LITHUANIA | Page 3

Lithuania is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, a full member of the Schengen Agreement and NATO. It is also a member of the Nordic Investment Bank, and part of Nordic-Balticcooperation of Northern European countries. The United Nations Human Development Index lists Lithuania as a "very high human development" country. Lithuania has been among the fastest growing economies in the European Union and is ranked 24th in the world in the Ease of Doing Business Index. On 1 January 2015, Lithuania adopted the euro as the official currency and became the 19th member of the Eurozone. (WIKIPEDIA-http://en.wikipedi1st World War After the outbreak of the 1rst World War, Germany occupied Lithuania and Courland in 1915. Against the tsarist Russsia, Germany wanted to incorporate the Baltic Germans. Lithuania was put under a German government of occupation serving the plan to be part of a group of countries formally independent but in fact dependent on Germany. Lithuanians fought for their independence against Germans, Posish, Soviets. After a long period of wars and fights, they declared their independence in 1918 on February 16th. This day has become a national holiday in Lithuania. 2nd World War During the 2nd World war, Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union (1940-1941), Nazi Germany (1941-1944) and the Soviet Union again in 1944. They resisted in many ways during this period. Polish and Soviet forces fought with lithuanian people. Soviet Occupation During Soviet occupation, people kept resisting against soviet authorities. The resistance organizations issued a declaration of indipendence in 1949 that was ultimately signed into 1st Junior High School of Sitia Greece