The Lithuanian litas was the official currency of Lithuania from 1922 until 1940 and then again from 1993 until 2014. It was subdivided into 100 centų. The litas was introduced to stabilize the economy after World War I and was replaced by the euro in January 2015. The symbol for the litas was "Lt," and its banknotes featured notable figures from Lithuanian history and culture. The currency played a significant role in Lithuania's economic development, especially during its transition to a market economy after regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.