Lithuania

Lithuania is a country on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, one of the three Baltic countries, the other two being Latvia and Estonia to the north, and having a population of 3.4 million and capital city of Vilnius. A former member of the Soviet Union, it is now a member of the European Union and NATO, with the westward expansion of NATO causing anxiety in Russia.

Media
The BBC says of the country's media:


 * Lithuania's commercial TV channels have eroded public television audiences. The radio market is similarly competitive, with dozens of stations competing for listeners and advertisers. Lithuania's media are free and operate independently of the state, and there are no government-owned newspapers. Nonetheless, the national broadcaster has sometimes encountered attempts by politicians to influence its editorial policy.

Leaders

 * Valdas Adamkus, President
 * Andrius Kubilius, Prime minister

External articles

 * Laura Sheeter, "Baltic states agree nuclear plant", BBC, February 27, 2006.

External resources

 * Timeline: Lithuania, BBC, accessed March 2008.