VILNIUS, the capital of the Republic of Lithuania, is the largest city of the country nowadays: according to the data of 2001 the population of Vilnius is 542.287. Of them 57.8% are Lithuanians, 18.7% Poles, 14% Russians, 4% Byelorussians, 0.5% Jews and the remaining 5% comprising some other nationalities.

Current area of Vilnius is 392 square kilometres. Buildings cover 20.2% of the city and the remaining area is prevailed with the greenery (43.9%) and waters (2.1%).

Vilnius is an important railroad junction and an industrial and commercial center.
Its principal manufactures include electrical and electronic equipment, processed foods, clothing, furniture, and forest products. Vilnius is noted as a cultural center and is the site of many monuments.

The city's university, founded in 1579 as a Jesuit academy, is the oldest in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, research institutes, and several theaters and museums are also here.

The old section of the city contains the ruins of a 14th-century castle and numerous churches dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Old Town, historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Eastern Europe (360 ha).
The most valuable historic and cultural heritage is concentrated here.
The buildings in the old town - there are about 1.5 thousand of them - were built in a number of different centuries, therefore, it is a mixture of all European architectural styles.

Although Vilnius is often called a baroque city, here you will find some buildings of gothic, renaissance and other styles.

The main sights of the city are the Gediminas Castle and the Cathedral Square, symbols of the capital.
Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital. Because of its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Vilnius is also the largest administrative centre in Lithuania with all major political, economic, social and cultural centres.