Lithuania. Information.
LITHUANIA (LIETUVA), Republicof Lithuania - state in East Europe. Area is 65 200 sq. km. Population is 3 620 756. A Capital is Vilnius. On east and south Lithuania borders with Belorus. On nord Lithuania borders with Latvia. On west Lithuania borders with Poland and Russia. The first written mention of Lithuania occurs in 1009 AD. Duke Mindaugas united the lands inhabited by the Lithuanians into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 1230s and 40s. In 1251 Mindaugas adopted Catholicism and was crowned King of Lithuania on July 6, 1253. Grand Duke Gediminas, expanded the empire. Gediminas' dynasty ruled the Lithuania until 1572. In the 1300s through the early 1400s, the Lithuanian state expanded eastward. During the rule of Grand Duke Algirdas (1345-77), Lithuania almost doubled in size and achieved major victories over the Teutonic and Livonian Orders at the Battles of Saule (1236) and Durbe (1260). However, backed by the Pope and the Catholic West European countries, the Orders continued their aggression which greatly intensified in the 2nd half of the 14th century. During the period Algirdas' brother, Kestutis (Grand Duke in 1381-82) distinguished himself as the leader of the struggle against the Teutonic Order. The ongoing struggle with Teutonic Order precipitated the 1385 Kreva Union signed by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila (ruled in 1377-81 and 1382-92) and the Queen of Poland Jadwyga. Lithuania's independence under the union with Poland was restored by Grand Duke Vytautas. During his rule (1392-1430) the Lithuania turned into one of the largest states in Europe. Led by Jogaila and Vytautas, the united Polish-Lithuanian army defeated the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Tannenberg (Gruenwald) in 1410, terminating the medieval Germanic drive eastward. The rising domination of the big magnates, the 16-18th century wars against Russia and Sweden over Livonia, Ukraine and Byelorussia weakened the Polish-Lithuanian Republic. The end of the 18th century witnessed three divisions of the Commonwealth by Russia, Prussia and Austria; in 1795 most of Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. During WW I, the German army occupied Lithuania in 1915, and the occupation administration allowed a Lithuanian Conference to convene in Vilnius in September 1917. The Conference adopted a resolution demanding the restoration of an independent Lithuanian state. On June 14, 1940 the Soviet Government issued an ultimatum to Lithuania, demanding the formation of a new Lithuanian government and permission to station additional Red Army troops. Lithuania succumbed to the Soviet demand, and 100,000 Soviet troops moved into the country the next day. On July 1940 Lithuania was proclaimed a Soviet Socialist Republic on August 3. After collapse of USSR in 1991 Lithuania again became an independent state - Lithuania Republic. Currency: 1 Lithuanian litas = 100 cents.
