Baltic countries: Encyclopedia - Baltic countries

Baltic countries

The terms "Baltic countries", "Baltic Sea countries", "Baltic states", and "Balticum" refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.

Baltic countries - Baltic Sea countries and Balticum

Geographically, the Baltic Sea countries are countries that have access to the Baltic Sea: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

The Baltic Sea countries, together with Norway, Iceland and the European Union form the Council of the Baltic Sea States.

Balticum is the geographic term used in several languages, including Scandinavian and German, which usually denotes the territory corresponding to modern Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In some contexts, the term Balticum includes the historically or culturally German-dominated lands, or provinces, of Estonia, Livonia, Courland and Latgale (corresponding to modern Estonia and Latvia), as well as sometimes East Prussia, while Lithuania is sometimes excluded.

Baltic countries - Baltic states

In matters of modern politics, the Baltic states are three specific countries: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All three countries were controlled by Soviet Union in 1940-1941 and 1944(1945)-1991, and have been members of the European Union since 2004. Today they are liberal democracies, parliamentary republics, and very quickly growing market economies.

Despite the common name, it is often indicated that the three Baltic states have little else in common other than their geographic proximity, similar small size, and to lesser degree, a shared recent history. Estonia aspires in direction of their Finnic brethren and the Nordic countries, while Lithuania focuses on its connection to Poland and Central Europe, and Latvia concentrates on the transit between Russia and the Western countries. Some political scientists consider Lithuania as part of Central Europe, due to its few shared influences.

In the Cold War context, the Baltic countries were considered to be a part of Eastern Europe, but culturally and historically, it is more appropriate to view Estonia and parts of Latvia as part of Northern Europe, Lithuania and parts of Latvia as part of Central Europe, where the historical impact of the Hanseatic League, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian Empire, and the German Empire have been of crucial importance. For Latvia and Estonia, present-day and historical connections to Finland, Sweden, and Denmark have also been important.

It should be noted that although politically the present-day Baltic countries are republics, the term "Baltic republics" often refers to something different: the Soviet republics of Baltic countries.

Baltic countries - History of the Baltic states

The histories of today's Baltic countries took a first "common turn" in the 13th century when Christianity and feudalism were effectively introduced to the region by the invasion of the crusaders from the west (German Sword Brethren, Denmark) and the conversion of Lithuania's rulers from Paganism to Christianity. Over the subsequent centuries, these lands became a battlefield between the Teutonic Order, the Hanseatic League, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Muscovy, and other Russian principalities.

By around 1582, almost the whole territory of the Baltic states (other than northern Estonia) was under the overlordship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Baltic provinces (Curonia, Livonia, Estonia and Ingria) and Lithuania in the 19th century, albeit with names and borders different from the present-day countries, were part of the Russian Empire.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became sovereign nations in the aftermath of World War I. They declared independence in 1918, fought independence wars against German freikorps and Bolshevist Russia, and were recognized as independent countries in 1920.

Prior to World War II, Finland was sometimes considered a fourth Baltic state. For example, in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Finland was explicitly mentioned as one of the Baltic states when relinquished by Nazi Germany to the Soviet "sphere of interest". Since after the Second World War, however, both the Finnish people and the global public opinion have accepted the view that Finland is one of the Nordic countries and not one of the Baltic states.

Following the Nazi-Soviet pact of 1939, the Soviet Army entered eastern Poland as well as military bases in the Baltic states which were granted after USSR had threatened the three countries with military invasion. In June 1940, the Red Army occupied the whole territory of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and installed new, pro-Soviet governments in all three countries. Following rigged elections, in which only pro-communist candidates were allowed to run, the newly "elected" parliaments of the three countries formally applied to "join" USSR in August 1940 and were annexed into it as the Estonian SSR, the Latvian SSR, and the Lithuanian SSR.

The Soviet control of the Baltic states was interrupted by Nazi German invasion of the region in 1941. The German occupation lasted until late 1944 (in Courland, until early 1945), when the countries were re-occupied by the Soviet Army.

The three Baltic nations re-declared their independence between 1990 and 1991, and their independence was recognized by the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991. An integration with the Western world and with Western Europe was chosen as the main strategic goal.

Rather than new states, they declared themselves to be restorations of the pre-war republics, thus further emphasizing their contention (adhered to worldwide, but contested by some Russian governments) that Soviet domination over the Baltic nations during the Cold War period had been an illegal occupation and annexation.

In 2002 the Baltic nations applied to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Membership of NATO was duly achieved on March 29, 2004, and accession to the EU took place on May 1, 2004.

