Outline of Lithuania

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The location of Lithuania LocationLithuania.svg
The location of Lithuania

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Lithuania:

Contents

Lithuania sovereign country located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. [1] [2] Situated along the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, sharing borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest. Lithuania is a member of NATO, OECD and the European Union. Its population is about 2.8 million. The largest city and capital is Vilnius.

During the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe, as present-day Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. With the Lublin Union of 1569 Poland and Lithuania formed a new state: the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was finally destroyed by its neighboring countries in 1795. Most of Lithuania's territory was annexed by the Russian Empire, until the Act of Independence was signed on 16 February 1918, which declared the re-establishment of a sovereign state. Between 1940 and 1945 Lithuania was occupied by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany at different times. When World War II was near its end in 1944 and the Nazis retreated, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first Baltic republic to declare its restored independence after 50 years of Soviet occupation. Lithuania became a full member of the Schengen Agreement on 21 December 2007. [3] In 2009, Lithuania celebrated the millennium of its name.

General reference

An enlargeable map of the Republic of Lithuania Un-lithuania.png
An enlargeable map of the Republic of Lithuania

Geography of Lithuania

An enlargeable relief map of Lithuania Lithuania rel 2002.jpg
An enlargeable relief map of Lithuania
An enlargeable topographic map of Lithuania Lithuania-topo-en.png
An enlargeable topographic map of Lithuania

Geography of Lithuania

Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 680 km
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 576 km
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 227 km
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 91 km

Environment of Lithuania

An enlargeable satellite image of Lithuania Satellite image of Lithuania in March 2003.jpg
An enlargeable satellite image of Lithuania

Environment of Lithuania

Natural geographic features of Lithuania

Regions of Lithuania

Regions of Lithuania

Ecoregions of Lithuania

List of ecoregions in Lithuania

Administrative divisions of Lithuania

Administrative divisions of Lithuania

Counties of Lithuania

Counties of Lithuania

Municipalities of Lithuania

Municipalities of Lithuania

Elderships of Lithuania

Elderships of Lithuania

Demography of Lithuania

Demographics of Lithuania

Government and politics of Lithuania

Politics of Lithuania

Branches of the government of Lithuania

Government of the Republic of Lithuania

Executive branch of the government of Lithuania

Legislative branch of the government of Lithuania

Judicial branch of the government of Lithuania

The court system of Lithuania

Foreign relations of Lithuania

Foreign relations of Lithuania

International organization membership

The Republic of Lithuania is a member of: [1]

Law and order in Lithuania

Law of Lithuania

Military of Lithuania

Lithuanian Armed Forces

Local government in Lithuania

Local government in Lithuania

History of Lithuania

History of Lithuania

Culture of Lithuania

Culture of Lithuania

Art in Lithuania

Sports in Lithuania

Sports in Lithuania

Economy and infrastructure of Lithuania

Economy of Lithuania

Education in Lithuania

Education in Lithuania

See also

Lithuania

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuania</span> Country in Europe

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest, with a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Lithuania covers an area of 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi), with a population of 2.88 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius; other major cities are Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Lithuanians belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Lithuanian.

The history of Lithuania dates back to settlements founded about 10,000 years ago, but the first written record of the name for the country dates back to 1009 AD. Lithuanians, one of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands and established the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy was a successful and lasting warrior state. It remained fiercely independent and was one of the last areas of Europe to adopt Christianity. A formidable power, it became the largest state in Europe in the 15th century spread from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, through the conquest of large groups of East Slavs who resided in Ruthenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Lithuania</span>

Lithuania is a European country located on the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the World Trade Organisation. Currently, Lithuania maintains diplomatic relations with 186 states. It became a member of the United Nations on 18 September 1991, and is a signatory to a number of its organizations and other international agreements. It is also a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and its adjunct North Atlantic Coordinating Council, the Council of Europe, and the European Union. Lithuania gained membership in the World Trade Organization on 31 May 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vilnius</span> Capital and largest city of Lithuania

Vilnius, previously known in English as Vilna, is the capital of and largest city in Lithuania and the second-most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated July 2024 population was 605,270, and the Vilnius urban area has an estimated population of 708,627.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Duchy of Lithuania</span> European state from c. 1236 to 1795

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 partitions of Poland–Lithuania. The state was founded by Lithuanians, who were at the time a polytheistic nation of several united Baltic tribes from Aukštaitija. By 1440 the grand duchy had become the largest European state, controlling an area from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic</span> Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (1940–1941; 1944–1990)

The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Lithuania or simply Lithuania, was de facto one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1944–1990. After 1946, its territory and borders mirrored those of today's Republic of Lithuania, with the exception of minor adjustments to its border with Belarus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipalities of Lithuania</span> Second-level administrative division

Lithuania is divided into three levels of administrative divisions. The first-level division consists of 10 counties. These are sub-divided into 60 municipalities, which in turn are further sub-divided into over 500 smaller groups, known as elderships.

