Baltic, also Baltic(German: Baltikum) - an area in Northern Europe, which includes the territories of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, as well as the former East Prussia. From the name of this territory comes the name of one of the Indo-Germanic language groups - the Balts. .
The indigenous population of the Baltic countries, as a rule, do not use the term "Baltic", considering it a relic of the Soviet era, and prefer to talk about the "Baltic countries". In Estonian there is only the word Baltimaad (Baltic countries), it is translated into Russian as Baltic, Baltic or Baltic. In Latvian and Lithuanian, the word Baltija is used in relation to the region.
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Lithuania (lit. Lietuva)
the official name of the Republic of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos Respublika), is a state in Europe, on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. In the north it borders with Latvia, in the southeast - with Belarus, in the southwest - with Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Member of NATO (since 2004), EU (since 2004), WTO, UN. A country that has signed the Schengen Agreement. Kaunas was the capital from 1919 to 1939. The capital of modern Lithuania is Vilnius (from 1939 to the present). National emblem- Chase or Vytis (lit. Vytis) - a white horseman (Vityaz) on a red background, the national flag is yellow-green-red.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
In the XIII-XIV centuries, the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania grew rapidly and reached the shores of the Black Sea. At the same time, the Lithuanian princes fought hard against the Teutonic Order, which was defeated in 1410 in Battle of Grunwald united troops of the Lithuanian lands and Poland.
In 1385 Grand Duke Lithuanian Jagiello (Jogaila) under the Treaty of Kreva undertook to unite Lithuania and Poland in a personal union in the event of his election as the Polish king. In 1386 he was crowned King of Poland. In 1387 Lithuania was baptized and adopted Western Christianity as its official religion. Since 1392, Lithuania was actually ruled by Grand Duke Vytautas (Vytautas; Vytautas), cousin and formal governor of Jogaila. During his reign (1392-1430) Lithuania reached the height of its power.
Casimir Jagiellon expanded the international influence of the Jagiellonian dynasty - he subjugated Prussia to Poland, put his son on the Czech and Hungarian thrones. In the years 1492-1526 there was politic system states of the Jagiellons, covering Poland (with vassals of Prussia and Moldova), Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
In 1569, a union was concluded with Poland in Lublin (on the eve of the Ukrainian lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were annexed to Poland). According to the act of the Union of Lublin, Lithuania and Poland were ruled by a jointly elected king, and state affairs were decided in a common Seimas. However, the legal systems, army and governments remained separate. IN XVI-XVIII centuries gentry democracy dominated in Lithuania, the polonization of the gentry and its rapprochement with the Polish gentry took place. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was losing its Lithuanian national character, it developed Polish culture.
As part of the Russian Empire
In the XVIII century, after the Northern War, the Polish-Lithuanian state fell into decay, falling under the protectorate of Russia. In 1772, 1793 and 1795 the entire territory of Poland and the GDL was divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria. Most of the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was annexed to Russia. Attempts to restore statehood caused the transition of the Polish-Lithuanian nobility to the side of Napoleon in 1812, as well as the uprisings of 1830-1831 and 1863-1864, which ended in defeat. In the second half of the 19th century, a national movement began to take shape.
Latvia, Republic of Latvia
(Latvian Latvija, Latvijas Republika) - the Baltic state, the capital is Riga (721 thousand people, 2006). Geographically belongs to Northern Europe. The country was named after the ethnonym of the people - Latvies (Latvian latvieši). Member of the EU and NATO, member of the Schengen agreements. Latvia first emerged as independent state in 1918 (Riga Peace Treaty of 1920 between the RSFSR and Latvia). From 1940 to 1991 it was part of the USSR as the Latvian SSR.
