The beginning of the history of geography in Lithuania dates back to the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (12th-18th centuries) and is mostly connected with one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe - Vilnius University, founded in 1579. For this reason, geography as a science has deep traditions in Lithuania. One of the most influential organizations for the development of modern geography in the country is the Lithuanian Geographical Society, founded in 1934 and, despite various turmoil, has managed to survive to this day. The history of geography in Lithuania can be divided into four phases: the birth of geographical science, the formation of modern geography, geography during the period of Soviet occupation and geography after regaining independence. Each of these phases will be further elaborated below. The birth of geographical science As a science, geography in Lithuania developed in accordance with general trends in Europe. On the other hand, it was influenced by various historical circumstances and the cultural and scientific progress of the country (Česnulevičius, 2007). The earliest known geographical works in Lithuania could be traced back to the maps drawn by Anton Wied, who was the painter in the palace of the Grand Duke of Lithuania - Žygimantas Augustas. One of his best-known works – “Muscovy” was the map of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, made in Vilnius and published in Sebastians Münsters' “Cosmography” in 1544 (Vilnius University, 1994). Another famous work in those times was the map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (later GDL), which in 1613 was published by WJ Blaeu in Amsterdam (Samas, 1997). Its preparation was led by the nobleman and cartographer GDL...... middle of paper ......upickaitė, D. (2014 m. 05 26 d.). Geography and geographical society in Lithuania. from http://www.lgd.lt/en/about-us/historyLithuanian Geographical Society. (2010). 2014 05 26 from http://www.lgd.lt/enLithuanian University of Educational Sciences. (2014). 2014 05 26 from http://www.leu.lt/en/about_university/history.htmlRussian Geographical Society. (2014). 2014 05 25 from http://int.rgo.ru/about/history/chronicle/Samas, A. (1997). Maps and their creators. Vilnius: Publishing Institute of Science and Encyclopedia. Snyder, T. (2004). The reconstruction of nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999. New Haven: Yale University Press.Švedas, K. (2002). The most famous Lithuanian geographers. Vilnius: Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.Vilnius University. (1994). The history of Vilnius University. Vilnius: State Publishing Center.