Nepriklausomyb

Nepriklausomybė is the Lithuanian term for independence, the condition of being free from external control and capable of self-government. In political terms it denotes sovereignty: the state or people possess full authority to determine their laws, policies, and international relations without coercion from another state or power. The concept can apply to nations, regions, organizations, or individuals. The word is formed from ne- (not) + priklausomas (dependent) with the noun suffix -ybė.

Independence is typically achieved through declarations, referendums, or political agreements and often requires international recognition to take effect. Political independence usually implies sovereignty over territory and population, a government, and the capacity to enter treaties. Economic independence refers to freedom from coercive economic control, and cultural independence to the ability to maintain language, education, and traditions. In practice, different forms of autonomy or influence can coexist with true independence, depending on legal and political arrangements.

Throughout history, movements for independence have reshaped borders and governance, including decolonization after World War II and the Baltic states’ independence from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The path to independence can be peaceful or conflictual, and it may be contested domestically or internationally. In contemporary discourse, independence is linked with ideas of self-determination and national sovereignty, as well as debates about interdependence in a global system.