1201 - Bishop Albert von Buxgevden founded the city of Riga on the site of Liv villages. For better organization of the incorporation of the lands of the Livs and Latgalians into the bosom of the church (and at the same time their political subjugation), he also founded the Order of the Swordsmen (after the defeat in the Battle of Saul, the Livonian Order as part of the Teutonic Order), which later became an independent political and economic force; the order and the bishop often fought with each other. [source?] In 1209, the bishop and the order agreed on the division of the occupied and not yet occupied lands. Appeared on the map of Europe public education German crusaders - Livonia (by the name of the local ethnos Livs). It included the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia. Many Livonian cities subsequently became members of the prosperous North European trade union - the Hansa. However, later, torn apart by internecine skirmishes of the Order, the Bishopric of Riga (from 1225 - the Archbishopric of Riga) and other, more insignificant bishops, as well as their vassals, Livonia began to weaken, which drew increased attention to it from the surrounding states - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and later also Sweden and Denmark. Moreover, Livonia (especially Riga, which was the largest of the cities of the Hanseatic trade union), due to its geographical location has always been an important trading region (in the past, part of the "Road from the Varangians to the Greeks" ran through its lands).
17th century
During the 17th century - the formation of the Latvian nation as a result of the consolidation of individual peoples: Latgalians, villages, Semigallians, Curonians and Livs. Some of the Latgalians still retain their original language, although in Latvia and even among the Latgalians themselves there are so many dialects and dialects that many historians and linguists consider this language one of the “big” dialects of Latvian.[source?] official position of the state, from this side reinforced by a very strong feeling of patriotism among Latvians (three stars on the coat of arms of Latvia and in the hands of the woman-Freedom on top of the monument of the same name in the center of Riga symbolize the three regions of Latvia - Kurzeme-Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale)
18th century
1722 - as a result of the Northern War, part of the territory of modern Latvia departs to the Russian Empire. 1795 - under the third partition of Poland, the entire territory of present-day Latvia was united as part of Russia.
There are many interesting things in the history of the development of each Baltic country - there is something to learn, to take an example in something, and in some things you can learn from the mistakes of others.
Despite their small territory and small population, they manage to occupy a significant position in various international economic and trade associations.
If you are wondering: the Baltic countries are what countries, how they developed and how they live, then this article is just for you, because here you can find all the necessary answers.
In this article, we will look at their history, development and current position in the global political and economic arena.
Baltic countries. Compound
Neither more nor less, but three states are called the Baltic countries. At one time they were part of the USSR. Today, all the Baltic countries are completely independent.
The list looks like this:
They are both similar and different in their history, development, inner color, people, traditions.
The Baltic countries cannot boast of large reserves natural resources which affects the economy. The demographic situation has a negative trend, as the death rate exceeds the birth rate. It also affects high level emigration of the population to other more developed countries of Europe.
To summarize, in many ways modern development the Baltic States comes at the expense of the European Union. Of course, this affects both the domestic and foreign policies of these countries.
Starting in 1992, Estonia chose the path of European development as a priority and began to turn away from any interactions with Moscow, while maintaining cordial relations.
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of loans and external credits contributed to the rapid transition to a market economy. In addition, European countries returned to Estonia the funds that had been frozen from them since the republic joined the Soviet Union in the 40s of the 20th century.
The global financial crisis has had a strong impact on the Estonian economy
In just five years after 2000, the country's GDP doubled. However, the global financial crisis did not spare Estonia and increased the unemployment rate from 5 to 15%. For the same reason, in 2009, the level of industrial production fell by more than 70%.
Estonia is a fairly active member of NATO and takes part in most peacekeeping operations, for example, in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Multinational culture
It's hard to believe, but one country combines the cultures of Latvia, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Sweden, as well as other countries. This is due to the fact that at one time the rulers chose one or the other vector of development.
Estonia can be proud of its commitment to the modernization of all processes. Already since 2000, it was possible to report on taxes electronically. Since 2008, all meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers have not been recorded in paper minutes - everything happens electronically.
Constant introduction of new information technologies
Imagine - more than 78% of the country's population uses the Internet. This figure is one of the best in all of Europe. In the world by level of development information technologies ranks 24th in the ranking of 142 countries.
In this regard, Estonians really have something to be proud of.
Despite mass computerization, spiritual values, as well as the preservation surrounding nature are also a priority in the development of this country. Especially noteworthy is the national cuisine, which is distinguished by the so-called peasant spirit from the past.
The Baltic countries are a small and beautiful place on the planet Earth
There is much to be learned from three small countries. Despite the fact that they are completely energy dependent on other states, they managed to make a significant breakthrough in their development compared to other countries that gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
So, what are the Baltic countries, how did they develop and how do they live? We hope this article was useful for you, and you were able to find all the necessary answers regarding the history, development and current position of these states in the world political and economic arena.
