Lithuania is found on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea in north eastern Europe. It was first established as an independent kingdom in the mid thirteenth century. In the sixteenth century it united with Poland. During the late eighteenth century Lithuania was slowly incorporated into the Russian Empire following the partition of Poland. However, in 1918 it declared its independence which was confirmed the following year by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. After the Soviet Union proclaimed it to be one of its Soviet Socialist Republics in 1940, the Germans occupied Lithuania during the Second World War. However, the Soviet Union quickly recaptured the territory and once more staked claim to it. Following multiparty elections in 1990 independence was declared, which the Soviet Union eventually recognised after fighting between Lithuanians and Soviet troops. Most of the people are Roman Catholics and Lithuanian is the official language.