Territorial changes of the Baltic states refers to the redrawing of borders of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia after 1940. The three republics, formerly autonomous regions within the former Russian Empire and before that of former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and as provinces of the Swedish Empire, gained independence in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917. After a two-front independence war fought against both Bolshevist Russian and Baltic German nationalist forces, the countries concluded peace and border treaties with Soviet Russia in 1920. However, with World War II and the occupation and annexation of these republics into the Soviet Union twenty years after their independence, certain territorial changes were made in favour of the Russian SFSR. This has been the source of political tensions after they regained their independence with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Some of the disputes remain unresolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative divisions of Lithuania</span>

Lithuania is now a country in the Baltic region of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Belarus</span> Country in Eastern Europe

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Belarus:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Estonia</span> Overview of and topical guide to Estonia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Estonia:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Latvia</span> Overview of and topical guide to Latvia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Latvia:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Poland</span> Overview of and topical guide to Poland

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Poland:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty</span> 1939 treaty allowing Soviet troops and military bases within Lithuania

The Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty was a bilateral treaty signed between the Soviet Union and Lithuania on October 10, 1939. According to provisions outlined in the treaty, Lithuania would acquire about one fifth of the Vilnius Region, including Lithuania's historical capital, Vilnius, and in exchange would allow five Soviet military bases with 20,000 troops to be established across Lithuania. In essence the treaty with Lithuania was very similar to the treaties that the Soviet Union signed with Estonia on September 28, and with Latvia on October 5. According to official Soviet sources, the Soviet military was strengthening the defenses of a weak nation against possible attacks by Nazi Germany. The treaty provided that Lithuania's sovereignty would not be affected. However, in reality the treaty opened the door for the first Soviet occupation of Lithuania and was described by The New York Times as "virtual sacrifice of independence."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuania–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Lithuania–Russia relations are the bilateral foreign relations between Lithuania and Russia. They have been marked by an long and turbulent history, dating back to the Middle Ages. The two countries share a common border through Kaliningrad Oblast. Lithuania has an embassy in Moscow and consulates in Kaliningrad and Sovetsk. Russia has an embassy in Vilnius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belarus–Lithuania relations</span> Bilateral relations

Belarus and Lithuania established diplomatic relations on 24 October 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The two countries share 680 kilometres (420 mi) of common border. Lithuania's border with Belarus is the country's longest border. For Belarus it is its 3rd-longest border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Lithuania-related articles</span>

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to Lithuania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belarus–Lithuania border</span> International border

The Belarus–Lithuania border is an international border almost 678.8 km (421.8 mi) in length between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania. It is an external border of the European Union as well as the western border of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 379.9 km (236.1 mi) of the border is on land, while 298.9 km (185.7 mi) are on water, crossing lakes, e.g. Lake Drūkšiai and following some rivers, e.g. Dysna River and Neman River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingrida Šimonytė</span> Prime Minister of Lithuania since 2020

Ingrida Šimonytė is a Lithuanian politician, public servant and economist who is serving as the 17th and current prime minister of Lithuania since 2020. She has been a Member of the Seimas for the Antakalnis constituency since 2016 and was Minister of Finance in the second Kubilius cabinet from 2009 until 2012. Šimonytė was a candidate in the 2019 and 2024 presidential election, but lost in the second round runoff to Gitanas Nausėda both times. She has been a member of Homeland Union since 2022, having previously been an independent politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litvinism</span> Pseudohistorical theory according to which Belarusians founded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Litvinism is a pseudohistorical branch of nationalism, philosophy and political current in Belarus, which bases the history of its state on the heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and emphasizes the Baltic component of the Belarusian ethnic group. According to this branch of Belarusian nationalism, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a Slavic or Belarusian state, the medieval Lithuanians were Belarusians, and modern Lithuania is a consequence of a falsification of history. On the other hand, some Russian Litvinists refer to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as a Slavic Russian state.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lithuania". The World Factbook . United States Central Intelligence Agency. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  2. United Nations Geographical region and composition
  3. "Lietuva įsiliejo į Šengeno erdvę" (Press release) (in Lithuanian). Vidaus reikalų ministerija. Retrieved 22 December 2007.

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