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Any
country that gives pride of place to a memorial statue of
singer Frank Zappa has got to be worth a visit. Lithuania
is the most vibrant Baltic state, shown not only by its antiestablishment
statues but more deeply by its daring and emotional drive
for independence in 1990-91.
Lithuania
owes much to the rich cultural currents of central Europe:
with neighbouring Poland it once shared an empire stretching
from the Baltic Sea almost to the Black Sea. The Lithuanian
people are regarded as much more outgoing and less organised
than their Estonian and Latvian counterparts, and most still
practice the Roman Catholicism which sets them apart from
their Baltic neighbours.
Although
small and less than spectacular, Lithuania boasts attractions
ranging from the intriguing Curonian Spit and the strange
Hill of Crosses to the urban pleasures of Vilnius, the historic,
lively capital.
Full
country name: Republic of Lithuania
Area: 65,200 sq km (25,212 sq mi)
Population: 3.7 million
Capital city: Vilnius (pop 590,100)
People: Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Byelorussian
1.6%
Languages: Lithuanian, Polish, Russian
Religion: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant,
evangelical Christian Baptist, Islam, Judaism
Government: Parliamentary democracy
President: Rolandas Paksas
GDP:
US$17.6 billion
GDP per head: US$4900
Annual growth: 4.5%
Inflation: 5.1%
Major industries: petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small
ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers,
agricultural machinery, electronic components, agriculture
Major trading partners: Russia, Germany, Belarus, Latvia,
Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Finland
Member of EU: no
Lithuania
Flight from UK
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