Tallinn Tallinn (/ˈtɑːlɪn/ or /ˈtælɪn/,[3][4] Estonian pronunciation: [ˈtɑlʲˑinˑ]) is the capital and largest city of Estonia. Tallinn occupies an area of 159.2 km2 (61.5 sq mi) and has a population of 431,021.[2] It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, 80 km (50 mi) south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[5] It is ranked as a global city and has been listed among the top 10 digital cities in the world.[6] The city was a European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in Finland. The city was known as Reval from the 13th century until 1917[7] and again during the Nazi invasion of Estonia from 1941 to 1944. Toponymy[edit] Historical names[edit] The lesser coat of arms of Tallinn is also the coat of arms of Harju County and depicts the Dannebrog cross. Other than Kesoniemi known ancient historical names of Tallinn in Finnish include Rääveli. History[edit]
Baltic states The Baltic states (also known as the Baltics, Baltic nations or Baltic countries; Estonian: Balti riigid, Baltimaad, Latvian: Baltijas valstis, Lithuanian: Baltijos valstybės) are three northern European countries east of the Baltic Sea – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I. In the period between the World Wars, the Baltic states also included Finland.[2] While the indigenous populations of Latvia and Lithuania are known as Baltic peoples, those of Estonia (and Finland) are Finnic peoples. Linguistic and historical considerations intersect defining the concept of "Baltic states"; for example, while Latvian is phylogenetically related to Lithuanian (both belonging to the Baltic group of the Indo-european language family,) Estonian belongs to a completely different family – the Uralic languages. Features shared by the Baltic states[edit] Estonia and Latvia[edit] Latvia and Lithuania[edit] Territorial changes in 1700–1709
Latvia Latvia i/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija) officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and by a maritime border to the west with Sweden. Latvia has 2,003,000 inhabitants[5] and a territory of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi).[13] The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Latvia is a democratic parliamentary republic established in 1918. The Republic of Latvia was founded on 18 November 1918. Latvia is a member of NATO, European Union, United Nations, Council of Europe, CBSS, IMF, NB8, NIB, OSCE, WTO and OECD. Etymology[edit] The name Latvija is derived from the name of the ancient Latgalians, one of four Indo-European Baltic tribes (along with Couronians, Selonians and Semigallians), which formed the ethnic core of modern Latvians along with the Finnic Livonians.[18] History[edit] The Medieval period[edit] The Reformation period[edit] Declaration of Independence[edit]
Riga Riga as seen on SPOT satellite imagery Riga (/ˈriːɡə/; Latvian: Rīga, pronounced [ˈriːɡa] ( )) is the capital and largest city of Latvia. Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga is a member of Eurocities,[8] the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC)[9] and Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).[10] Etymology[edit] History[edit] Left bank of the Daugava River Founding[edit] The river Daugava has been a trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings' Dvina-Dnieper navigation route to Byzantium.[14] A sheltered natural harbour 15 km (9.3 mi) upriver from the mouth of the Daugava—the site of today's Riga—has been recorded, as Duna Urbs, as early as the 2nd century.[14] It was settled by the Livs, an ancient Finnic tribe.[11] Riga began to develop as a centre of Viking trade during the early Middle Ages.[14] Riga's inhabitants occupied themselves mainly with fishing, animal husbandry, and trading, later developing crafts (in bone, wood, amber, and iron).[14]
Crimea Coordinates: Map of the Crimean Peninsula The Crimean Peninsula (Russian: Крымский полуостров, Ukrainian: Кримський півострів, Crimean Tatar: Qırım yarımadası), also known simply as Crimea, is a major land mass on the northern coast of the Black Sea that is almost completely surrounded by water. The peninsula is located just south of the Ukrainian mainland and west of the Russian region of Kuban. It is surrounded by two seas: the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the east. Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century before falling to the Russian Empire and being organised as its Taurida Oblast in 1783. Sovereignty and control of the peninsula became the subject of the ongoing 2014 Crimean crisis, a territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Name[edit] The classical name Tauris or Taurica is from the Greek Ταυρική, after the peninsula's Scytho-Cimmerian inhabitants, the Tauri. History[edit] Geography[edit] Coastline[edit]