The Baltic countries (Baltic) include three former Soviet republics that are not part of the CIS - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All of them are unitary republics. In 2004, all three Baltic states joined NATO and the European Union.
Baltic countries
Table 38
A feature of the geographical position of the Baltic countries is the presence of access to the Baltic Sea and the neighboring position with the Russian Federation. In the south, the Baltic countries border on Belarus (Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland (Lithuania). The countries of the region have a very important political and geographical position and an advantageous economic and geographical position.
The countries of the region are very poor mineral resources. Among the fuel resources, peat is ubiquitous. The richest among the Baltic countries is Estonia, which has reserves of oil shale (Kohtla-Järve) and phosphorites (Maardu). Limestone reserves stand out in Latvia (Brocene). Mineral water springs are famous: Baldone and Valmiera in Latvia, Druskininkai, Birštonas and Pabirže in Lithuania. in Estonia - Häädemeeste. The main wealth of the Baltic States is fish and recreational resources.
In terms of population, the Baltic countries are among the small countries of Europe (see Table 38). The population is distributed relatively evenly, and only on the coast the population density increases slightly.
In all countries of the region, the modern type of reproduction dominates, and everywhere the death rate exceeds the birth rate. The natural population decline is especially high in Latvia (-5% o) and in Estonia (-4% o).
The gender composition, as in most European countries, is dominated by the female population. In terms of the age composition of the population, the Baltic countries can be classified as “aging nations”: in Estonia and Latvia, the share of pensioners exceeds the share of children, and only in Lithuania these figures are equal.
All the Baltic countries have a multinational composition of the population, and only in Lithuania the Lithuanians make up the absolute majority of the population - 82%, while in Latvia the Latvians account for only 55% of the population of the republic. In addition to the indigenous peoples, a lot of the so-called Russian-speaking population lives in the Baltic states: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Poles in Lithuania. The largest share of Russians is in Latvia (30%) and Estonia (28%), however, it is in these countries that the problem of observing the rights of the Russian-speaking population is most acute.
Estonians and Latvians are Protestants by religion, while Lithuanians and Poles are Catholics. The majority of the believing Russian-speaking population consider themselves Orthodox.
The Baltics are characterized by a high level of urbanization: from 67% in Lithuania to 72% in Estonia, but there are no millionaire cities. largest city each republic has its capital. Among other cities, it should be noted in Estonia - Tartu, in Latvia - Daugavpils, Jurmala and Liepaja, in Lithuania - Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai.
The structure of employment of the population of the Baltic countries
Table 39
The Baltic countries are provided with highly qualified labor resources. Most of the population in the countries of the region is employed in the non-manufacturing sector (see Table 39).
Emigration of the population prevails in all the Baltic countries: the Russian-speaking population leaves for Russia, Estonians - for Finland, Latvians and Lithuanians - for Germany and the USA.
After the collapse of the USSR, the structure of the economy and the specialization of the Baltic countries changed significantly: the predominance of the manufacturing industry was replaced by the predominance of the service sector, and some branches of precision and transport engineering, light industry, in which the Baltic countries specialized, practically disappeared. At the same time, the importance Agriculture and food industry.
The power industry is of secondary importance in the region (moreover, 83% of Lithuanian electricity is provided by the largest in Europe Ignalina
NPP), ferrous metallurgy, represented by the only center of conversion metallurgy in Liepaja (Latvia).
The branches of industrial specialization of the modern Baltic include: Precision engineering, especially the electrical industry - the production of radio equipment in Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Kaunas), televisions (Siauliai) and refrigerators (Vilnius) in Lithuania; machine tool building in Lithuania (Vilnius) and ship repair in Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Klaipeda). developed in Soviet time in Latvia, transport engineering (production of electric trains and minibuses) has practically ceased to exist; Chemical industry: production of mineral fertilizers (Maardu and Kohtla-Järve in Estonia, Ventspils in Latvia and Jonava in Lithuania), production of chemical fibers (Daugavpils in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania), perfume industry (Riga in Latvia) and household chemicals (Tallinn in Estonia and Daugavpils in Latvia); Timber industry, especially furniture and pulp and paper (Tallinn, Tartu and Narva in Estonia, Riga and Jurmala in Latvia, Vilnius and Klaipeda in Lithuania); Light industry: textile industry (Tallinn and Narva in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Kaunas and Panevezys in Lithuania), clothing (Tallinn and Riga), knitwear (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius) and shoe industry (Vilnius and Siachulyai in Lithuania); food industry, in which a special role is played by dairy and fish (Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Riga, Liepaja, Klaipeda, Vilnius).
