Baltic region

Etymology

Main article: Baltic Sea#Etymology and nomenclature{{!}}Baltic (name)

The first to name it the Baltic Sea () was 11th century German chronicler Adam of Bremen.

Denotation

Depending on the context the Baltic Sea Region might stand for:

• The countries that have shorelines along the Baltic Sea: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.
• The group of countries that are members of the inter-governmental Baltic Assembly and Baltic Council of Ministers, and generally referred to by the shorthand, Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, exclaved from the remainder of Russia.
• Historic East Prussia and the historical lands of Livonia, Courland and Estonia (Swedish Estonia and Russian Estonia).
• The former Baltic governorates of Imperial Russia: Today's Estonia and Latvia (excluding parts of modern Eastern Latvia that were part of Vitebsk Governorate).
• The countries on the historical British trade route through the Baltic Sea, i.e. including the Scandinavian Peninsula (Sweden and Norway).
• The negotiating members of the Grand Baltic Entente also known as the Baltic League: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland.
• Members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), are the countries with shorelines along the Baltic Sea, in addition to Norway, Iceland and the European Commission.
• The islands of the Euroregion B7 Baltic Islands Network, which includes the islands and archipelagos Åland (autonomous region of Finland), Bornholm (Denmark), Gotland (Sweden), Hiiumaa (Estonia), Öland (Sweden), Rügen (Germany), and Saaremaa (Estonia).
• On historic Scandinavian and German maps, the Balticum sometimes includes only the historically or culturally German-dominated lands, or provinces, of Estonia, Livonia, Courland and Latgale (corresponding to modern Estonia and Latvia), East Prussia, Samogitia (corresponding to modern Western Lithuania) as well as sometimes Pomerania, Kashubia, while the historically less-Germanized Eastern Lithuania is occasionally excluded.
• In geology, the Baltic Shield includes Fennoscandia, parts of northwestern Russia and the northern Baltic Sea.

Notes

References

References

1. (5 July 2024). "Baltic Sea".
2. "EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region".
3. (January 2024). "Programme Factsheet".
4. (1994). "Declaration on Unity and Co-operation by the Republic of Estonia, Republic of Latvia and Republic of Lithuania". Council of Baltic States.
5. (25 May 2006). "Encyclopædia Britannica".
6. "Co-operation among the Baltic States".
7. "Baltic Cooperation".
8. «The Baltic region includes the Baltic republics and the Kaliningrad region of the RSFSR "» — {{GSEn
9. Gibson, Catherine. (29 March 2022). "Geographies of Nationhood: Cartography, Science, and Society in the Russian Imperial Baltic". Oxford University Press.
10. (September 1921). "The Baltic States". The Institute of international education.
11. "CBSS - Council of Baltic Sea States". European Union.
12. "CBSS - About Us".
13. (8 September 2004). "Charter of the B7". B7 Baltic Islands Network.
14. (2004). "Encyclopædia Britannica".
15. (September 2008). "The geological history of the Baltic Sea: A review of the literature and investigation tools". Swedish Radiation Safety Authority - Strålsäkerhetsmyndigheten.