about Lithuania
Lithuania is the southernmost country of the Balkan
States. Its population of 3.48 million (comparable to that of
Connecticut) lives in an area about the size of the state of West
Virginia. Lithuania is one of the smaller countries of the EU. Since
2002 Lithuania has been a member of NATO; since 2004 a member of the EU.
Vilnius, with 590,000 people, is the capital of Lithuania. Since
1990, Lithuania has been an independent state, a fact which is very important
to Lithuanians.
Our new neighbors: the Lithuanians
Due to the economic situation, there is a general attitude of hopelessness among most Lithuanians. Many are insecure about what the future will bring (for example, the introduction of the Euro), which unfortunately is borne out by the statistics: The percentage of suicide among Lithuanian men is the highest in the EU--some even believe worldwide. Of those suicides, 80% occur under the influence of alcohol. Another Lithuanian "problem child" is the high crime rate. The relatively high divorce rate and low birth rate (approximately 1.2 children per family) contribute to the general hopelessness prevalent in this nation.