Knygos anotacija

The aim of this publication is to acquaint the public with an integral and systematised historical cartographical picture of the evolution of the state borders of Lithuania. It is enriched with material from the latest research, as well as with interesting episodes from the preparation of international treaties on the delimitation and demarcation of the border, the special economic zone and the continental shelf that are published here for the first time. The reader will find not only maps of the state from different epochs, but also pictures of border signs.

This publication testifies to the fact that Lithuania, which in 2009 marked the thousandth anniversary of the first appearance of its name, was a fully fledged European state from the 13th century, which maintained diplomatic relations with the Holy See and neighbouring states, and had a defined territory. Not all the states whose names appeared in written sources prior to this can make the same claim.

The book is made up of four parts, offering a chronological overview of the evolution of the territory and borders of Lithuania. In Part One, Dr Ramunė Šmigelskytė-Stukienė analyses the period of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 13th to the 18th centuries. In Part Two, Dr Zita Medišauskienė takes a look at changes in the administrative boundaries of Lithuania during the occupation by Imperial Russia. In Part Three, Dr Česlovas Laurinavičius sheds a light on the formation and development of the borders in the 20th century. In Part Four, Dr Zenonas Kumetaitis presents exhaustive material on the delimitation of the borders after independence was reestablished in 1990. The book is illustrated with valuable cartographic material.