The Republic of Lithuania, with a population of 3.5 million, is situated on the Baltic Sea. It has borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia. Maritime border issues continue to be a source of contention with Latvia.

Lithuania first organized as an independent state in the 1230s. By 1795 most of Lithuania had been incorporated into Russia. Attempts to restore a Lithuanian state (1794, 1830–31, and 1863) resulted in stricter Russian control.

After German occupation in World War I (1914–1918), Lithuania declared independence on February 16, 1918. Lithuanian independence continued until 1940, when the country was occupied by Russian troops after the Hitler-Stalin pact of 1939 and declared a constituent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). A proclamation of independence was reissued in 1990. The USSR demanded a repeal of the decree and attempted to overthrow the new Cabinet of Ministers in 1991 but failed.

A new constitution was ratified on October 25, 1992. The constitution is built on...