Lithuania; Chapter 16
Bibliogr.: p. 247-248
ISBN: 0-415-25984-3
0-415-25983-5
Introduction. Lithuania is a small country on the Baltic coast with a population of 3.7 million, of whom 81 per cent are of Lithuanian descent, 8 per cent Russian, 7 per cent Polish and 3 per cent other. Lithuania became independent from the former Soviet Union in 1990. Rapid economic change, with the transition from a planned towards a market economy, has severely affected all sectors of society, including the research community. Since independence there have been frequent changes of goverment (ten in ten years). The socioeconomic situation. The economy of Lithuania is based on industry, which produces nearly 25 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), supported by agriculture, construction and services. In 1997 real gross domestic product, adjusted for purchasing power parity, was Э4,627 per capita. According to the labour force survey, unemployment in 1998 was 13.5 per cent (people are considered unempoyed when they are within the working age limits, are not registered as a full-time student, and are registered at the Labour Exchange by place of residence, being ready for professional traiuning or retraining or actively seeking employment). [...].