Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe. It is surrounded by the Scandinavian peninsula, the Northern Eastern and Central parts of Europe, and the Danish islands. The Baltic Sea is about 1,000 miles long and 120 miles wide.

The Baltic Sea drains into the North Sea before merging with the Atlantic Ocean.

The White Sea Canal links the Baltic and White Seas, and the Kiel Canal links the Baltic Sea to the North Sea.

Baltic Sea Map

The map below shows the Baltic Sea and the present-day countries nearby.

Fig. 2: Baltic Sea Drainage Map

Location of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is in Northern Europe. It runs from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude.

Baltic Sea Bordering Countries

Many countries surround the Baltic Sea. They are

1. Sweden
2. Finland
3. Estonia
4. Latvia
5. Lithuania
6. Poland
7. Denmark
8. Germany
9. Russia

Some countries are in the sea's drainage basin but do not share a border with the sea. They are

1. Belarus
2. Norway
3. Ukraine
4. Slovakia
5. Czech Republic

Physical Features

The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish inland seas. It is part of a basin formed by glacial erosion during the ice age.

Climate

Winters in the area are long and cold. Summers are short yet warm. The area averages about 24 inches of rain a year.

Fig. 3: The Baltic Sea

History of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea functioned as a trade network during the Middle Ages. It has a lengthy history of being crossed by merchant ships attempting to trade a multitude of goods.

A Scandinavian trade empire arose around the Baltic Sea in the early Middle Ages. The Scandinavian, or Norse, merchants controlled the area, giving rise to the nickname "The Viking Age." The merchants used Russian rivers as trade routes, expanding to the Black Sea and southern Russia.

The Baltic Sea provided fish and amber, which were used for trade. Amber was a prized resource found near modern-day Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. The earliest mentions of amber deposits go back to the 12th century. Around this time, Sweden was using the Baltic Sea to export iron and silver, and Poland was exporting salt from its large salt mines.

From the 8th to the 14th centuries, piracy became an issue on the Baltic Sea.

The southern and eastern shores were settled in the 11th century. Most of those who settled there were German migrants, but there were settlers from Scotland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Denmark gained control over most of the coast of the Baltic Sea until it was defeated in 1227.

The Baltic Sea was a major trade route during the 13th to 16th centuries (later part of the Middle Ages and early parts of the Renaissance, or the early modern period).

The Baltic Sea's rise to prominence coincides with the establishment of the Hanseatic League.

The Baltic Sea connected the four main ports of the Hanseatic League (Lübeck, Visby, Rostock, and Gdańsk). Lübeck is especially significant as it began the Hanseatic trade route. Merchants and their families often settled near Lübeck. Lübeck and other nearby coastal cities traded goods like spices, wine, and cloth to obtain minerals, hemp, flax, salt, fish, and leather. Lübeck was the main trading post.

The German Hansa merchants who formed the Hanseatic League mostly traded fish (herring and stock fish). They also traded lumber, hemp, flax, grain, honey, fur, tar, and amber. Baltic trade grew under the protection of the Hanseatic League.

Most of the cities that formed the Hanseatic League participated in the "triangle trade," that is, trade with Lübeck, Sweden/Finland, and their own town.

The Baltic Sea connected many countries and provided opportunities for a variety of people to trade goods. Goods flowed from the eastern coast to the western. Merchants brought their goods inland. They converged on the eastern and southern coastlines. Goods were consolidated and then moved west.

The Hanseatic League fell towards the beginning of the 15th century. The league broke down as demands for goods changed, and some places began to supply other trade ports with goods. In the 17th century, Lübeck lost its place as the main trading post in the region.

Importance of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is surrounded by diverse people and cultures on its shores. The people and countries surrounding the Baltic have created and maintained positive relationships but have also dealt with competition, rivalry, and confrontation.

Because of its location, the Baltic Sea is important because it connects the area to Northern Europe. Not only were the various countries along its shore connected economically, but the Baltic Sea trade allowed for Russia, Poland, and Hungary to reach the trade center as well.

The Baltic Sea supported the trade of many items. However, the two most important items were wax and fur.

The Baltic Sea Summary

The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, surrounded by the Scandinavian peninsula, the Northern, Eastern, and Central parts of Europe, and the Danish islands. It is about 1,000 miles long and 120 miles wide. On a map, the Baltic Sea can be found running from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude.

The Baltic Sea, surrounded by Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Germany, and Russia, had major economic significance in the Middle Ages as it was a hub of communication, trade, and commerce.

It is one of the largest brackish inland seas. It is part of a basin formed by glacial erosion during the ice age.

The Baltic Sea is known for its seasonality. Its winters are long and cold, while its summers are short and warm.

In the early Middle Ages, a Scandinavian trade empire arose around the Baltic Sea in the early Middle Ages. The merchants used Russian rivers as trade routes, expanding to the Black Sea and southern Russia.

The Baltic Sea provided fish and amber, which were used for trade. Sweden used the Baltic Sea to export iron and silver, and Poland used the sea to export salt from its large salt mines.

The southern and eastern shores were settled in the 11th century. Most of the settlers were German migrants, but there were settlers from Scotland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

During the 13th to 16th centuries, the Baltic Sea was a major trade route. It became a prominent trade route around the same time the Hanseatic League was established. The Baltic Sea connected the four main ports of the Hanseatic League, and through those ports, merchants imported/exported and traded a variety of goods. These include spices, wine, cloth, minerals, hemp, flax, salt, fish, and leather. Most of the economic activity occurred in Lübeck, the main trading post.

The Hanseatic League fell towards the beginning of the 15th century due to the change in demand for goods and the rise of other trading posts.