Lithuania is known as the cross-roads of Europe because the geographical center of continental Europe lies in Lithuania, close to the capital city of Vilnius. Lithuania is located on the Eastern Coast of the Baltic Sea and is bordered by Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Kaliningrad. Lithuania is similar in size to Ireland, and covers about 40,513 sq miles.

Lithuania began its break from the Soviet Union in 1990, and in 1991 was recognized internationally as an independent country. The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993, and the country continues to develop democracy. The current president of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, lived in the United States for years where he and his family had come to seek refuge from the Soviet occupation. Lithuania joined NATO and the EU in 2004, and was the first state in Europe to ratify the EU Constitution on November 11, 2004.

The national currency of Lithuania is called Litas. One US Dollar is equivalent to about 2.88 Litas. The use of credit cards has become more widespread in Lithuania, and are usually excepted at hotels and restaurants. Prices in Lithuania are affordable, and are about 20% less than the average in the European Union.

Lithuania has a population of about 3.43 million people. About 85% of the population are Lithuanians, 6.7% Poles and 6.3% Russian. The primary language spoken is Lithuanian, a Baltic language which belongs to the Indo-European group of languages. Many people also speak Russian or English.