Baltimaad Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės Baltic states
Capitals		Tallinn; Riga; Vilnius
Official languages		Estonian; Latvian; Lithuanian
Membership		Estonia  Latvia  Lithuania
Area
-	Total	175,015 km²  67,523 sq mi

The three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the

The Baltic states (Estonian: Balti riigid, Latvian: Baltijas valstis, Lithuanian: Baltijos valstybės) or Baltic countries are three member states of the European Union ^[1]: the sovereign states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, located in Northern Europe. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland The Baltic states became independent in the aftermath of World War I in 1918. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Estonians and the nearly linguistically extinct Livonian people in Latvia are descended from the Finnic peoples, sharing closely related languages and a common cultural ancestry. Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country The Livonians or Livs are the indigenous inhabitants of Livonia, a large part of what is today the northwestern Latvia and southwestern Finnic peoples ( Fennic) are a historical linguistic group of peoples Baltic Finns who are Native speakers of Baltic-Finnic The Latvians and Lithuanians, linguistically and culturally related to each other, are descended from the Balts, an Indo-European people and culture. Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European The peoples comprising the Baltic states have together inhabited the eastern Baltic coast for millennia, although not always peacefully in ancient times, over which period their populations: Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, have remained remarkably stable within the approximate territorial boundaries of the current Baltic states. While separate peoples with their own customs and traditions, historical factors have introduced cultural commonalities across and differences within them.

The term "Baltic republics" can sometimes refer in historic context to the Baltic republics of the Soviet Union. The Republics of the Soviet Union were according to the Article 76 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution, Sovereign Soviet Socialist states that had united with other At the same time the three countries were considered under the Soviet occupation by the Western democracies: for example the USA ^[2] and the UK. The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the occupation of the Baltic states ( Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) first by the ^[3] After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Baltic States' struggle for independence came to a conclusion. The sovereignties of the countries were restored in 1991 and the last Russian troops withdrew from the Baltic States in August 1994. ^[4]

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been members of the European Union and NATO since 2004. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The North Atlantic Treaty Today the three countries are liberal democracies and their market economies have in recent years undergone rapid expansion. The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of A market economy is a realized Social system based on the Division of labour in which the prices of Goods and Services are determined in a Vilnius skyline at nightLithuaniaJPG|thumb|250px| Vilnius Financial Center is a symbol of rapid economic growth in Lithuania

Etymology and usage of the term

The term Baltic stems from the name of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Usage of Baltic and similar terms to denote the region east from the sea started only in 19th century. At first it was used to refer to Baltic governorates of Courland, Livonia and Estonia known also by German term Balticum as these lands were under German hegemony, Lithuania was usually excluded from this division. The Baltic governorates were the governorates (or Guberniyas of the Russian Empire on the territory of what in 1918 became and is now independent Estonia Courland (Kurzeme Kurland Latin: Curonia / Couronia; Kuršas Kuramaa Kurlandia Курляндия Курляндія Kuurinmaa is one of the historical Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Russian term "Прибалтика" (Pribaltika "Near Baltic") was used to refer to all of the lands bordering the Baltic sea's Eastern shore, a more narrow term "Прибалтийские страны" (Pribaltijskie strany "Near Baltic states") used to refer to the governorates that appeared around 1859. The Latvian and Lithuanian term "Baltija" most likely originates from Russian and was first used in Latvia around 1868. ^[5] In the 1920s the newly established countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were referred to as the Baltic states, and during that period Finland was also often referred to as one of the Baltic states. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. ^{[6] [7] [8]} After the Second world war Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were incorporated into the USSR and were known as the Baltic Soviet Republics until all three countries regained their independence in 1991. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Republics of the Soviet Union were according to the Article 76 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution, Sovereign Soviet Socialist states that had united with other ^[9] Currently Baltic states are Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, sometimes the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast

Cultures and languages

Catholic Church of All Saints, Vilnius, Lithuania

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Riga, Latvia

The peoples of the Baltic countries belong to different Christian denominations. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Kaliningrad Oblast (Калинингра́дская о́бласть Kaliningradskaya oblast; informally called Yantarny kray (ru Янта́рный край meaning All Saints Church is a Baroque style church in Vilnius, Lithuania. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Saint Peter's church is a tall church in Riga, Latvia. It was first built in 1209 as a church for the people Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Estonia and most parts of Latvia have Lutheran cultural backgrounds while Lithuania is principally a Catholic country. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Catholic denomination is dominant in Eastern Latvia (Latgale) as well. Latgale or Latgalia (Latgale Latgale language: Latgolā) is one of the four cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution At the same time, Russian minorities in these countries belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. The term Baltic Russians is usually used to refer to the Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

