This Is Lithuania Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neris

Vilnius stands on the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers. Kaunas, the second city, stands on the Nemunas (or Nieman) and Panevezys on the Nevezis. The Latvian capital, Riga, stands at the mouth of the Daugava.

Answer: Klaipeda

Memel was made an international protectorate after the First World War. It was later incorporated into Lithuania. Klaipeda is now Lithuania's main port and its third city.

Answer: Gediminas

Gediminas is said to have had a dream of a wolf howling like a thousand wolves on a hilltop. The dream was interpreted as meaning that he should build a fort there.

Answer: Rolandas Paksas

Landsbergis was president from 1991 to 1993, Brazauskas was president 1993-98 and Adamkus 1998-2003. Since Lithuania became independent (in 1991), no president has managed to secure a second term in office, although Brazauskas became prime minister in 2001.

Paksas was impeached by the Lithuania Parliament and removed from office in 2004 for a number of offences, including violating the constitution. The subsequent presidential election saw the return to office of Valdus Adamkus.

Answer: 1991

Lithuania became independent of Russia after the First World War in 1918. However, the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1940 to be followed by the Germans in 1941 and then the Soviets again in 1944. Lithuania declared independence on the 11th of March 1990. Following the abortive coup in Moscow in 1991, the Soviet Union recognised Lithuanian independence on the 6th of September of that year.

Answer: Hill of Witches

One of the most fascinating sites in Lithuania, the hill is covered in carvings of various sizes and designs such as witches, pagan gods, animals and other creatures.

The Hill of Crosses is located near Siauliai; another fascinating site, covered in thousands upon thousands of crosses of all different sizes, styles and materials: wood, plastic, metal, amber, even wool.

Answer: yellow, green and red

The yellow represents the sun, the green the land and the red the blood of the people.

Answer: Poland

Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania married Jadwiga of the Polish royal house in 1386. From then on the hereditary Grand Dukes were regularly chosen for the elected position of King of Poland. However, the two countries were not formally united until 1569.

Answer: The 9th Fort

The fort was originally built in the nineteenth century as part of Tsarist Russia's defences against Imperial Germany. During the Second World War it was used by the Germans as a concentration camp where an estimated 30000 Jews from all over Europe were murdered. It has since become a museum with a memorial to the dead.

Answer: Poland and Belarus

Lithuania borders Poland to the south, the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the south-west, Latvia to the north and Belarus to the east.