Lithuania Lithuania ( i/ˌlɪθjuːˈeɪniə/; Lithuanian: Lietuva) officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublika) is a country in Northern Europe,[9] the largest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It borders Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 3 million as of 2013, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. Lithuanians are a Baltic people, and the official language, Lithuanian, is one of only two living languages (together with Latvian) in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. For centuries, the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea was inhabited by various Baltic tribes. Lithuania is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, a full member of the Schengen Agreement and NATO. History[edit] Prehistoric[edit] Medieval[edit]
Yalta Yalta (Ukrainian, and Russian Я́лта; Crimean Tatar Yalta) is a resort city on the north coast of the Black Sea in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and incorporated by Russia as the Republic of Crimea. The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore (γιαλός – yalos in Greek) on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black Sea, surrounded by wooded mountains. It has a warm humid subtropical climate with many vineyards and orchards in the vicinity.[1] The term "The Greater Yalta" is used to designate a part of the Crimean southern coast spanning from Foros in the west to Gurzuf in the east and including the city of Yalta and multiple adjacent urban settlements. History[edit] 12th-19th centuries[edit] In the 19th century, the town became a fashionable resort for the Russian aristocracy and gentry.
Vilnius Vilnius ([ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ( ); see also other names) is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 539,939 (806,308 together with Vilnius County) as of 2014.[1] Vilnius is located in the southeast part of Lithuania and is the second biggest city of the Baltic states. Vilnius is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County. Vilnius is classified as a Gamma global city according to GaWC studies, and is known for its Old Town of beautiful architecture, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Etymology and other names[edit] The name of the city originated from the Vilnia River.[2] The name of the river derives from the Lithuanian language word vilnis ("a surge") or vilnyti ("to surge"). The neighbourhoods of Vilnius have also names in other languages. History[edit] Early history[edit] Grand Duchy of Lithuania[edit] Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth[edit] In the Russian Empire[edit]
Kerch Kerch (Russian: Керчь, Ukrainian: Керч, Crimean Tatar: Keriç, Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ, Ancient Greek: Παντικάπαιον Pantikapaion, Turkish: Kerç) is a city on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of the Crimea, a territory recognized by a majority of countries as part of Ukraine and incorporated by Russia as the Republic of Crimea. Founded 2,600 years ago as an ancient Greek colony, Kerch is considered to be one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine. The city experienced rapid growth starting in the 1920s and was the site of a major battle during World War II. Today, it is one of the largest cities in Crimea and is among the country's most important industrial, transport and tourist centres. History[edit] Ancient times[edit] Archeological digs at Mayak village near the city ascertained that the area had already been inhabited in 17th–15th centuries BC. The city located at the intersection of trade routes between the steppe and Europe grew rapidly. Middle Ages[edit] 18th - 20th centuries[edit]
Poti Coordinates: Palm Boulevard in Poti Geography and climate[edit] Poti is situated 312 kilometres (194 mi) west of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, in a marshy delta created by the major river of western Georgia, the Rioni, at its entrance into the Black Sea. Etymology[edit] History[edit] Ancient and medieval history[edit] After many years of uncertainty and academic debate, the site of this settlement now seems to be established, thanks to underwater archaeology under tough conditions. Between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC, the town played an active role in these contacts. In the 8th century, the name Poti entered Georgian written sources. Modern history[edit] Chapel near the port of Poti The center of Poti Poti particularly grew in size and importance during the mayorship of Niko Nikoladze between 1894 and 1912. During a brief period of independence in 1918-1921 Poti was Georgia’s principal window to Europe, also serving as the portal of entry for successive German and British expeditionary forces.