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| - Lithuanians vote in a run-off parliamentary election on Sunday, with centre-right opposition mounting a strong challenge to the centre-left government. Here are five things to know about Lithuania: Lithuania's statehood stretches back to the 13th century when its first king, Mindaugas, was crowned in 1253. It made up one of medieval Europe's largest military empires -- including parts of present day Belarus, Ukraine and Russia -- and was its last pagan country before Christianity took root at the end of the 14th century. Lithuanians proudly claim that theirs is the oldest surviving Indo-European language. Modern Lithuania was an independent nation between the two world wars. Annexed during World War II, it remained under Moscow's thumb during the Cold War, before becoming the first Soviet republic to declare independence in 1990. Lithuania joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2015. Lithuania has given refuge for hundreds of Belarusian opposition members who have fallen foul of the country's authoritarian government since the disputed August 9 elections. Among them is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the candidate who ran against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and claimed victory, accusing him of rigging the result. The Baltic nation has taken a lead in European diplomacy to consolidate international support for protests in its eastern neighbour and to punish the Lukashenko regime, drawing ire from Minsk and its ally Moscow. Europe's most popular sport, football, has few fans in this basketball-mad nation. The men's national basketball team is currently ranked number eight in the world, while Lithuanian champion Zalgiris Kaunas is a leader at Europe's top club basketball competition, the EuroLeague. Basketball is dubbed Lithuania's second religion after Catholicism, and away games have drawn merry bands of travelling fans clad in the national colours of yellow, green and red. The International Monetary Fund predicts that Lithuania will post the smallest economic decline in Europe this year, with its gross domestic product expected to contract by just 1.8 percent. Analysts attribute the success to a prompt and short lockdown in spring, a generous government stimulus plan and the economy's lack of dependence on tourism. But with a recent surge in coronavirus cases, experts warn a second lockdown is possible, which could harm business. Conservative candidate Ingrida Simonyte could become just the second female prime minister after Kazimiera Prunskiene, who was in charge in 1990-1 when Lithuania was seeking international recognition for its restored statehood. Simonyte said she would seek a gender balance in government. Incumbent Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis had a cabinet with just one woman and 13 men at the end of its term. vab/mas/spm/gle
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