7 Facts About Land and Natural Resources of Lithuania

Lithuania, (Lithuanian, Lietuva), is a country in central Europe on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are known as the Baltic States. Although distinct in several respects -with Estonia and Latvia historically and culturally linked to Protestant Germany and Scandinavia, and Lithuania most closely tied to Roman Catholic Poland- the three have in common a contemporary history that distinguishes them from other countries.

Here are some facts about land and natural resources of Lithuania.

1. Lithuania is part of Europe's central lowlands, with a topography carved by the retreating ice sheet of the Quaternary Period. The central lowlands lie between a hilly region to the west and the crescent-shaped region of hills and lakes to the east.

2. Drūkšiai, the largest of Lithuania's hundreds of lakes, has an area of 16 square miles (42 sq km).

3. Of the many rivers, the Nemunas is the longest, at 582 miles (937 km). It rises in Belarus, flows through Lithuania, and forms a boundary between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad exclave of the Russian Federation before flowing into the Baltic Sea's Courland Lagoon. The Neris, a tributary of the Nemunas, is the next longest, at 317 miles (510 km).

4. The climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean; the average temperature ranges from 23° F (-5° C) in January to 63° F (17° C) in July. Annual precipitation averages 31 inches (800 mm).

5. Over a quarter of Lithuania is woodland. The forests -mostly pine, spruce, or birch- are densest in the eastern part of the country.

6. There are several nature reserves. In some regions air and water pollution is considerable, since environmental laws had not been implemented during the Soviet era.

7. Commercially exploitable natural resources include dolomite, quartz sand, limestone, and clay. Peat is cut from the extensive bogs. Amber is found along the Baltic shore.