Republic of Lithuania
Status: Parliamentary Democracy in northeastern Europe
Population: 3,505,738 (est 2014)
Area: 25,212 square miles
Currency: 100 centai = 1 Litas, 1Li = US$0.32
Lithuania Scott 5,
issued 1918; First
Vilnius Printing.
Lithuania Scott
49, issued 1919.
In the twelfth century, European Christians launched the Northern
Crusades to convert the pagan tribes of the Baltic. The Lithuanians united
Lithuania Scott
under King Mindaugas and, using geography to their advantage, resisted
317, issued 1940;
the crusaders from the west, while at the same time expanding eastward.
White Knight.
By the fourteenth century pagan Lithuania had
become the largest state in Europe, including
much of today’s Belarus and Ukraine.
In 1386 Lithuania united with Poland and converted to
Christianity to reduce the pressure from Teutonic knights in
the west. For the next 300 years the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a major European power. But by the beginning of the eighteenth century, the Commonwealth had become a Russian protectorate, and by 1795 it was partitioned
among its neighbors and Lithuania came under Russian
control for the first time in history.
Lithuania Scott 378, issued 1990; Angel and
Russia took control of the postal services, which alMap with simulated perforations.
ready had a long tradition in Lithuania. The importance of
the Post was recognized in Lithuania’s first royal charter in
1387. In the seventeenth century a Postmaster was created in Vilnius. Postal
routes and stations were organized. Postage stamps
appeared on December 10, 1857.
With the outbreak of World War I, the Germans
occupied all of contemporary Lithuania from September 1915 until the end of the war. On January 15,
Lithuania Scott 441, issued 1993;
1916, twelve stamps of the Germania issue were overIndepence issue with cameo of
printed Postgebiet Ob. Ost for use in the postal area
Jonas Vileisis.
under the Commander in Chief of the Eastern
Front.
Lithuania Scott
Still under German occupation,
304, issued 1937.
Lithuania declared its independence on
February 16, 1918, although Lithuanian
stamps did not appear until December 27. Lithuania made peace with the
Bolsheviks in July 1920, and in 1923
Lithuania Scott 451, issued 1993;
it seized the former Prussian town of
Surcharged 100k on 30k.
Memel (Klaipeda). Independent Lithuania spent the next two decades searching
for political stability and international security in face of
a revanchist Germany, an expansive Soviet Union, and
a state of war with Poland over its 1922 annexation of
Central Lithuania and Vilnius.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop
Pact of August 1939 enabled
Lithuania Scott 554,
Moscow to annex the Baltic
issued 1996; Coats of
States. After returning VilniArms issue: Seduva.
us, the Soviets annexed Lithuania on August 3, 1940. Only Russian
stamps were valid after March 24, 1941. Three months later Germany occupied Lithuania. On November 4, 1941, Hitler heads
overprinted Ostland were placed in use until Russians returned at the end of the war.
In 1990 the Lithuanians began to shed Russian
control. Some postmasters removed references to
the USSR and Cyrillic characters from their canLithuania Scott C47, issued 1932; Map of
celling devices. Postage stamps appeared on OctoLithuania, Klaipeda and Vilnius.
ber 7, 1990. After Russia recognized its independence on September 6, 1991, Lithuania moved to
solidify its political and economic ties with the west, joining the UN in 1992, the
European Union in 2002, and NATO in 2004.
Lithuania Scott
1N6, issued
1916; German
Occupation
Overprint.
Lithuania postcards.
Lithuania covers.
Lithuania Scott C80, issued
1934; Death of Capts.
Steponas Darius and Stasys
Girenas on their New YorkKaunas flight of 1933 with
cameo of their plane, Lituanica.
Lithuania State Issue Michel 2,
issued 1941; Soviet definitive
stamps with 3-line vertical
overprint: “NEPRIKLAUSOMA /
LIETUVA / 1941-VI-23.”