The languages of Baltic nations 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. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family The Estonian language and the almost extinct Livonian language, on the other hand, are not an Indo-European languages and instead belong to the Baltic-Finnic subgroup of the Finno-Ugric languages, sharing close ethnic and historical ties with the Finnish language and people. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Livonian (Līvõ kēļ belongs to the Baltic Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Due to a long period of Germanic domination, starting in the Middle Ages, the German language also has an important role in Latvia and Estonia. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Its role diminished greatly after World War II when the Baltic states were forcefully absorbed into the Soviet Union, but it remains one of three main foreign languages taught in schools (the other two being English and Russian). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages During the period of Soviet control, Russian became the most commonly studied foreign language at all levels of schooling, but knowledge of German remained fairly common among the older generations. The Soviet Union conducted a policy of Russification by encouraging Russians and other Russian-speaking ethnic groups of USSR to settle in the Baltic Republics. According to Soviet law, the three local languages (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian) had the status of official languages in the three respective Republics and were used in schools and local administrative apparatus in parallel with Russian. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Lithuanian ( lietuvių kalba) is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognised as one of the official languages of the European Union. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages However, as the Russian-speaking settlers from USSR formed an ever larger part of the population and typically were neither encouraged nor motivated to learn the local language, almost everybody had to learn Russian to some extent and use it whenever communicating with Russian-speakers in daily life. Today ethnic Russian immigrants from former USSR and their descendants make up a sizable minority in the Baltic states, particularly in Latvia (about one-third of the population) and Estonia (one-quarter of the population). The term Baltic Russians is usually used to refer to the Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania After the Baltic states achieved independence in 1991, while German made a comeback as a language of study it was English that became the most commonly studied foreign language, and the role of Russian language in education fell sharply. The Baltic states have historically also been in the Swedish (except Lithuania) and Russian spheres of influence. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the

During Soviet era the fact that the three Baltic states had been acquired by Soviet Union later than other territories (hence, e. g. , the relatively higher living standard), strong feeling of national identity (often labeled "bourgeois nationalism" by Soviets) and popular resentment towards the imposed Soviet rule in the three countries, in combination with Soviet cultural policy, which employed superficial multiculturalism (in order for Soviet Union to appear as a multinational union based on free will of peoples) in limits allowed by the Communist "internationalist" (but in effect pro-Russification) ideology and under tight control of the Communist Party (those of the Baltic nationals who crossed the line were called "bourgeois nationalists" and repressed), let Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians preserve a high degree of Europe-oriented national identity. Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily ^[10] In Soviet times this made them appear as the "West" of the Soviet Union in the cultural and political sense, thus as close to emigration a Russian could get without leaving the USSR.

Since regaining independence, Estonia has shown a strong desire to identify itself as Nordic, as expressed in a speech by former foreign minister and current president Toomas Hendrik Ilves entitled, "Estonia as a Nordic Country". Toomas Hendrik Ilves (ˈtoːmɑs ˈhendrik ˈilves born 26 December 1953) is the current President of Estonia. ^[11] Some Estonians consider themselves a Nordic people rather than Baltic, because of strong cultural, historical and linguistic ties with the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, ^[12][13]

Economies

Main article: Baltic Tiger

The Baltic states had the highest growth rates in Europe between 2000 and 2006, and this has continued in 2007. Vilnius skyline at nightLithuaniaJPG|thumb|250px| Vilnius Financial Center is a symbol of rapid economic growth in Lithuania In 2006 the economy in Estonia grew by 11. 2% in gross domestic product, while the Latvian economy grew by 11. 9% and Lithuania by 7. 5%. All three countries have seen their rates of unemployment falling below the EU average by February 2006. Additionally, Estonia is among the ten most liberal economies in the world and in 2006 switched from being classified as an upper-middle income economy to a high-income economy by the World Bank. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e All three countries are slated to adopt the Euro around 2010. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e

However, due to global economic crisis, Baltic economies in 2008 are fragile and previous fast growth has to some extent decreased.

Histories

Main articles: History of Estonia, History of Latvia, and History of Lithuania

Europe in 9th century

The first people arrived to the territory of the modern Baltic states in the 10th millennium BC after the last glacial period had ended. Prehistory The proto- Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC This article discusses the history of Lithuania and of the Lithuanians. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period The earliest traces of human settlement are connected with Kunda culture. Kunda Culture, with its roots in Swiderian culture is a Mesolithic Hunter-gatherer communities of the Baltic forest zone extending eastwards Around the beginning of the 4th millennium BC Comb Ceramic Culture arrived to the territories. The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. Pit-Comb Ware culture redirects here For the contemporary (ca The beginning of the Late Neolithic Period about 2200 BC is characterized by the appearance of the Corded Ware culture, pottery with corded decoration and well-polished boat-shape stone axes. The Corded Ware culture, alternatively characterized as the Battle Axe culture or Single Grave culture is an enormous European Archaeological horizon that During the Bronze Age the development of the borders between the Finnic peoples and the Balts was under way. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Finnic peoples ( Fennic) are a historical linguistic group of peoples Baltic Finns who are Native speakers of Baltic-Finnic The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European

In the 1st century, AD the people living in the area were first denoted by Tacitus in a form of Aestii. The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Aesti (or Aestii) were a people described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his treatise Germania (ca

In the 13th century, Christianity and feudalism were effectively forced upon modern Estonia and Latvia by the invasion of the crusaders from the west (German Sword Brethren, Denmark) and the conversion of Lithuania's rulers from Paganism to Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Crusades undertaken by the Catholic kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world While in Latvia and most of Estonia Livonian Confederation was established, Lithuania established its own state as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania some time before 1252. The Livonian Confederation was established in 1418 covering the territories of present day Estonia and Latvia. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje It later was a major political power of the region.

Outline of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1618, superimposed on present-day national borders. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic At the time, the Commonwealth incorporated most of the territory of the modern Baltic states.

---

     The Crown      Duchy of Prussia, Polish fief      Grand Duchy of Lithuania      Duchy of Courland, Lithuanian fief      Duchy of Livonia      Swedish and Danish Estonia

After the Livonian War in the 16th century, the Confederation ceased to exist, and its lands were incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia (Herzogtum Preußen Prūsijos kunigaikštystė Prusy Książęce was a Duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of The Duchy of Estonia was a dominion of Denmark during the Middle Ages. The Livonian War of 1558–1582 was a lengthy military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and variable coalition of Denmark–Norway, Grand Duchy of The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic In 1621 most of the Duchy of Livonia was incorporated into the Swedish empire. Sweden was between 1611 and 1718 one of the Great powers of Europe During the Great Northern War the Dominions of Sweden of Swedish Estonia and Swedish Livonia were conquered by Russia and then ceded by Sweden in the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The Dominions of Sweden or Svenska besittningar were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish Crown, but never became fully integrated "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Treaty of Nystad (Ништадтский мир Uudenkaupungin rauha was signed in 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad (which is called Uusikaupunki Year 1721 ( MDCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

The Russian Empire gained control of most of the present-day Baltic states in the 18th century when the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was partitioned in three stages by the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Monarchy, while western parts of Lithuania were incorporated into Prussia.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became sovereign nations in the aftermath of World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All They declared independence in 1918, fought independence wars against German Freikorps and Bolshevist Russia, and were recognized as independent countries in 1920. The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century Bolshevist Russia or Bolshevik Russia is a common term for the Bolshevik side in the Russian Civil War, or more specifically the Russian

“Poland & The New Baltic States” map from 1920, showing still-undefined borders in the aftermath of World War I before the Peace of Riga

Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 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. The fighting in World War I ended when an Armistice took effect at 1100 am GMT on November 11 1918 The Peace of Riga, also known as the Treaty of Riga; (Ри́жский ми́рный договóр -- Romanisation Rízhsky Mírny dogovór --, Rīgas The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya 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" the USSR in August 1940 and were annexed into it as the Estonian SSR, the Latvian SSR, and the Lithuanian SSR. The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistlik Vabariik Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика Estonskaya The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskā Republika Латвийская Советская Социалистическая Республика The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика

The Soviet control of the Baltic states was interrupted by Nazi German invasion of the region in 1941. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The German occupation lasted until late 1944 (in Courland, until early 1945), when the countries were re-occupied by the Red Army. In all three countries, Baltic partisans, known colloquially as the Forest Brothers, waged unsuccessful guerrilla warfare against the Soviet occupation for the next eight years in a bid to regain their nations' independence. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation This article is about Baltic WWII anti-Soviet resistance movement

In the late 1980s massive demonstrations against the Soviet regime, known as the Singing revolution began. The Singing Revolution is a commonly used name for events between 1987 and 1990 that led to the restoration of the independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania One of the most noted protests took place on August 23, 1989, when approximately two million people joined their hands to form a 600-kilometer human chain across the three countries in the event known as the Baltic Way. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) "Baltic Way" (also Baltic chain, Balti kett Baltijas ceļš Baltijos kelias is the event which occurred on August 23, 1989 when

The three Baltic nations re-declared their independence in 1990 and 1991, and their independence was recognized by the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

Politics

Presidents of the Baltic states with the President of the United States in 2005

All three countries are parliamentary democracies, which have unicameral parliaments that are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms - Riigikogu of Estonia, Saeima of Latvia and Seimas of Lithuania. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber The Riigikogu (from riigi-, of the state and kogu, assembly is the Parliament of Estonia. Saeima is the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a Unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by Proportional representation The Seimas is the Lithuanian Parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term In Latvia and Estonia, President is elected by parliament while Lithuania has a semi-presidential system and the President is elected by popular vote.

Each of the three countries has declared itself to be the restoration of the sovereign nations which existed already in 1918–1940, emphasizing their contention that Soviet domination over the Baltic nations during the Cold War period had been an illegal occupation and annexation. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

The same legal interpretation is shared by the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western democracies, who always considered the forcible incorporation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the Soviet Union illegal. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 At least formally, the western democracies never considered the three Baltic states to be constituent parts of the Soviet Union. Australia was a brief exception to this support of Baltic freedom: in 1974, the Labor government did recognize Soviet dominion, but this decision was later reversed. ^[14]

After the Baltic states had restored independence, integration with Western Europe was chosen as the main strategic goal. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' In 2002 the Baltic nations applied to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). The North Atlantic Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Membership of NATO was duly achieved on March 29, 2004, and accession to the EU took place on May 1, 2004. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Currently governments of Baltic states cooperate in multiple ways. There is active cooperation among Presidents, parliament speakers, heads of government, and foreign ministers. On 8 November 1991 the Baltic Assembly was established for co-operation among parliaments. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Baltic Assembly (“BA” is an international organisation which aims to promote co-operation between the Parliaments of the Republics of Estonia, Latvia 15-20 MPs from each parliament represent their countries in the Assembly. For co-operation among governments Baltic Council of Ministers was established on 13 June 1994. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Since 2003 Baltic Assembly is co-ordinated with the Baltic Council of Ministers. ^[15]

Statistics

General statistics
(all three are Parliamentary republic and joined EU on May 1, 2004 and share EET time zone and EEST schedules)

Flag
Country	Estonia	Latvia	Lithuania
Capital	Tallinn	Riga	Vilnius
Independence	August 20, 1991	May 4, 1990 - September 6, 1991	March 11, 1990
Population (2007)	1,340,602 (01/2007)	2,270,700 (12/2007)	3,369,600
Population (2000)	1,376,743	2,375,000	-
Density	29/km² = 75/sq mi	36/km² = 93/sq mi	52/km² = 134/sq mi
Area	45,227 km² = 17,413 sq mi	64,589 km² = 24,937 sq mi	65,200 km² = 25,173 sq mi
Water area %	4. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Prehistory The proto- Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC 56%	1. 5%	1,35%
GPD (PPP) total	$26. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 85 billion (2007)	$41,108 billion (2007)	$66 billion (2008)
GPD (PPP) per capita	$21,800	$18,103	$19, 730
GPD (nominal) total	$16,410 billion	$20,101 billion	$48, 132 billion
GPD (nominal) per capita	$15,310	$8,852	$14, 273
Gini Index	34	37. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 7	36
HDI	0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 86	0. 855	0. 862
Internet TLD	. A country ee	. lv	. lt
Calling code	+372	+371	+370

See also

• Balts, Baltic Germans and Baltic Russians
• Baltic region
• Baltia
• Baltish
• Scandinavia
• Baltic provinces
• United Baltic Duchy
• Occupation of Baltic states
• Baltic Way
• Baltic Tiger
• Baltic Entente

References and notes

Journals and book series

International peer-reviewed journals and book series dedicated to the Baltic region include:

• On the Boundary of Two Worlds: Identity, Freedom, and Moral Imagination in the Baltics (book series)
• Journal of Baltic Studies, journal of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS)
• Lituanus, journal dedicated to Lithuanian and Baltic art, history, language, literature and related cultural topics

External links

• The Baltic Sea Information Centre
• The Virtual Library on Baltic Cultural Studies
• GDP in the Baltic States and international comparison chart. On the Boundary of Two Worlds Identity Freedom and Moral Imagination in the Baltics is an academic book series focused on the critical examination of identity politics and culture The Journal of Baltic Studies, the official journal of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS is a Peer-reviewed multidisciplinary Academic
• Statistical data based on 2000/2001 censuses