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History From the cartographic point of view, Lithuania is a Central European rather than an Eastern European country, as is sometimes groundlessly claimed. Located in the centre of Europe, Lithuania is situated at one of the largest crossroads of the continent. A straight line connecting Paris and Berlin with Moscow via Vilnius divides it, whereas another straight line, connecting Helsinki with Athens, also crosses the centre of
 Lithuania.
Lithuania is a country at a crossroads. Such a location provides many communication conveniences.
Lithuania is part of the economic region, known as the Baltic Republics, extending along the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania's area is 65.200 sq. km. Lithuania borders are on Latvia in the north (610 km of the border line), on Byelorussia in the east and south (720 km), and Poland (110 km) and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation (303 km) in the southwest.
Lithuania was the last European pagan country to accept Christianity and was baptised only in 1387. For this reason Teutonic and Livonian Orders put Lithuania under constant attack for the most of 200 years. Despite that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a strong political power in the Medieval Eastern Europe. By the end of 14th century it was one of the biggest countries in this part of the continent. Under the rule of Vytautas the Great its borders stretched as far South as the Black Sea. |
