Lithuania
General facts
Lithuania is located in the North Europe, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, opposite Scandinavia. The total area is 65.3 thousand square kilometers, that makes Lithuania a little bit bigger than the state of West Virginia. The total population is 3.49 million people, of which 83% ethnic Lithuanians. Lithuania consists predominantly of gently rolling plains (55% of the total land area) and extensive forests (30.3% of the country). Lithuania is the country of lakes and rivers. There are 758 rivers and streams longer than ten kilometers (about 6 miles). The country boasts more than 2800 lakes covering 1.5% of the country`s area. The Lithuanian climate is temperate. From May to September daytime highs vary from about 14°C to 22°C (57°F to 72°F), but between November and March it rarely gets above 4°C (39°F). July and August, the warmest months, are also wet, with days of persistent showers. May, June and September are more comfortable. The most tourists come to Lithuania between June and late September.
History
Lithuania has a very rich history. In the year 2009 the country will celebrate 1,000 years since its name was mentioned for the first time in the written documents. To learn more about history, click here.
Culture and Language
Lithuanian language is one of the oldest languages that survived from the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. Although the country is not very big, there are different dialects of the language that came along with the history. Four dialects differ in in their phonetic, morphological and syntactic features, and even in vocabulary. Lithuanian language is based on Latin alphabet, however it has a couple of unique letters for total count of 32 letters in the alphabet.
Lithuania was always known for its cultural traditions that are still alive. Most Lithuanians are warm, welcoming and emotional people, that place biggest emphasis on family. Most of Lithuanian folk consists of old legends, tales that not only teach about the history of the country but also shows how it is important to keep the culture. An interesting Lithuanian folk-art tradition is the carving of large wooden crosses, suns, weathercocks or figures of saints on tall poles that are placed at crossroads, in cemeteries, village squares or at the sites of extraordinary events. In the Soviet period, such work was banned, but it survived to amazing effect at the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai.
The Capital
The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius - the largest administrative centre in Lithuania with all major political, economic, social and cultural centers. It has a population of 550 thousand inhabitants, which makes it the biggest city in Lithuania. The President Palace, the Parliament House is located in the heart of Vilnius. The Old Town, historical centre of Vilnius, is often compared to Prague. The most valuable historic and cultural heritage is concentrated here. The buildings in the old town - there are about 1.5 thousand of them - were built in a number of different centuries, therefore, it is a mixture of all European architectural styles. Although Vilnius is often called a baroque city, here you will find some buildings of gothic, renaissance and other styles. The main sights of the city are the Gediminas Castle and the Cathedral Square, symbols of the capital. Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital. Because of its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Only 25 kilometers from Vilnius there is a place where according to French National Geographical Institute is the center of Europe. There is a pyramid at that spot with names of every European capital and the distance to them.
The Curonian Spit
The most beautiful part of Lithuania is the famous Curonian spit, Lithuania`s "tiny Sahara". Registered as a Unesco world heritage site in December 2000, the Curonian lagoon and spit were formed 5000 years ago by the churning waves of the restless Baltic Sea. The Curonian spit is a remarkable natural phenomenon. The 50 km-long portion of the peninsula is as narrow as 400 meters is some sections. Now a national park, the Curonian spit is an ecological treasure and serves as an important resting spot for approximately 15 million birds during their annual migrations.
Although Lithuania has only 99 kilometers of actual sea shore, it is very beautiful place, including many gorgeous beaches that are usually packed from May to late September.