Baltic Sea

GS1-GEOGRAPHY

Context: Security experts have raised alarms about the heightened risk of an oil spill in the Baltic Sea due to Russia’s use of an aging and poorly maintained “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, which operate without Western insurance coverage.

Geographical Significance of the Baltic Sea

• The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed inland sea in Northern Europe, forming an extension of the North Atlantic Ocean.
• It acts as a natural divide between the Scandinavian Peninsula and continental Europe.
• The sea is linked to the Atlantic Ocean through the Danish Straits.

Bordering Nations:

The Baltic Sea is bordered by nine countries:
Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden.

Major Rivers Draining into the Baltic Sea

• More than 250 rivers empty into the Baltic Sea.
• The Neva River (Russia) is the largest among them.

Significant Gulfs within the Baltic Sea

• Gulf of Bothnia
• Gulf of Finland
• Gulf of Riga

Key Features and Environmental Challenges

• Surface Area: Covers approximately 377,000 sq. km.
• Dimensions: Extends 1,600 km in length with a maximum width of 193 km.
• Salinity Levels: The sea has brackish water, meaning its salinity is lower than that of most oceans due to a significant inflow of freshwater.

Connections to Other Water Bodies:

• White Sea (Russia): Linked via the White Sea Canal.
• North Sea (Germany): Connected through the Kiel Canal.

Notable Island:

• Gotland (Sweden) is the largest island in the Baltic Sea.