Main Facts
Lithuania...
… is a Northeastern European country which combines what is regarded as Scandinavian - progressive, orderly, clean, natural and attractive, as well as what is regarded as Eastern European – new, rapidly developing, on the rise, and as yet undiscovered. Sometimes called a Northern, and sometimes an Eastern European country, Lithuania is an authentic combination of Northern and Eastern features.
… is the European Union’s prime transport centre. The European Union has recognized Lithuania as the prime transport centre in the region linking the EU with the East.
… is ranked as having one of the highest qualities of life among more than 190 countries around the globe. In the International Living 2010 Quality of Life Index, Lithuania is ranked 22nd in the world by criteria which consist of nine categories: cost of living, culture and leisure, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety, risk, and climate.
Lithuanians…
… Among most multilingual in the EU
Lithuania is among the top 5 EU Member States with the best multilingual skills. According to the Europeans and Languages survey:
90 % of Lithuanians are able to participate in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue. The EU-25 average is only 50 %.
50 % of the population speaks two foreign languages
90 % of Lithuanians are able to speak Russian, almost 40 % speak English, and around 20 % know the German language (Eurostat)
… Among most educated nations in the EU
Lithuania has one of EU’s most educated people, which are country’s greatest “gold and oil”:
More than 90 % aged 25 to 64 have secondary or higher education (ranking 2nd in the EU, EU-27 average being around 70 %)
30 % hold higher education degrees, compared to the EU average of 24 %
40 % of the 25 - 34 year olds have higher education, which is almost twice as high as the EU-15 average
Almost 92 % of Lithuanian women aged 25 to 64 have secondary or higher education, which is the highest figure in the whole EU.
… have produced some globally significant achievements. Lithuanian pharmacy specialists created a cheaper, but no less effective, version of an existing medicine for treating cancer. Also, Lithuanian laser companies were among the first in the world to transfer fundamental research into manufacture.
