16 Lovely Facts about Lithuania

First published 24th October 2019 Robin James

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Looking to boost your local knowledge before you embark on a new way of life or a holiday of a lifetime? Take a look at these fun facts about Lithuania!

1. Where is Lithuania, anyway?

Lithuania is a beautiful country in Eastern Europe. Actually, it’s the southernmost European Baltic state, don’t you know?

It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south and Poland and Russia to the southwest. It also has a coastline along the Baltic Sea to the west.

2. It’s been independent for over 30 years.

A former Soviet Republic, Lithuania gained independence in 1990.

3. Grab that compass!

Whether you’re looking for a wildlife adventure or you’d just like to meet the Easter Granny, follow the coordinates 55.0000° N, 24.0000° E to find yourself in Lithuania!

Flag of Lithuania

4. The land here is glorious!

Lithuania’s terrain is mostly made up of fertile lowlands and small lakes, with around 1/3 of the country covered in forest – stunning!

In fact, there are around 6,000 lakes in Lithuania!

5. It’s a mid-sized nation.

The total land area of Lithuania is 25,212 square miles (65,300 square kilometers)…that’s around 3/4 the size of Scotland.

6. However, it’s fairly sparse!

Lithuania’s population was 2.794 million in 2020…that’s just over half the population of Scotland.

7. What’s the capital of Lithuania?

The capital is Vilnius; it covers an area of 155 square miles (401 square kilometers) and had a population of 544,386 in 2016.

8. The climate’s fairly mild here.

Lithuanians enjoy a climate that transitions between maritime and continental, with wet, moderate weather all year round.

9. What do people speak in Lithuania?

The official language of Lithuania is… Lithuanian! Shocking, eh? Polish and Russian are also spoken here.

10. Lithuania is in the EU, too.

As part of the European Union, the official currency of Lithuania is the Euro.

11. Life expectancy is impressive!

The average life span here is 76.13 years (2019).

12. Prepare for a visit!

The stork is the national bird of Lithuania.

13. It’s the hot air balloon capital of the globe.

Apparently, Lithuania has the highest number of hot air balloons per capita of any country in the world!

14. Get ready for a visit from Granny!

Forget the Easter Bunny – it’s believed that the Easter Granny delivers Easter eggs in Lithuania!

15. Smells good to us!

Lithuania is the only country in the world to have an official scent! Bet you didn’t know that?

16. Here are some facts about the industry of Lithuania.

This pretty country grows potatoes, grains, flax and sugar beet; they also rear cattle and catch fish.

Its industry consists of textiles, clothing, chemicals and the manufacture of electric motors, television sets, refrigerators, freezers and metal cutting machine tools.

Lithuania exports textiles and clothing, machinery and equipment, chemicals and mineral products.