Baltic state
The Baltic states, or Baltic countries, is a term which usually refers to three countries to the East of the Baltic Sea: It ought to be noted that although the present-day Baltic countries are republics, the term Baltic Republics refers to the same territories under Soviet occupation.The term state is here used as a synonym of sovereign country, as distinct from subnational states of the kind to be found in federations and confederations.
Prior to World War II, Finland was sometimes considered, particularly by the Soviet Union, a fourth Baltic state. For example in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Nazi-Germany mentioned Finland as one of the Baltic States. Since the 1920s-1930s, the Finnish view, that Finland is one of the Nordic countries, has become generally accepted.
Despite the common name, some people point out, that Baltic countries have little in common. Estonia wishes to become yet another Nordic country, while Lithuania focuses on its connection to Poland and Central Europe.
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2 History 3 Politics 4 Culture 5 See also 6 External links |
Geography
The Baltic countries are often considered to be part of Eastern Europe due to five decades of Soviet occupation following the second world war. They have, however, been chiefly influenced by Sweden, Russia, Poland and Germany. Culturally and geographically they belong to Northern Europe. A compromise terminology for the Baltic States is Northeastern Europe.
The term Baltic states differs from the term Baltic sea countries which refers to the countries bordering the Baltic.
Nearby is Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, the northern part of historical East Prussia.
History
The common history of the Baltic States began when the Sword Brethren brought Christianity and feudalism to the region. These countries subsequently became a battlefield between Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Russia and Germany.By around 1582 almost the whole territory of the Baltic countries (other than northern Estonia) was under the overlordship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the 19th century the Baltic provinces were part of the Russian Empire.
The Baltic States gained their independence in the aftermath of World War I.
Under the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Nazi Germany allowed the Soviet Union to annex (most of) the Baltic States. A short period of Soviet occupation was followed by a German invasion, and at the end of the war, by a further Soviet invasion. After World War II, the Baltic States were once again annexed to the Soviet Union.
Politics
Following the period of occupation by Soviet forces which lasted from the end of the second world war until the collapse of the Soviet union in 1991, the three Baltic states declared their independence in 1989 and 1990 and their independence was recognized by the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991.
Rather thab new states, they declared themselves to be in fact restorations of the pre-war republics that had existed between the first and second world wars. This further emphasized their contention that Soviet domination during the Cold War period had been an illegal occupation. The Baltic states are today liberal democracies, parliamentary republic, and quickly growing market economies.
In 2002 the Baltic states took the first steps towards the realization of their long standing political goal (and their principal objective since leaving the Soviet Union), integration with Western Europe, by applying to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Membership of NATO was duly achieved on 29 March 2004 and accession to the EU is scheduled to take place on 1 May 2004.
Culture
Although the three nations have much in common in their history and culture they belong to two distinct language families.
They also belong to different Christian denominations:
Due to a long period of Germanic domination, starting in the middle ages, a large part of the old generation still speak German as a second language. The Baltic states have historically also been in the Swedish and Russian spheres of influence. Following the period of Soviet domination, ethnic Russians today make up a sizable minority in the Baltic states, particularly Estonia and Latvia.