Baltic countries - Language and Culture in the Baltic states

Despite the three nations' similarities in culture and history, their languages belong to two distinct language families. The Latvian and Lithuanian languages make up the group of Baltic languages which belongs to the Indo-European language family. The Estonian language belongs to the Baltic-Finnic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric languages, sharing close cultural and historical ties with the Finnish language and culture.

The peoples of the Baltic countries also belong to different Christian denominations. Believers in Latvia and Estonia are mostly Lutheran (except for Russian minorities in these countries, which are predominantly Orthodox), while Lithuania is principally Catholic.

Due to a long period of Germanic domination, starting in the middle ages, German language also has an important role. Its role has somewhat diminished after World War II, but it remains one of three main foreign languages taught in schools (the other two being English and Russian). The Baltic states have historically also been in the Swedish and Russian spheres of influence. Following the period of Soviet domination, ethnic Russian immigrants from former USSR and their descendants today make up a sizable minority in the Baltic states, particularly in Latvia (about one-third of the population) and Estonia (one-fourth of the population).

Baltic countries - Tourism of the Baltic states

The Baltic states are in fact very different, despite being frequently grouped together. They are considered to be sparsely-populated countries, known for unspoilt nature, amber and medieval cities, mostly former members of the Hanseatic League. Today, the Baltic states are dynamic countries with a young population and cities offering great cultural opportunities, and cozy pubs and restaurants. The Baltic countries are known to offer affordable vacations.

A favourite place to visit in Estonia is the capital city Tallinn (Reval), an old, walled medieval town with several cathedrals and churches, romantic little streets, and a harbour with ferry lines to Sweden and Finland. The tourist area of the city can be awash with foreign visitors. In Southern Estonia, there is the famous old university town of Tartu (Dorpat). Estonia offers beautiful islands such as Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, and lakes such as Lake Peipus. Estonia is ideal for recreation in free nature and in the woods. Long distance buses provide frequent and affordable links within Estonia.

The Latvian capital, Riga, is the largest city of the Baltics, with about 800,000 inhabitants. Riga is famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, broad boulevards, and cosmopolitan flair. The Latvian countryside is similar to that found in Scandinavia, but is much more affordable. Latvia offers a long Baltic Sea coastline with harbour towns like Liepāja and Ventspils, and seaside resorts like Jūrmala. The countryside offers picturesque little towns, often with medieval centres.

Most visits to Lithuania start with capital, Vilnius (Polish/Jewish: Wilna), which is also known as "Northern Jerusalem" because of its many churches and its formerly significant Jewish minority. Remains of Polish, Jewish, and Lithuanian cultures can be found in the old town, which is recognized as UNESCO World Heritage site. Close to the capital is the historical capital of Trakai with its lake island-castle. The country offers stunning unspoiled nature with its many forests, lakes and the sandy seaside. The stunning Curonian Spit sand peninsula at the Baltic Sea is also in the UNESCO World Heritage list. In the south, near the spa-town of Druskininkai, is "Stalin's World" (Grutas park) site which packs monuments to Lenin and other Soviet leaders, which were erected all over Lithuania by Soviets and removed after they left.

Baltic countries - Related statistics

The largest cities in Baltic states, by population, are:

• LV Riga 739,232)
• LT Vilnius (553,904)
• EE Tallinn (401,694)
• LT Kaunas (378,943)
• LT Klaipėda (192,954)
• LT Šiauliai (133,883)
• LT Panevėžys (119,749)
• LV Daugavpils (115,265)
• EE Tartu (100,482)
• LV Liepāja (89,448)

The largest cities in Baltic states, by population of indigenous peoples (Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians), are:

• LT Kaunas (352,051)
• LT Vilnius (318,510)
• LV Riga (309,000)
• EE Tallinn (215,114)
• LT Klaipėda (137,557)
• LT Šiauliai (124,263)
• LT Panevėžys (114,585)
• EE Tartu (80,397)
• LT Alytus (69,390)
• LT Marijampolė (47,555)

(LT - Lithuania, LV - Latvia, EE - Estonia)

Baltic countries - Other uses

In matters of ecology, biology, or geography, Baltic countries usually refers to all of the countries around the Baltic Sea: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, Poland, Germany and Denmark.

See also

• Baltic republics
• Baltic way
• Baltic region
• Brick Gothic
• Nordic countries
• Northern Europe
• Europe
• Scandinavia
• Baltic Russians
• Baltic Germans
• United Baltic Duchy

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Baltic countries", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki