Cruising to Lithuania

Background

Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Geography

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 56 00 N, 24 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 65,200 sq km

Coastline

99 km

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers

Terrain

Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m

Economy

Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has slowly rebounded from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment dropped from 11% in 2003 to 5.3% in 2005. Growing domestic consumption and increased investment have furthered recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West.

Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is nearing completion. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy.

Transportation

Airports: 95 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 33
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 62
Pipelines: gas 1,696 km; oil 331 km; refined products 109 km (2004)
Railways: total: 1,998 km
Roadways: total: 78,893 km

Waterways

600 km (2005)

Merchant marine

Total: 48 ships (1000 GRT or over) 338,565 GRT/339,238 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 8, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 1
Foreign-owned: 11 (Denmark 11)
Registered in other countries: 18 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, unknown 4) (2005)

Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminals

Klaipeda

Other Sailing Destinations in the Region

Belgium - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - Germany - Latvia - Lithuania - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Russia - Sweden

Further Reading

Back to "vacations"

 


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