The Baltic countries are characterized by the development of intensive agriculture with a predominance of animal husbandry, where dairy cattle breeding and pig breeding play a leading role. Almost half of the cultivated area is occupied by fodder crops. Rye, barley, potatoes, vegetables, flax are grown everywhere, in Latvia and Lithuania - sugar beets. In terms of agricultural production, Lithuania stands out among the Baltic countries.
The Baltic countries are characterized by a high level of development transport system: where road, rail, pipeline and maritime modes of transport stand out. The largest seaports in the region are Tallinn and Pärnu - in Estonia; Riga, Ventspils (oil tanker), Liepaja - in Latvia and Klaipeda - in Lithuania. Estonia has a ferry connection with Finland (Tallinn - Helsinki), and Lithuania - with Germany (Klaipeda - Mukran).
Among the branches of the non-productive sphere, recreational economy is of particular importance. The main tourist and recreational centers of the Baltic States are Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu - in Estonia;
Riga, Jurmala, Tukums and Baldone - in Latvia; Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga, Trakai, Druskininkai and Birštonas are in Lithuania.
The main foreign economic partners of the Baltic States are the countries Western Europe(especially Finland, Sweden and Germany), as well as Russia, and a reorientation of foreign trade towards Western countries is clearly observed.
The Baltic countries export appliances, radio and electrical equipment, communications equipment, perfumes, household chemicals, forestry, light, dairy and fishing industries.
Imports are dominated by fuel (oil, gas, coal), industrial raw materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals, apatite, cotton), vehicles, consumer goods.
Questions and tasks Give the economic and geographical characteristics of the Baltic States. What are the factors that determine the specialization of the economy of the Baltic countries. Describe the problems of development of the region. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Estonia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Latvia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Lithuania.
The Baltic population of the Baltic States and the Russians had long-standing, centuries-old, good-neighborly contacts, the beginning of which dates back to the very foundation of the Russian state in the 9th century. Suffice it to recall the founding in 1030 by Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise of the Yuriev fortress near Lake Peipsi (now the city of Tartu in Estonia). These lands were vassals Kievan Rus, then - the Novgorod Republic. Russian principalities contributed to the cultural development of this region, brought Orthodox Christianity to the Baltic states. However, during the period of feudal fragmentation of the Russian lands, the Baltic states left the sphere of our influence.
In 1219, the Danes undertook a crusade and captured the north of Estonia, but already in 1223, the local population raised an uprising against the Danes and called for help from the Russian principalities. The Russians came to the rescue, but the defeat of the Russian troops from the Mongols on the Kalka in 1223 forced us to transfer forces from the Baltic to the defense of the Russian lands. As a result, by 1227 the troops of Denmark and the Order of the Sword-bearers recaptured Estonia. According to the treaty of 1238, Estonia was divided between Denmark and the Order: the Danes got the north, and the Germans got the south of Estonia. The crusaders were engaged in the systematic extermination of the Estonians, forcibly converting them to Catholicism and killing those who disagreed. This led to a series of uprisings against German-Danish domination, but without Russian help, these uprisings were doomed to failure, and Russia itself was then under the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
According to the agreement of 1346 Danish king sold his Estonian possessions to the Livonian Order, which since then has owned all of Estonia.
The arrival of the Germans in the Baltic States began from the territory of modern Latvia. In 1197 - 1199. German knights undertook a successful campaign, landing their army from the sea at the mouth of the Western Dvina, and conquered part of Livonia. In 1201 they founded the fortress of Riga. At that time, the armor were vassals of the Russian principalities and enjoyed their protection, and in the upper reaches of the Western Dvina there were fortresses of the Polotsk principality. As a result, already in 1207, the first military conflict broke out between the Order of the Sword-bearers and the Principality of Polotsk.
