Europe · The modern states
Lithuania
drawn on the map 1990–2024
The three Baltic states declared independence in 1918 (Lithuania 16 February, Estonia 24 February, Latvia 18 November) and secured it in wars of independence against Bolshevik and German forces (1918–1920), winning Soviet recognition in the 1920 peace treaties. Interwar, all three began as parliamentary democracies and drifted into authoritarian rule in the 1930s.
- Shown on the map
- 1990–2024
- Peak area
- 65k km²
- Region
- Europe
Overview
The three Baltic states declared independence in 1918 (Lithuania 16 February, Estonia 24 February, Latvia 18 November) and secured it in wars of independence against Bolshevik and German forces (1918–1920), winning Soviet recognition in the 1920 peace treaties. Interwar, all three began as parliamentary democracies and drifted into authoritarian rule in the 1930s. The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (1939) assigned them to the Soviet sphere; the USSR occupied and annexed all three in 1940, followed by Nazi occupation (1941–44, during which the Baltic Jewish communities were almost entirely murdered) and Soviet re-annexation. Mass deportations to Siberia and armed "Forest Brothers" resistance marked the Stalinist years. Most Western states never recognised the annexation. The "Singing Revolution" and the 1989 Baltic Way human chain led to the restoration of independence in 1990–91, confirmed after the failed Soviet coup of August 1991. All three joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and adopted the euro (Estonia 2011, Latvia 2014, Lithuania 2015).
Present status (Sept 2026)
parliamentary republic and EU/NATO member. President Gitanas Nausėda (since 2019); the premiership changed hands more than once in 2025–26 amid coalition turbulence, with Mindaugas Sinkevičius (Social Democrats) reported as prime minister from mid-July 2026. (Recent Baltic PM changes are fast-moving and should be verified against live sources.)
Common questions
- What was Lithuania?
- The three Baltic states declared independence in 1918 (Lithuania 16 February, Estonia 24 February, Latvia 18 November) and secured it in wars of independence against Bolshevik and German forces (1918–1920), winning Soviet recognition in the 1920 peace treaties. Interwar, all three began as parliamentary democracies and drifted into authoritarian rule in the 1930s.
- When is Lithuania shown on the map?
- The border data draws Lithuania 1990–2024. The source samples borders at fixed dates, so a span can begin late or run on past the end.
- How large was Lithuania?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, Lithuania covered about 65,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- What is the present status of Lithuania?
- parliamentary republic and EU/NATO member. President Gitanas Nausėda (since 2019); the premiership changed hands more than once in 2025–26 amid coalition turbulence, with Mindaugas Sinkevičius (Social Democrats) reported as prime minister from mid-July 2026.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each state as the primary basis, cross-checked against Encyclopædia Britannica, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the ICTY and the 2004 Wiesel Commission for genocide and atrocity figures, and current news reporting (Reuters, AP, BBC, and others) for 2025–2026 political developments, which should be verified against live sources. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Lithuania en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuania
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
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