Baltic Sea

Map of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is a sea in northern Europe between Scandinavia, Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries, Poland, and Germany.

Many big rivers in the surrounding countries drain into the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is connected to the ocean through the narrow and shallow Danish straits and belts. For this reason, the water has a low amount of salt, so the northern parts of the sea freeze over in the winter. The ice can carry cars, and roads are established every winter between the islands in the archipelagos between Sweden and Finland.

For several thousand years, the Baltic Sea has connected the countries at her shores. For that reason there are many cultural similarities in these countries. Since all of these countries are European, this sea is also considered European.

Baltic Sea Media

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  Danish Straits and southwestern Baltic Sea

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  Åland between Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia

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  Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen in Germany, was a sacred site of the Rani tribe before Christianization.

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  Main trading routes of the Hanseatic League (Hanse).

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  In 1649 the settlement of the Latvian-speaking Kursenieki spanned from Klaipėda to Gdańsk along the coast of the Baltic Sea.

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  The naval Battle of the Sound took place on 8 November 1658 during the Dano-Swedish War.

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  The burning Cap Arcona shortly after the attacks, 3 May 1945. Only 350 survived of the 4,500 prisoners who had been aboard

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  Baltic drainage basins (catchment area), with depth, elevation, major rivers and lakes

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  Curonian Spit in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia

Other websites

Media related to Baltic Sea at Wikimedia Commons