As a result of long wars and raids, the German knights established themselves in the lands of Latvia and Estonia, uniting in the Livonian Order. The order led a very cruel, bloody policy towards the local population. So, the Baltic people of the Prussians, related to modern Latvians and Lithuanians, were completely exterminated by the German knights. The Lats and Estonians were forcibly converted to Catholicism.
The state of the Livonian Order on the territory of Latvia and Estonia existed until the Livonian War, launched by the strengthened Russian state under Ivan the Terrible to protect Russian lands from the threat from the crusaders and to protect the local population from German arbitrariness. In 1561, after military defeats from Russian troops, Grand Master Gotthard Kettler accepted the title of Duke of Courland and recognized himself as a vassal of Poland. As a result of the Livonian War, which ended in 1583, Estonia and the north of Latvia (Lifland) were ceded to Sweden, and the south of Latvia (Courland) became a vassal possession of Poland.
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russia and Zhamois, as this state was fully called, existed from the 13th century to 1795. Now Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine are located on its territory. According to the most common version, the Lithuanian state was founded by Prince Mindovg around 1240, who united the Lithuanian tribes and began to progressively annex the fragmented Russian principalities. This policy was continued by the descendants of Mindovg, especially the Grand Dukes Gediminas (1316 - 1341), Olgerd (1345 - 1377) and Vitovt (1392 - 1430). Under them, Lithuania annexed the lands of White, Black and Red Rus', and also conquered the mother of Russian cities, Kyiv, from the Tatars. The official language of the Grand Duchy was Russian (this is how it was called in the documents, Ukrainian and Belarusian nationalists call it, respectively, "Old Ukrainian" and "Old Belarusian").
Since 1385, several unions have been concluded between Lithuania and Poland. Lithuanian nobility began to adopt the Polish language, Polish culture, to move from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. The local population was subjected to harassment on religious grounds. Several centuries earlier than in Moscow Rus', in Lithuania (following the example of the possessions of the Livonian Order) serfdom: Orthodox Russian peasants became the personal property of the Polonized gentry, who converted to Catholicism. Religious uprisings flared in Lithuania, and the remaining Orthodox gentry appealed to Russia. In 1558 the Livonian War began.
During the Livonian War, suffering tangible defeats from the Russian troops, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569 went to the signing of the Union of Lublin: Ukraine completely departed from the Principality of Poland, and the lands of Lithuania and Belarus that remained in the Principality of the Principality were with Poland part of the confederate Commonwealth, obeying foreign policy Poland.
The results of the Livonian War of 1558 - 1583 consolidated the position of the Baltic States for a century and a half before the start of the Northern War of 1700-1721.
The accession of the Baltic States to Russia during the Northern War coincided with the implementation of the Petrine reforms. Then Livonia and Estonia became part of Russian Empire. Peter I himself tried in a non-military way to establish relations with the local German nobility, the descendants of the German knights. Estonia and Vidzeme were the first to be annexed (as a result of the war in 1721). And only 54 years later, following the results of the third section of the Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the duchy of Courland and Semigalle became part of the Russian Empire after Catherine II signed the manifestos of April 15 and December 19, 1795.
At the time of the annexation of Livonia and Estonia on the Baltic territory, most of the nobility were Germans. This is explained by the fact that the knighthood of the order until the XVI century. regularly replenished by newcomers from Germany. Contrary to fears, no infringement of rights from Peter I and subsequent tsars was observed, rather, on the contrary, the economic and judicial systems were gradually settled. In Estland and Livonia, after being incorporated into Russia, the local legislative body was retained; or restrictions received rights and privileges Russian nobility. Moreover, the Baltic Germans (mostly descendants of German knights from the Livonian and Courland provinces) were, if not more influential, then at least no less influential than the Russians, nationality in the Empire: numerous dignitaries of the Empire were of Baltic origin. Catherine II carried out a number of administrative reforms regarding the administration of provinces, the rights of cities, where the independence of governors increased, but the actual power, in the realities of the time, was in the hands of the local, Baltic nobility.
By 1917, the Baltic lands were divided into Estland (center in Reval - now Tallinn), Livonia (center - Riga), Courland (center in Mitava - now Yelgava) and Vilna province (center in Vilna - now Vilnius). The provinces were characterized by a large mixture of population: by the beginning of the 20th century. about 4 million people lived in the provinces, about half of them were Lutherans, about a quarter were Catholics, and about 16% were Orthodox. The provinces were inhabited by Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Germans, Russians, Poles, in the Vilna province there was a relatively high proportion of the Jewish population.
