Occupied by various powers for most of its history, Lithuania is now embarking on its third period of independence. Modern Lithuanians see its strong instinct for survival against the odds as a good omen for the future.

Lithuania may be the largest and most southerly from the three Baltic States. It borders Latvia within the north, Russia and Poland in the south, and Belarus within the east, and includes a 99km-long Baltic coast. The nation lies on a similar line of latitude to Moscow, Newcastle and Belfast, but the weather is much more severe than in the British cities. Lithuania is snow-covered for up to four months of the year, with temperatures down as low as -30°C.

Summers are normally mild, but temperatures of 29°C have been reached. Summer days are long and nights short because of Lithuania’s latitude – the reverse is true within the winter, when there may be only six hours of daylight. Lithuania includes a fairly damp climate (most of the rain falls in spring and autumn), which is reflected in the dense river network that criss-crosses the country.

Most are tributaries of the principal river, the Nemunas, which drains into the Baltic Sea. The rivers flow across undulating uplands and plains, descending towards the west from the eastern Zemaitija Uplands. There are about 3000 lakes across the country, mainly within the east – numerous are shallow and swampy. These areas are home to many kinds of wildlife, including more than 200 species of birds. 25% of Lithuania’s territory is covered with mixed woodland.

Local mammal species are similar to those in other European countries with a comparable habitat – wolf, fox, pine marten and raccoon are discovered in the forests, as well as several kinds of deer, wild boar, hedgehogs and shrews, and 14 species of bat. Ringed and grey seals are seen around the coast. Conservation of hunted forest species includes a high priority within the post-Soviet independence movement.

Some 40% of Lithuania is given over to arable farming. Land was collectivized in the 1940s and ’50s when Lithuania was part from the Soviet Union, and farms are just beginning to reorganize themselves and return to family-based techniques. Livestock is the primary form of farming, with an emphasis on dairy farming and pigs. Grain crops such as rye, oats and wheat are all grown, too as potatoes, flax and sugar beet. Food processing is the most essential; industry – Western European and American businesses are beginning to put cash into Lithuanian ventures. Textiles, knitwear, plywood and piper are all produced, and electrical equipment manufacture is becoming increasingly important.

Drilling for oil has started at Kretinga – Lithuania already produces its own electricity from coal and peat-fired plants, and some is exported to Belarus. Many new companies have started up since independence – cafes, food stores, taxi services and art galleries, for instance – and tourism is turning out to be increasingly important.