Kaunas, << KOW nahs >> (pop. 378,943), is the second largest city of Lithuania. Only Vilnius has more people. Kaunas is an industrial, educational, and cultural center. The city’s chief products include electronics, furniture, machine tools, paper, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Kaunas has several universities and other institutes of higher education. Cultural facilities include nine theaters and over 20 museums. Several buildings in the city date from the 1400’s.
People have lived in the Kaunas region for thousands of years. The city’s historical names include Kovno, Kowno, and Kauen. In medieval times, the city was a trading center and fortress. Kaunas served as the capital of the independent nation of Lithuania from 1919 to 1939. In 1940, the Soviet Union forcibly took over Lithuania. In 1991, the Soviet Union broke apart, and Lithuania became an independent nation again.
