party or KP [Gediminas VAGNORIUS]
Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas MATULEVICIUS]
Democratic Labor and Unity Party or DDVP [Kristina BRAZAUSKIENE]
Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]
Emigrants Party or EP [Juozas MURAUSKAS]
Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Andrius KUBILIUS]
Labor Party or DP [Loreta GRAUZINIENE]
Liberal and Center Union or LCS [Arturas MELIANAS]
Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Eligijus MASIULIS]
Lithuanian People's Party or LLP [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE]
Lithuanian People's Party or LZP [Joana SIMANAUSKIENE]
Lithuanian Russian Union or LRS [Sergejus DMITRIJEVAS]
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS]
Nationalist Union or TS [Gintaras SONGAILA]
Order and Justice Party or TT [Rolandas PAKSAS]
Peasant and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]
Republican Party or RP [Valdemaras VALKIUNAS]
Russian Alliance or RA [Tamara LOCHANKINA]
Socialist People's Front or SLF [Algirdas PALECKIS]
Way of Courage or DK [Jonas VARKALA]
YES-Homeland Revival and Perspective or YES Union or TAIP Union or TAIP [Arturas ZUOKAS]
Young Lithuania Party or PJL [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Zygimantas PAVILIONIS (since 5 August 2010)
chancery:
2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 234-5860
FAX:
[1] (202) 328-0466
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Deborah A. MCCARTHY (since 5 February 2013)
embassy:
Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106
mailing address:
American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106
telephone:
[370] (5) 266-5500
FAX:
[370] (5) 266-5510
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red; yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as the sun, light, and goodness; green represents the forests of the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope; red stands for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland
National symbol(s):
mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser)
National anthem:
name:
"Tautiska giesme" (The National Song)
lyrics/music: Vincas KUDIRKA
note: adopted 1918, restored 1990; the anthem was written in 1898 while Lithuania was a part of Russia; it was banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990