Lithuania
The Republic of Lithuania is located in northeastern Europe. It is one of the three states bordering the Baltic Sea. It shares borders with Poland, Latvia, Belarus and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Lithuania became a EU member in 2004.
Lithuania was first mentioned in a manuscript dating from 1009. In medieval times the state had great power. It was officially recognized as a kingdom in 1253. By the 15th century the nation had become a Grand Duchy, which extended from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea.more