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

Lithuania announced it would slash the price of domestic train tickets by half to provide travellers some respite from soaring fuel prices triggered by the war in the Middle East.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

While the service operates from Panama, its parent company, Nord Security, is based in Lithuania.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Now opinion polls show the German presence in Lithuania is popular.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Kaplan was born in 1881, in what is now Lithuania.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

I drew a picture of our house in Kaunas on it, along with other symbols of Lithuania.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys