The entry of the Baltic states into the Russian Empire. The main stages of the history of the Baltic countries: the formation of political traditions

Baltics, also Baltic(German: Baltikum) is a region in Northern Europe that 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, does not use the term “Baltic”, considering it a relic of the Soviet era, and prefers 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 to refer to the region.

If you don't find any of the Schubert sheets you need, take a look

Need a map? Write ICQ 9141401 or Mail: - let's agree!

Lithuania (lit. Lietuva)

the official name is the Republic of Lithuania (lit. Lietuvos Respublika), - 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. Country that has signed the Schengen Agreement. From 1919 to 1939 the capital was Kaunas. The capital of modern Lithuania is Vilnius (from 1939 to the present). The state emblem is Pahonia 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 waged a difficult struggle with the Teutonic Order, which was defeated in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald by the united troops of the Lithuanian lands and Poland.

In 1385, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila (Jogaila) agreed by the Treaty of Krevo to unite Lithuania and Poland in a personal union if he was elected king of Poland. 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), Jogaila's cousin and formal governor. During his reign (1392-1430) Lithuania reached the height of its power.

Casimir Jagiellon expanded the international influence of the Jagiellon dynasty - he subjugated Prussia to Poland, and placed his son on the Czech and Hungarian thrones. In 1492-1526, there was a political system of Jagiellonian states, covering Poland (with vassals Prussia and Moldova), Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

In 1569, a union was concluded with Poland in Lublin (the day before, 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 the common Sejm. However, legal systems, military and governments remained separate. In the 16th-18th 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, and Polish culture was developing there.

As part of the Russian Empire

In the 18th century, after the Northern War, the Polish-Lithuanian state fell into decline, falling under Russian protectorate. In 1772, 1793 and 1795, the entire territory of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania 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 Napoleon's side 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) - Baltic state, capital - Riga (721 thousand people, 2006). Geographically it belongs to Northern Europe. The country was named after the ethnonym of the people - Latvieši (Latvian latvieši). Member of the EU and NATO, member of the Schengen agreements. Latvia first emerged as an 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 Buxhoeveden founded the city of Riga on the site of Liv villages. To better organize the inclusion of the lands of the Livonians and Latgalians into the bosom of the church (and at the same time their political conquest), he also founded the Order of the Sword Bearers (after the defeat at 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 captured and not yet captured lands. The state formation of the German crusaders, Livonia (named after the local Livonian ethnic group), appeared on the map of Europe. It included the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia. Many Livonian cities subsequently became members of the prosperous North European trade union - the Hanseatic League. However, subsequently, torn apart by internecine clashes of the Order, the Bishopric of Riga (since 1225 - the Archbishopric of Riga) and other, more insignificant bishops, as well as their vassals, Livonia began to weaken, which attracted increased attention 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 (part of the “Road from the Varangians to the Greeks” ran through its lands in the past).

17th century

During the 17th century - the formation of the Latvian nation as a result of the consolidation of individual peoples: Latgalians, Selovians, Semigallians, Curonians and Livs. Some Latgalians still retain their unique 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 to be one of the “big” dialects of Latvian.[source?] This is the official position of the state. , on this side, supported by a very strong feeling of patriotism among Latvians (the 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)

XVIII century

1722 - as a result of the Northern War, part of the territory of modern Latvia cedes to the Russian Empire. 1795 - during the third partition of Poland, the entire territory of present-day Latvia was united within Russia.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was interesting to see how sovereign states charted their own course to prosperity. The Baltic countries were especially intriguing, as they left with a loud slam of the door.

Over the past 30 years, the Russian Federation has been constantly bombarded with numerous claims and threats. The Baltic people believe that they have the right to this, although the desire to secede was suppressed by the USSR army. As a result of the suppression of separatism in Lithuania, 15 civilians died.

Traditionally, the Baltic states are classified as countries. This is due to the fact that this alliance was formed from liberated states after World War II.

Some geopoliticians do not agree with this and consider the Baltic states to be an independent region, which includes:

, capital Tallinn.
(Riga).
(Vilnius).

All three states are washed by the Baltic Sea. Estonia has the smallest area, the number of inhabitants is about 1.3 million people. Next comes Latvia, where 2 million citizens live. Lithuania closes the top three with a population of 2.9 million.

Based on their small population, the Baltic states have carved out a niche among small countries. The composition of the region is multinational. In addition to indigenous peoples, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles and Finns live here.

The majority of Russian speakers are concentrated in Latvia and Estonia, about 28–30% of the population. The most “conservative” is Lithuania, where 82% of native Lithuanians live.

For reference. Although the Baltic countries are experiencing a high outflow of the working-age population, they are in no hurry to populate free territories with forced migrants from and. The leaders of the Baltic republics are trying to look for various reasons to evade their obligations to the EU on the resettlement of refugees.

Political course

Even being part of the USSR, the Baltic states differed significantly from other Soviet regions for the better. There was perfect cleanliness, a beautiful architectural heritage and an interesting population, similar to the European one.

The central street of Riga is Brivibas street, 1981.

The Baltic region has always had a desire to become part of Europe. An example was the rapidly developing state that defended its independence from the Soviets in 1917.

The chance to separate from the USSR appeared in the second half of the eighties, when democracy and glasnost came along with perestroika. This opportunity was not missed, and the republics began to openly talk about separatism. Estonia became a pioneer in the independence movement and mass protests broke out here in 1987.

Under pressure from the electorate, the Supreme Council of the ESSR issued the Declaration of Sovereignty. At the same time, Latvia and Lithuania followed the example of their neighbor, and in 1990 all three republics received autonomy.

In the spring of 1991, referendums in the Baltic countries put an end to relations with the USSR. In the autumn of the same year, the Baltic countries joined the UN.

The Baltic republics willingly adopted the course of the West and Europe in economic and political development. Soviet heritage was condemned. Relations with the Russian Federation have completely cooled.

Russians living in the Baltic countries had limited rights. After 13 years of independence, the Baltic powers also joined the NATO military bloc.

Economic course

After gaining sovereignty, the Baltic economy underwent significant changes. The developed industrial sector has been replaced by service sectors. The importance of agriculture and food production has increased.

Modern industries include:

Precision engineering (electrical engineering and household equipment).
Machine tool industry.
Ship repair.
Chemical industry.
Perfume industry.
Wood processing (furniture and paper production).
Light and footwear industry.
Food production.

The Soviet heritage in the production of vehicles: cars and electric trains has been completely lost.

It is obvious that the Baltic industry is not a strong point in the post-Soviet era. The main income for these countries comes from the transit industry.

After gaining independence, all the production and transit capacities of the USSR went to the republics for free. The Russian side made no claims, used the services and paid about $1 billion a year for cargo turnover. Every year, the amount for transit grew, as the Russian economy increased its pace and cargo turnover increased.

For reference. The Russian company Kuzbassrazrezugol shipped more than 4.5 million tons of coal per year to its customers through the Baltic ports.

Particular attention should be paid to the Baltic monopoly on the transit of Russian oil. At one time, the forces of the USSR built the Ventspils oil terminal, the largest at that time, on the Baltic coast. A pipeline was built to it, the only one in the region. Latvia got this grandiose system for nothing.

Thanks to the built industrial infrastructure, the Russian Federation pumped over 30 million tons of oil through Latvia annually. For each barrel, Russia gave 0.7 dollars in logistics services. The republic's income grew steadily as oil exports increased.

The transiter’s sense of self-preservation has become dulled, which will play one of the key roles in the stagnation of the economy after the 2008 crisis.

The operation of the Baltic ports was ensured, among other things, by the transshipment of sea containers (TEU). After the modernization of the port terminals of St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Ust-Luga, traffic through the Baltic states decreased to 7.1% of all Russian cargo turnover.

Nevertheless, in one year, taking into account the decline in logistics, these services continue to bring the three republics about $170 million per year. This amount was several times higher before 2014.

On a note. Despite the poor economic situation in the Russian Federation, many transport terminals have been built on its territory to date. This made it possible to significantly reduce the need for the Baltic transit and transport corridor.

The unexpected reduction in transit cargo turnover had a negative impact on the Baltic economy. As a result, massive layoffs of workers, numbering in the thousands, regularly take place at the ports. At the same time, railway transportation, freight and passenger, went under the knife, bringing stable losses.

The policy of the transit state and openness to Western investors led to an increase in unemployment in all sectors. People go to more developed countries to earn money and stay there to live.

Despite the deterioration, income levels in the Baltics remain significantly higher than in other post-Soviet republics.

The Baltics - a world of harmony

Everyone who has ever been to the Baltic states says that this amazing region has everything - the wonderful tranquility of nature, the soft beauty of spacious fields and dense forests, the grandeur of modern megacities and the color of small villages. You will love this region at first sight and forever!

The Baltics - its beautiful open spaces

The nature of this marvelous region captivates the imagination. All tourists remember its simple harmonious beauty. The vastness of the forests of the Curonian Spit, the sands of the dunes, the blue of the sea depths, as well as the endless sky and a pleasant sea breeze remain in your memory. Each of the Baltic countries is unique and inimitable, although initially they seem very similar to tourists. As you get acquainted with the characteristics of each country, you will see how unique and charming each of them is.

What do you need to know before traveling to the Baltics?

To travel to this country you need a visa. To do this, you will need a certificate from your place of work, a passport, a photo, an international passport, and insurance.

The climate in the Baltics is quite diverse, despite the fact that the length of the region is only 600 km. So, in Druskininkan, “May” weather begins in early April. On the west coast and islands the influence of the maritime climate is very visible. Temperatures also vary significantly between regions. In February on the island. Saaremaa is 3°C, while in Narva it is 8°C. In summer (July) the temperature on the continent and islands is about 17°C. In western regions the temperature is usually several degrees lower. Humidity in the region ranges from 470 mm (coastal plains) to 800 mm (Vidzeme Upland).

In Lithuania there are more contrasting differences, since the maritime climate does not have a strong influence. Winter temperatures average from -2° to -5°C, and summer temperatures - 20-22°C.

The geographical location of the region is also interesting, because it is the center of Europe. The highest mountain has the strange name SuurMunamägi. She's certainly not the only one. There are several hills in the Baltic states, such as Vidzeme, Samogitia and Kurzeme. They give way to rolling plains and twisting ribbons of rivers. You might be interested in these natural attractions.

Treatment in the Baltics

This region is famous for its SPA salons and sanatoriums. Mineral waters, a pleasant climate, but, most importantly, healing mud create excellent conditions for recovery in this healing region. Thus, in Estonia, sulfide-silt muds in Ikla and Haapsalu, enriched with organic substances and mineral salts, and sapropel muds in Värska and the hospitals of Jurmala are famous.

Sights of the Baltic States

All Baltic countries are capable of providing a rich, interesting holiday. In sanatoriums you can relax and improve your health, on the beach you can bask in the soft rays of the sun, in the cities you can see many attractions. After all, all countries are rich in centuries-old history.

Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia deserve a separate description.

Lithuania is an emotional, vibrant country, and its population is the same. The peaceful grace of nature, historical monuments and amber are the three main attractions in this country. Here you can see the beautiful architectural monuments of Vilnius, visit the creative capital of Kaunas, enjoy the comfort of the seaside towns of Palanga and Klaipeda, see the magnificent region of the Trakai lakes and stroll along the Curonian Spit - a very picturesque place. Go to the Amber Museum, the National Museum of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Art Museum and the Radvil Palace. And between excursions, be sure to go to a local cafe for lunch and try zhemaycha, vederi and zeppelin.

Lithuania is one of the most ancient states in Europe, therefore the history of this region is rich and direct. In a modern country, megacities with developed infrastructure and architectural and sculpture monuments, healing mineral springs and green forests coexist perfectly. You will definitely be captivated by the unique nature of this marvelous region.

Latvia- a beautiful pearl of the Baltic states. In this beautiful country you will see the ancient architecture of Riga, relax on the beaches of Jurmala, and take part in one of the many festivals. Perhaps you will be interested in classical music - then be sure to go to the Dome Cathedral. If you prefer architecture, be sure to take a walk to the Church of St. Peter, from the platform of which a breathtaking view of the Old Town opens.

And in this amazing region you will see beautiful lakes, virgin pine forests and spacious fields. The wondrous charm of the local nature will not leave anyone indifferent.

Estonia- this is a unique regularity. Sometimes it seems that it reigns everywhere here. Practical, reasonable, calm people. Because of its unusual nature, this country seems like a mystery to many. In this calm world you can see ancient castles, stroll along the narrow medieval streets or large avenues of Tallinn, and visit the island of Saarem. The latter will definitely appeal to connoisseurs of natural beauty. One evening walk around Tallinn is enough reason to travel to Estonia.

In this country you can see everything - small colorful cafes, luxury hotels, cozy streets, cobblestone streets, ancient temples, castles, estates and the magnificent beauty of the local nature.

Nature and fauna of the Baltic states

It is very difficult to describe the beauty of the local nature in words. In the country of 3000 lakes you will find picturesque landscapes, dense forests, and rushing rivers. National parks are carefully protected. The Baltics can rightly be called a green region. About 40% of the territory is occupied by coniferous and deciduous forests. You can find a lot of interesting curiosities in them - mushrooms, berries, animals.

The largest lake in Latvia is Lubans, the deepest is Dridzis, in Lithuania the most beautiful lake is Druksiai, and the deepest is Tauragnas. The largest lake in Estonia is truly huge - its area is 266 square meters. km. The Baltic rivers can also surprise you - the beautiful Western Dvina, the deep-flowing Neman, in whose waters there are more than 70 species of fish.

And, of course, we cannot fail to mention the Baltic Sea. Not too deep-sea, salty, but incredibly beautiful and warm. Soft silky sand, luxurious spacious beaches equipped with everything you need. The highest water temperature is in the Curonian Lagoon. The most famous resorts are Palanga, Jurmala and Pärnu. Estonia is famous for its largest coastline.

All countries are interesting, all are extraordinary. Discover the wonderful world of the Baltics with the Kailash Club!

More recently, Russia and the Baltic countries were part of one state. Now everyone goes their own historical path. Nevertheless, we are concerned about the economic, political and social realities of neighboring states. Let's figure out which countries are part of the Baltic states, learn about their population, history, and also follow their path to independence.

Baltic countries: list

Some of our fellow citizens have a reasonable question: “What countries are the Baltics?” This question may seem stupid to some, but in fact, not everything is so simple.

When the Baltic countries are mentioned, they primarily mean Latvia with its capital in Riga, Lithuania with its capital in Vilnius and Estonia with its capital in Tallinn. That is, post-Soviet state entities located on the eastern coast of the Baltic. Many other states (Russia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland) also have access to the Baltic Sea, but they are not included in the Baltic countries. But sometimes the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation belongs to this region.

Where is the Baltics located?

Which Baltic countries and their adjacent territories are located on the eastern coast of the Baltic waters. The area of the largest of them, Lithuania, is 65.3 thousand km². Estonia has the smallest territory - 45.2 thousand square meters. km. The area of Latvia is 64.6 thousand km².

All Baltic countries have a land border with the Russian Federation. In addition, Lithuania neighbors Poland and Belarus, which also borders Latvia, and Estonia shares a maritime border with Finland.

The Baltic countries are located from north to south in this order: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Moreover, Latvia has a border with two other states, but they are not neighbors.

Baltic population

Now let's find out what categories the population of the Baltic countries consists of based on various demographic characteristics.

First of all, let’s find out the number of inhabitants who inhabit the states, the list of which is presented below:

Lithuania - 2.9 million people;
Latvia - 2.0 million people;
Estonia - 1.3 million people.

Thus, we see that Lithuania has the largest population, and Estonia has the smallest.

Using simple mathematical calculations, comparing the area of territory and the number of inhabitants of these countries, we can come to the conclusion that Lithuania has the highest population density, and Latvia and Estonia are approximately equal in this indicator, with a slight advantage for Latvia.

The titular and largest nationalities in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are, respectively, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians. The first two ethnic groups belong to the Baltic group of the Indo-European language family, and Estonians belong to the Baltic-Finnish group of the Finno-Ugric language tree. The largest national minority in Latvia and Estonia are Russians. In Lithuania they occupy the second largest number after the Poles.

History of the Baltics

Since ancient times, the Baltic states were inhabited by various Baltic and Finno-Ugric tribes: Aukstait, Zeimaty, Latgalian, Curonian, Livonian, and Estonian. In the struggle with neighboring countries, only Lithuania managed to formalize its own statehood, which later became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the terms of a union. The ancestors of modern Latvians and Estonians immediately fell under the rule of the German Livonian Order of Crusader Knights, and then, as a result of the Livonian and Northern War, the territories in which they lived were divided between the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Denmark, Sweden and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In addition, from part of the former order lands, a vassal duchy was formed - Courland, which existed until 1795. The ruling class here was the German nobility. By that time, the Baltic states were almost completely part of the Russian Empire.

All lands were divided into Livland, Courland and Estlyad provinces. The Vilna province stood apart, inhabited mainly by Slavs and having no access to the Baltic Sea.

After the death of the Russian Empire, as a result of the February and October uprisings of 1917, the Baltic countries also gained independence. The list of events that preceded this outcome would take a long time to list, and it would be superfluous for our review. The main thing to understand is that during 1918-1920 independent states were organized - the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian republics. They ceased to exist in 1939-1940, when they were annexed to the USSR as Soviet republics as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This is how the Lithuanian SSR, Latvian SSR and Estonian SSR were formed. Until the beginning of the 90s, these state entities were part of the USSR, but among certain circles of the intelligentsia there was always hope for independence.

Declaration of Independence of Estonia

Now let's talk about a period of history that is closer to us, namely the period of time when the independence of the Baltic countries was proclaimed.

Estonia was the first to take the path of secession from the USSR. Active protests against the Soviet central government began in 1987. Already in November 1988, the Supreme Council of the ESSR issued the first Declaration of Sovereignty among the Soviet republics. This event did not yet mean secession from the USSR, but this act proclaimed the priority of republican laws over all-Union ones. It was Estonia that gave birth to the phenomenon that later became known as the “parade of sovereignties.”

At the end of March 1990, the Law “On the State Status of Estonia” was issued, and on May 8, 1990, its independence was declared, and the country returned to its old name - the Republic of Estonia. Even earlier, similar acts were adopted by Lithuania and Latvia.

In March 1991, a consultative referendum was held in which the majority of citizens voting were in favor of secession from the USSR. But in fact, independence was restored only with the beginning of the August Putsch - August 20, 1991. It was then that the resolution on Estonia's independence was adopted. In September, the government of the USSR officially recognized the secession, and on the 17th of the same month, the Republic of Estonia became a full member of the UN. Thus, the country's independence was completely restored.

Establishment of Lithuania's independence

The initiator of the restoration of Lithuanian independence was the public organization “Sąjūdis”, formed in 1988. On May 26, 1989, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR proclaimed the act “On the State Sovereignty of Lithuania”. This meant that in the event of a conflict between republican and all-Union legislation, priority was given to the former. Lithuania became the second republic of the USSR to take up the baton from Estonia in the “parade of sovereignties.”

Already in March 1990, an act was adopted to restore the independence of Lithuania, which became the first Soviet republic to declare secession from the Union. From that moment on, it became officially known as the Republic of Lithuania.

Naturally, the central authorities of the Soviet Union recognized this act as invalid and demanded its cancellation. With the help of individual army units, the USSR government tried to regain control over the republic. In its actions, it also relied on citizens who disagreed with the policy of secession within Lithuania itself. An armed confrontation began, during which 15 people died. But the army did not dare to attack the parliament building.

After the August Putsch in September 1991, the USSR fully recognized the independence of Lithuania, and on September 17 it joined the UN.

Independence of Latvia

In the Latvian SSR, the independence movement was initiated by the organization “People's Front of Latvia,” which was created in 1988. On July 29, 1989, the Supreme Council of the Republic, following the parliaments of Estonia and Lithuania, proclaimed the third Declaration of Sovereignty in the USSR.

At the very beginning of May 1990, the Republican Supreme Council adopted the Declaration on the restoration of state independence. That is, in fact, Latvia, following Lithuania, announced its secession from the USSR. But in reality this happened only after a year and a half. On May 3, 1991, a referendum-type survey was conducted, in which the majority of respondents were in favor of the independence of the republic. During the coup of the State Emergency Committee on August 21, 1991, Latvia actually managed to achieve independence. On September 6, 1991, like the rest of the Baltic countries, the Soviet government recognized it as independent.

Period of independence of the Baltic countries

After restoring their state independence, all the Baltic countries chose the Western course of economic and political development. At the same time, the Soviet past in these states was constantly condemned, and relations with the Russian Federation remained quite tense. The Russian population of these countries has limited rights.

In 2004, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were admitted to the European Union and the military-political NATO bloc.

Economy of the Baltic countries

At the moment, the Baltic countries have the highest standard of living of the population among all post-Soviet states. Moreover, this is happening despite the fact that a significant part of the infrastructure remaining after Soviet times was destroyed or ceased to function for other reasons, and after the global economic crisis of 2008, the economy of the Baltic countries is going through far from the best times.

Estonia has the highest standard of living among the Baltic countries, and Latvia has the lowest.

Differences between the Baltic countries

Despite the territorial proximity and common history, we should not forget that the Baltic countries are separate states with their own national characteristics.

For example, in Lithuania, unlike other Baltic states, there is a very large Polish community, which is second in size only to the titular nation, but in Estonia and Latvia, on the contrary, Russians predominate among national minorities. In addition, in Lithuania, citizenship was granted to all persons living on its territory at the time of independence. But in Latvia and Estonia, only the descendants of those people who lived in the republics before joining the USSR had such a right.

In addition, it should be said that Estonia, unlike other Baltic countries, is quite strongly focused on the Scandinavian states.

General conclusions

All those who carefully read this material will no longer ask: “What countries are the Baltics?” These are states that have had a rather complex history, filled with the struggle for independence and national identity. Naturally, this could not but leave its mark on the Baltic peoples themselves. It was this struggle that had a key influence on the current political choice of the Baltic states, as well as on the mentality of the peoples who inhabit them.

The Baltic (Baltic) countries include three former Soviet republics that were not part of the CIS - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All of them are unitary republics. In 2004, all three Baltic countries joined NATO and the European Union.
Baltic countries
Table 38

A special feature of the geographical location of the Baltic countries is their access to the Baltic Sea and their 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-geographical position and an advantageous economic-geographical position.
The countries of the region are very poor in mineral resources. Among the fuel resources, peat is ubiquitous. The “richest” among the Baltic countries is Estonia, which has reserves of oil shale (Kohtla-Jarve) and phosphorites (Maardu). Latvia (Brocene) stands out for its limestone reserves. Famous mineral water springs: in Latvia Baldone and Valmiera, in Lithuania - Druskininkai, Birštonas and Pabiře. in Estonia - Häädemeeste. The main wealth of the Baltic states is fishery 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 mortality rate exceeds the birth rate. The natural population decline is especially high in Latvia (-5%o) and Estonia (-4%o).
The gender composition, as in most European countries, is dominated by women. 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 are these indicators equal.
All Baltic countries have a multinational population, and only in Lithuania do Lithuanians make up the absolute majority of the population - 82%, while in Latvia Latvians account for only 55% of the republic's population. In addition to indigenous peoples, there are many so-called Russian-speaking people living in the Baltic states: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, and in Lithuania, Poles. The largest share of Russians is in Latvia (30%) and Estonia (28%), but it is in these countries that the problem of respecting 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 considers themselves Orthodox.
The Baltic states are characterized by a high level of urbanization: from 67% in Lithuania to 72% in Estonia, but there are no millionaire cities. The largest city in each republic is its capital. Among other cities, it should be noted in Estonia - Tartu, in Latvia - Daugavpils, Jurmala and Liepaja, in Lithuania - Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai.
Employment structure of the population of the Baltic countries
Table 39

The Baltic countries are provided with highly qualified labor resources. The majority of the population of the countries in the region is employed in the non-productive sector (see table 39).
In all the Baltic countries, emigration of the population predominates: the Russian-speaking population goes to Russia, Estonians to Finland, Latvians and Lithuanians to Germany and the USA.
After the collapse of the USSR, the economic structure and 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 of agriculture and the food industry increased.
Electric power industry is of secondary importance in the region (with 83% of Lithuania’s electricity supplied by the largest in Europe Ignalina
NPP), ferrous metallurgy, represented by the only center of pigment metallurgy in Liepaja (Latvia).
The branches of industrial specialization of the modern Baltic include: Precision engineering, especially the electrical industry - production of radio equipment in Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Kaunas), televisions (Šiauliai) and refrigerators (Vilnius) in Lithuania; machine tool building in Lithuania (Vilnius) and ship repair in Latvia (Riga) and Lithuania (Klaipeda). The transport engineering industry developed in Latvia during Soviet times (production of electric trains and minibuses) has practically ceased to exist; Chemical industry: production of mineral fertilizers (Maardu and Kohtla-Jarve 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); Forestry 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 (Tallinn and Narva in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Kaunas and Panevezys in Lithuania), clothing (Tallinn and Riga), knitwear (Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius) and footwear industry (Vilnius and Siachiuliai in Lithuania); Food industry, in which dairy and fish play a special role (Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Riga, Liepaja, Klaipeda, Vilnius).
The Baltic countries are characterized by the development of intensive agriculture with a predominance of livestock farming, 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, and in Latvia and Lithuania - sugar beets. Lithuania stands out among the Baltic countries in terms of agricultural production volume.
The Baltic countries are characterized by a high level of development of the transport system: where road, rail, pipeline and sea 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 non-production sectors, recreational services are 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 of 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 instruments, radio and electrical equipment, communications, 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, and consumer goods.
Questions and assignments Give an economic and geographical description of the Baltic states. Name the factors that determine the specialization of the economy of the Baltic countries. Describe the problems of regional development. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Estonia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Latvia. Give the economic and geographical characteristics of Lithuania.