LITHUANIA

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: Lithuania is a land of fertile, low-lying plains in the western and central regions and rolling hills in the eastern portion of the country. A flat coastal plain lies along the Baltic Sea. Nearly all of Lithuania’s land is less than 200 m in elevation. About one-quarter is forested, and there are thousands of lakes in the countryside. Lithuania is the largest of the Baltic states, with an area of about 65,300 sq km, or slightly larger than West Virginia. Lithuania’s Baltic coast extends 99 km. The southern half of the coastline is buttressed by the Curonian Spit, a long, narrow sandbar that forms an offshore lagoon. Lithuania has about 3,000 small lakes and many rivers. The country’s longest and largest river is the Nemunas, which flows north from Belarus to the center of Lithuania, and then west until it reaches the Baltic. Marshes and swamps are prevalent in Lithuania, especially in the north and west, although much of the original wetlands have been drained for agricultural purposes.
AGRICULTURE: Livestock breeding and dairy farming are the dominant agricultural activities in Lithuania. The principal crops are potatoes, grains such as barley and wheat, and sugar beets. The cutting and processing of timber is an important economic activity.