nian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Belarusian
1.6%, other 2.1%

Religions: Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox,
Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish

Languages: Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1989 est.)

Government Lithuania

Country name: Republic of Lithuania conventional short form: Republic
local long form: Lietuvos Respublika

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Vilnius

Administrative divisions: 10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis);
Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages,
Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus

Independence: 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union);
6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16
February 1918 is the date of independence from German, Austrian, Prussian,
and Russian occupation, 11 March 1990 is the date of independence from
the Soviet Union

Constitution: adopted 25 October 1992

Legal system: based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed
to the constitutional court

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 26
February 1998) head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS
(since 3 July 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the nomination of the premier elections: president elected
by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997
and 4 January 1998 (next to be held in late 2002); premier appointed
by the president on the approval of the Parliament election results:
Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 50.4%,
Arturas PAULAUSKAS 49.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats,
71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by
proportional representation; members serve four-year terms) elections:
last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004) election
results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Coalition 31.1%,
New Union-Social Liberals 19.6%, Liberal Union 17.2%, TS 8.6%, remaining
parties all less than 5%; seats by party - Social Democratic Coalition 52,
Liberal Union 34, New Union-Social Liberals 29, TS 9, Farmer's Party 4,
Center U