It should be noted that in the Empire the population of the Baltic provinces was never subjected to any kind of discrimination. On the contrary, in the Estland and Livland provinces, serfdom was abolished, for example, much earlier than in the rest of Russia, already in 1819. Provided that the local population knew the Russian language, there were no restrictions on admission to public service. The imperial government actively developed the local industry. Riga shared with Kiev the right to be the third most important administrative, cultural and industrial center of the Empire after St. Petersburg and Moscow.
With great respect, the tsarist government treated local customs and legal orders.
As we see, neither medieval history, nor in the history of the tsarist period there was any tension in relations between the Russian and the Baltic peoples. On the contrary, it was in Russia that these peoples found a source of protection from foreign oppression, found support for the development of their culture and the preservation of their identity under the reliable protection of the Empire.
But even the Russian-Baltic history, rich in traditions of good neighborliness, turned out to be powerless in front of contemporary issues in relations between countries caused by the period of communist rule.
In 1917 - 1920. the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) gained independence from Russia. At the same time, many representatives of the Russian nobility, officers, merchants, and intelligentsia found refuge in the Baltic states, forced to flee Russia after the victory of the Reds in the fratricidal civil war. But, as you know, in 1940, after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, the inclusion of the Baltic states into the USSR followed, which was accompanied by mass repression and deportations on social and political grounds against the local population by the Soviet punitive authorities. Communist repressions, both in 1940-1941, as well as the actual Civil War in the Baltic States in the 1940s - 1950s for the return of countries to the path of independent civilized development against the communists, left a deep painful scar in historical memory Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians.
In 1990, the Baltic states proclaimed the restoration of state sovereignty. An attempt by the communists to retain power by force, throwing tanks and riot police against peaceful demonstrations in Vilnius and Riga, did not bring success. Communism in the Baltics fell. Unfortunately, many now identify Russians and communists. On the part of the Baltic states, this entails spreading the guilt of the communist government to the entire Russian people, from which the Russian people also suffered, which causes Russophobia. On the part of the Russians, this, alas, causes attempts to justify the crimes of the communists, which have no justification. But even with such relations in recent decades, it is worth noting that until now the population of the Baltic countries, in addition to official language and speaks Russian. Economic, cultural and tourist relations are developing between Russia and the Baltic states. We are connected by family ties, long history and culture. I would like to believe that in the future the relations between the Baltic countries and Russia will become friendly and neighborly again, because history tends to repeat itself not only in something negative...
Today, the Baltic is a significant region of Northern Europe. One of the most important historical and economic points of the region is Pomorie. This is an administrative and sovereign region, which was previously called the Ostsee Region. Deal with the question: "The Baltics - what are the countries and states?" - Historical and economic reviews of the region will help.
The formation of the region
The very word "Baltic" comes from the name of the sea, on the shores of which the region is located. For a long time, the German and Swedish peoples fought for sole power in the territory. It was they who in the 16th century for the most part made up the population of the Baltic states. Many local residents left the region in search of a quiet life, and conquering families moved in their place. For a while, the region became known as Sveiskaya.
Endless bloody wars thanks to Peter I, whose army did not leave even a wet place from the enemy forces of the Swedes. Now the peoples of the Baltic States could sleep peacefully without worrying about tomorrow. The united region began to bear the name of the Ostsee province, which is part of
Many historians are still struggling with the question of what kind of countries the Baltics were at that time. It is difficult to answer it unambiguously, because in the 18th century dozens of peoples with their own culture and traditions lived on the territory. The region was divided into administrative parts, provinces, but there were no states as such. The demarcation took place much later, as evidenced by numerous records in historical documents.
During the First World War, the Baltic states were occupied by German troops. For many years the region remained a German duchy in Russia. And only decades later, the monarchical system began to be divided into bourgeois and capitalist republics.
Accession to the USSR
The Baltic States in modern form began to form only in the early 1990s. However, the territorial formation took place in the post-war period in the late 1940s. The accession of the Baltic States to the Soviet Union is dated August 1939 under a mutual non-aggression pact between the USSR and the German Republic. The agreement spelled out both the boundaries of the territory and the degree of influence on the economy by the two powers.
