Useful information about Lithuania, including all the things you need to know before leaving for a trip or vacation in this state of northeastern Europe.
Lithuania in a nutshell
- Capital: Vilnius
- Area in sq km: 65,200
- Population: 3,269,600 (first half of 2010)
- Religion: Catholic majority (ca. 80%), Orthodox minority and to a lesser extent Protestant.
Where is it
The Republic of Lithuania is a member state of the European Union, it is located in northeastern Europe, at the geographical center of the European continent, (the center is exactly located north of Vilnius, next to the village of Purnuškiai).
It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland to the south and the Russian Kaliningrad exclave to the south-west, to the west is bathed by the Baltic Sea.
Its territory, mostly flat, has some low hills, and is characterized by numerous rivers and many lakes.
Extensive forests occupy about a third of the territory, in proportion, to a lesser extent than in Estonia, as the soil is also occupied by agricultural activities.
The highest relief is the Juozapine hill (294 meters above sea level), which is located in the peripheral part of the Lithuanian-Belarusian morainic plateau, on the eastern borders of the country.
The average height of the Lithuanian territory is 100 meters a.s.l.
The coast is made up of long sandy beaches, full of dunes.
The progressive accumulation of sandy sediments formed the Curi peninsula or the Neringa peninsula (declared a UNESCO heritage site), which separates the coast and the Curlandia lagoon (Kuršiu Marios) from the Baltic Sea.
Hydrography
There are many rivers in Lithuania, most of which have a short course. The Nemunas (km 937) is the main river, flows for 359 km in Lithuania and part of its route marks the border between Lithuania and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad oblast, before flowing into the Curonian Lagoon (Kuršiu Marios ), in the Baltic Sea.
Among Lithuania's many lakes, ponds and marshes, Lake Druksiai is the largest and is located in the region richest in lake basins, in the plateau east of Aukstaitija.
Recommended readings- Vilnius (Lithuania): what to see in the capital
- Lithuania: useful information
Climate
Lithuania's continental climate is characterized by cold winters (especially inland), with an average temperature of -5 ° C in January, and cool summers, with an average temperature in July of 17 ° C.
The climate is humid, although the average annual rainfall is higher on the coast than in the eastern part of the country.
Population
The population is mainly made up of Lithuanians (about 85%). The remainder is made up mostly of Poles and Russians, and to a lesser extent Belarusians and others.
Time zone
In Lithuania, the time difference is 1 hour ahead of Italy, even in the period when summer time is in effect.
Tongue
The official language of the Republic of Lithuania is Lithuanian, which belongs to the group of Baltic languages such as Latvian, (the two major languages still existing in the Baltic group). Russian, Polish and English are also widespread.
Economy
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the acquisition of its independence, Lithuania has undergone a transformation that has also affected its production system.
The inability to access energy sources from Russia at affordable prices has caused a strong recession in the industrial sector during the transition years, until then in the Lithuanian economy, followed by agriculture, construction and transport, while the service sector, in particular trade and transport, continued to grow.
Even today, the country does not have significant energy connections, and the service sector, where one of the most important items is represented by the trade in transit, especially of oil products coming and going to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, is in first place for the GDP production.
However, Lithuania has always been a country of agricultural traditions, and although in the period when it was annexed to Russia, industry was the main sector of the economy, agriculture is still an interesting sector.
In the industrial sector, the food industries, those for woodworking and textiles, constitute the fulcrum of the productive structure of the country.
When to go
Considering that in winter the days are dark and cold, the best time to visit Lithuania is summer, from May to August, with preference for the months of June and July.
Necessary documents
The Republic of Lithuania is part of the European Union and therefore for Italian citizens who enter the country it is sufficient to have an identity card valid for expatriation or a passport, with residual validity greater than the period of stay.
An entry visa is not necessary for Italian citizens who, for tourism, business or official missions, stay in Lithuania for a maximum period of 90 days which can be used within six months starting from the date of the first entry.
Phone
- To call from Italy to Lithuania the international prefix is: 00370
- To call from Lithuania to Italy the international prefix is: 0039
The standard GSM 900 and GSM 1800 are operating in Lithuania, the network coverage is good.
Wifi and residential Internet is widespread.
Electricity
The electric current in Lithuania is 220 volts 50Hz. Sockets type C (European 2-pole) and type F (German 2-pole with lateral earth contacts). It is advisable to have an adapter.
Currency
The official currency of the Republic of Lithuania is the euro. The most popular credit cards are accepted in the main hotels, restaurants, shops and petrol stations.
Banks and ATMs are present in all major cities.
How to get
plane
The low cost airlines Ryanair, Wizz Air, and the Estonian flag carrier Estonian Air, carry out direct flights between Italy and Lithuania.
Vaccinations
No vaccinations are needed to enter Lithuania.
The Italian Health Insurance Card is sufficient for Italian citizens, namely the European Health Insurance Card (TEAM).
