Lithuania

American  

[lith-oo-ey-nee-uh] / ˌlɪθ uˈeɪ ni ə /

noun

1. a republic in N Europe, on the Baltic: an independent state 1918–40; annexed by the Soviet Union 1940; regained independence 1991. 25,174 sq. mi. (65,200 sq. km). Vilnius.

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Lithuania British  

/ ˌlɪθjʊˈeɪnɪə /

noun

1. Lithuanian name: Lietuva.  Also called: Lithuanian Republic.  a republic in NE Europe, on the Baltic Sea: a grand duchy in medieval times; united with Poland in 1569; occupied by Russia in 1795 and by Germany during World War I; independent Lithuania formed in 1918, but occupied by Soviet troops in 1919 and then by Poland; became a Soviet republic in 1940; unilaterally declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1990; recognized as independent in 1991; joined the EU in 2004. Official language: Lithuanian. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: litas. Capital: Vilnius. Pop: 3 515 858 (2013 est). Area: 65 200 sq km (25 174 sq miles)

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Lithuania Cultural  

1. Republic on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and southeast, Poland to the south, and by an isolated segment of Russia to the southwest. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius.

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Discover More

Occupied by German forces during World War II, at which time thousands of Lithuanian Jews (see also Jews) were exterminated.

As the communist system began to collapse and the Soviet Union began to dissolve, Lithuania became the first of the Baltic republics to reject Soviet rule, declaring its independence in March 1990.

Lithuania was one of the largest and most powerful states in Europe from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries, at which time it merged with Poland. In the late eighteenth century, it was absorbed by Russia. A nationalist movement that grew in strength throughout the nineteenth century finally bore fruit when the Russian empire collapsed during World War I. Lithuanians achieved their desired goal of an independent state during the interwar years, but their country was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, as were the neighboring countries of Estonia and Latvia.

Other Word Forms

• Lithuanic adjective

Example Sentences

"I feel it is a necessity," says Krivunecs, president of Latvia's top-flight Virsliga, who is proposing a 'Baltic League' he hopes would also include Estonia and Lithuania.

From BBC

Zubaydah was first captured by the US in Pakistan in 2002, before being held for four years at a series of CIA "black sites" in six countries, including Lithuania and Poland.

From BBC

At the British embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, he was taken seriously by MI6, which was astounded by the wealth of information the former archivist had to offer.

From The Wall Street Journal

The lessons from other countries offer two versions - the successful "Baltic model" followed by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which combined the euro with reforms to streamline administration, encourage investment and combat corruption.

From BBC

There are also a number of photos of female passports and identification documents from countries around the world, including Lithuania, Russia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine.

From BBC