Baltic Sea, Location, Significance, Surrounding Countries, Latest News

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Baltic Sea Latest News

Germany’s air force recently sent two Eurofighters to track a Russian IL-20M military aircraft that had entered neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea before handing the escort over to NATO partners in Sweden.

About Baltic Sea

It is a semi-enclosed inland sea of the Atlantic Ocean, situated in Northern Europe.
It extends northward from southern Denmark to within a few degrees latitude of the Arctic Circle, separating the Scandinavian Peninsula from continental Europe.
It comprises several branches and basins, which include, from northeast to southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, and the Gulf of Riga; the central-southern area known as the Baltic Proper; and the Danish straits of Kattegat and Skagerrak, which connect to the North Sea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean.
To the east, the White Sea-Baltic Canal, opened by Russia in 1993, allows traffic from the Baltic—via the Gulf of Finland and a chain of rivers and major lakes—to the White Sea, itself an arm of the Arctic Ocean.
To the southwest, the Kiel Canal, opened in 1895, cuts through the Jutland peninsula to connect the Baltic with the North Sea.
It is the youngest sea on our planet, emerging some 10,000-15,000 years ago as the glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age.
It is approximately 1,600 km long and 193 km wide, covering an area of approximately 377,000 sq.km.
Surrounding Countries: It has a coastline of approximately 8,000 km, shared by several countries, including Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Denmark, and Russia.
It is often cited as the world’s largest brackish inland water body.
Its water salinity levels are lower than that of the world oceans due to the inflow of fresh water from the surrounding land and the sea’s shallowness.
There are about sixty rivers draining into the Baltic Sea. Neva is the largest river that drains into the Baltic Sea.
Islands: It is home to over 20 islands and archipelagos. Gotland, located off the coast of Sweden, is the largest island in the Baltic Sea.
Algal Harmful Blooms are also one of the issues that affect the Baltic Sea.