Government

Question 1

conventional long form

Answer 1

Republic of Lithuania

Question 2

conventional short form

Answer 2

Lithuania

Question 3

local long form

Answer 3

Lietuvos Respublika

Question 4

local short form

Answer 4

Lietuva

Question 5

former

Answer 5

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Question 6

Government type

Answer 6

parliamentary democracy

Question 7

Capital name

Answer 7

Vilnius

Question 8

geographic coordinates

Answer 8

54 41 N, 25 19 E

Question 9

time difference

Answer 9

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Question 10

daylight saving time

Answer 10

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Question 11

Administrative divisions

Answer 11

60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Ankšciai, Birštono, Biržai, Druskininkai, Elektrénai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joniškis, Jurbarkas, Kaišiadorys, Kalvarijos, Kauno Miestas, Kaunas, Kazlu Rudos, Kedainiai, Kelme, Klaipedos Miestas, Klaipeda, Kretinga, Kupiškis, Lazdijai, Marijampole, Mažeikiai, Moletai, Neringa, Pagégiai, Pakruojis, Palangos Miestas, Panevežys, Pasvalys, Plunge, Prienai, Radviliškis, Raseiniai, Rietavo, Rokiškis, Šakiai, Šalcininkai, Šiauliu Miestas, Šiauliai, Šilale, Šilute, Širvintos, Skuodas, Švencionys, Taurage, Telšiai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkaviškis, Vilniaus, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai

Question 12

Independence

Answer 12

11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date), 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

Question 13

National holiday

Answer 13

Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union

Question 14

Constitution

Answer 14

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992, entered into force 2 November 1992; amended 2003 (2012)

Question 15

Legal system

Answer 15

civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court

Question 16

International law organization participation

Answer 16

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Question 17

Suffrage

Answer 17

18 years of age; universal

Question 18

Executive branch

Answer 18

chief of state: President Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE (since 12 July 2009)

Question 19

head of government

Answer 19

Prime Minister Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS (since 22 November 2012)

Question 20

cabinet

Answer 20

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the prime minister and approval of the Parliament

Question 21

elections

Answer 21

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 11 and 25 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament

Question 22

election results

Answer 22

Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE reelected president; percent of vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE 59%, Zigmantas BALCYTIS 41%; Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS approved by Parliament 90-40

Question 23

Legislative branch

Answer 23

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members elected in single-member districts, 70 elected by proportional representation; members to serve four-year terms)

Question 24

elections

Answer 24

last held on 14 and 28 October 2012 (next to be held in October 2016)

Question 25

election results

Answer 25

percent of vote by party (proportional vote) - DP 19.8%, LSDP 18.4%, TS-LKD 15.1%, LS 8.6%, DK 8%, TT 7.3%, LLRA 5.8%, LVZS 3.9%, other parties 13.1%; seats by party - LSDP 38, TS-LKD 33, DP 29, TT 11, LS 10, LLRA 8, DK 7, unaffiliated 4, vacant 1

Question 26

judge selection and term of office

Answer 26

Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges selected by Seimas from among nominations by the president, by the Seimas chairperson, and Supreme Court chairperson; judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms; note - one-third of court judges reconstituted every 3 years

Question 27

Judicial branch

Answer 27

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

Question 28

subordinate courts

Answer 28

Court of Appeals; district and local courts

Question 29

Political parties and leaders

Answer 29

* Christian Party or KP [Gediminas VAGNORIUS] * Civil Democracy Party or PDP [Algimantas MATULEVICIUS] * Democratic Labor and Unity Party or DDVP [Kristina BRAZAUSKIENE] * Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI] Emigrants Party or EP [Juozas MURAUSKAS] * Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Andrius KUBILIUS] * Labor Party or DP [Loreta GRAUZINIENE] * Liberal and Center Union or LCS [Arturas MELIANAS] * Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Eligijus MASIULIS] * Lithuanian People's Party or LLP [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE] * Lithuanian People's Party or LZP [Joana SIMANAUSKIENE] * Lithuanian Russian Union or LRS [Sergejus DMITRIJEVAS] * Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Algirdas BUTKEVICIUS] Nationalist Union or TS [Gintaras SONGAILA] * Order and Justice Party or TT [Rolandas PAKSAS] * Peasant and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS] * Republican Party or RP [Valdemaras VALKIUNAS] * Russian Alliance or RA [Tamara LOCHANKINA] * Socialist People's Front or SLF [Algirdas PALECKIS] * Way of Courage or DK [Jonas VARKALA] * YES-Homeland Revival and Perspective or YES Union or TAIP Union or TAIP [Arturas ZUOKAS] * Young Lithuania Party or PJL [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS]

Question 30

International organization participation

Answer 30

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Question 31

Diplomatic representation in the US

Answer 31

chief of mission: Ambassador Zygimantas PAVILIONIS (since 5 August 2010)

Question 32

Diplomatic representation from the US

Answer 32

hief of mission: Ambassador Deborah A. MCCARTHY (since 5 February 2013)

Question 33

Flag description

Answer 33

three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red; yellow symbolizes golden fields, as well as the sun, light, and goodness; green represents the forests of the countryside, in addition to nature, freedom, and hope; red stands for courage and the blood spilled in defense of the homeland

Question 34

National anthem

Answer 34

name: "Tautiska giesme" (The National Song), lyrics/music: Vincas KUDIRKA adopted 1918, restored 1990; the anthem was written in 1898 while Lithuania was a part of Russia; it was banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990

Question 35

National symbol(s)

Answer 35

mounted knight known as Vytis (the Chaser)