Nevertheless, most foreign political scientists and historians are sure that the region was totally occupied Soviet power. But do they remember, the Baltics - what are the countries and how they were formed? The association includes Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. All these states were formed and formed precisely thanks to the Soviet Union. And yet, Western experts agree that Russia is obliged to pay financial compensation to the Baltic countries for the years of occupation and excesses. The Russian Foreign Ministry, in turn, insists that the annexation of the region to the USSR did not contradict any canons of international law.
Division of republics
After the collapse of the USSR, many countries gained legalized sovereignty, but the Baltic states gained independence in early 1991. Later, in September, the pact on the new region was reinforced by resolutions of the USSR State Council.
The division of the republics took place peacefully, without political and civil conflicts. Nevertheless, the Baltics themselves consider modern traditions to be a continuation of the state system until 1940, that is, before the occupation Soviet Union. To date, a number of resolutions have been signed by the US Senate on the forcible incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR. Thus, the Western powers are trying to turn the neighboring republics and their citizens against Russia.
conflict over last years exacerbated by the demands for payment of compensation to the Russian Federation for the occupation. It is noteworthy that in these documents the generalized name of the territory "Baltic" appears. What are the real countries? These include today Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. As for the Kaliningrad region, it is part of the Russian Federation to this day.
Geography of the region
The territory of the Baltic States is located on the European Plain. From the north, it is washed by the Gulf of Finland and the eastern border is, and the southwestern - the Polissya lowland. The coast of the region is represented by the Estonian, Courland, Kurgalsky and Sambian peninsulas, as well as the Curonian and Vistula spits. The largest bays are Riga, Finnish and Narva.
The highest cape is Taran (60 meters). A significant part of the coastal border of the region is sand and clay, as well as steep cliffs. One only stretches for 98 kilometers along the Baltic Sea. Its width in some places reaches 3800 m. The local sand dunes are the third largest in the world in terms of volume (6 cubic km). most high point The Baltic is Mount Gaizins - more than 310 meters.
Republic of Latvia
The capital of the state is Riga. Location of the republic Northern Europe. About 2 million people live in the country, despite the fact that the territory of the region covers an area of only 64.6 thousand square meters. km. In terms of population, Latvia ranks 147th in the world list. All the peoples of the Baltic States and the USSR are gathered here: Russians, Poles, Belarusians, Jews, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Germans, Gypsies, etc. Naturally, the majority of the population is Latvians (77%).
The state system is a unitary republic, parliament. The region is divided into 119 administrative divisions.
The country's main sources of income are tourism, logistics, banking and the food industry.
Republic of Lithuania
The geographical location of the country is the northern part of Europe. Main city Republic - Vilnius. It is worth noting that almost half of the population of the Baltic states consists of Lithuanians. About 1.7 million people live in their native state. The total population of the country is just under 3 million.
Lithuania is washed by the Baltic Sea, along which trade ship routes are established. Most of the territory is occupied by plains, fields and forests. There are also more than 3 thousand lakes and small rivers in Lithuania. Due to direct contact with the sea, the climate of the region is unstable, transitional. In summer, the air temperature rarely exceeds +22 degrees. Main source state profitability - oil and gas production.
Republic of Estonia
It is located on the northern coast of the Baltic Sea. The capital is Tallinn. Most of the territory is washed by the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland. Estonia shares a common border with Russia.
The population of the republic is more than 1.3 million people, of which a third is occupied by Russians. In addition to Estonians and Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Finns, Germans, Lithuanians, Jews, Latvians, Armenians and other peoples live here.
The main source of replenishment of the state treasury is industry. In 2011, the national currency was converted to the euro in Estonia. Today, this parliamentary republic is considered moderately prosperous. GDP per person is about 21 thousand euros.
Kaliningrad region
This region has a unique geographical location. The fact is that this subject, which belongs to Russian Federation, has no common borders with the country. It is located in the north of Europe in the Baltic region. It is the administrative center of Russia. It occupies an area of 15.1 thousand square meters. km. The population does not even reach a million - 969 thousand people.
The region borders on Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. It is considered the westernmost point of Russia.
The main economic sources are the extraction of oil, coal, peat, amber, as well as the electrical industry.
