Modern States of Scandinavia and the Baltic: Map & History

Sweden and Norway had been united under the same crown on two previous occasions: from 1319 to 1343 under Magnus Eriksson and again briefly from 1449 to 1450 under Karl Knutsson in opposition to Christian of Oldenburg who was elected king of the Kalmar Union by the Danes. During the following centuries, Norway remained united with Denmark in close union, nominally as one kingdom, but in reality reduced to the status of a mere province ruled by Danish kings from their capital, Copenhagen. After the establishment of absolutism in 1660, a more centralized form of government was established, but Norway kept some separate institutions, including its own laws, army, and coinage. The united kingdoms are referred to as Denmark–Norway by later historians.

From Wikipedia: Union between Sweden and Norway · Background (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sweden and Denmark-Norway strenuously attempted to remain neutral during the Napoleonic wars, and succeeded for a long time, in spite of many invitations to join the belligerent alliances. Both countries joined Russia and Prussia in a League of Armed Neutrality in 1800. Denmark-Norway was forced to withdraw from the League after the British victory at the First Battle of Copenhagen in April 1801, but still stuck to a policy of neutrality. However, the league collapsed after the assassination of Tsar Paul I in 1801.

From Wikipedia: Union between Sweden and Norway · Consequences of the Napoleonic Wars (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The relations with Norway during the reign of King Oscar II (1872–1907) had great influence on political life in Sweden, and more than once it seemed as if the union between the two countries was on the point of ending. The dissensions chiefly had their origin in the demand by Norway for separate consuls and eventually a separate foreign service. Norway had, according to the revised constitution of 1814, the right to separate consular offices, but had not exercised that right. This was partly for financial reasons, and partly because the consuls appointed by the Swedish foreign office generally did a satisfactory job of representing Norway. During the late 19th century, however, Norway's merchant marine grew rapidly to become one of the world's largest, and one of the most important factors of the national economy.

From Wikipedia: Union between Sweden and Norway · Prelude to dissolution (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Because of the Kalmar Union, Iceland had been under the control of the Crown of Denmark since 1380, although formally it had been a Norwegian possession until 1814. In 1874, one thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland home rule. The constitution, written the same year, was revised in 1903 and the extent of Iceland's home rule increased in 1904.

From Wikipedia: Kingdom of Iceland · History: Origins of Danish rule (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The oldest known settlement in Estonia is the Pulli settlement on the banks of Pärnu that dates to the early 9th millennium BC, making it at least 11,000 years old.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · History: Prehistory (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Estonia is a unitary parliamentary republic. The unicameral parliament Riigikogu serves as the legislature and the government as the executive.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Politics (CC BY-SA 4.0)

As a member of the European Union and OECD, Estonia is considered a high-income economy by the World Bank. The GDP (PPP) per capita of the country was $46,385 in 2023 according to the International Monetary Fund, ranked 40th.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Economy (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A week before the outbreak of World War II, on 23 August 1939, Nazi Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In the pact's secret protocol Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were divided between USSR and Germany into "spheres of influence", with Estonia assigned to the Soviet "sphere". On 24 September 1939, the Soviet dictator Stalin presented the Estonian government an ultimatum demanding that Estonia immediately sign a treaty that would allow the USSR to establish military bases in Estonia, or else face war. The Estonian government decided to avoid military conflict, and a "mutual assistance treaty" was signed in Moscow on 28 September 1939. On 14 June 1940 the Soviet Union instituted a full naval and air blockade on Estonia. On the same day, the airliner Kaleva was shot down by the Soviet Air Force.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · History: World War II (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Traces of Estonian artistry date back to the Stone Age, with decorated bone artefacts, amber pendants, and early figurines. During the Middle Ages, Gothic art became prominent, visible in the medieval churches of Saaremaa and exemplified by Bernt Notke's Danse Macabre in St. Nicholas Church, Tallinn. Renaissance painter Michael Sittow, trained in the Early Netherlandish style, was Estonia's first internationally recognised artist.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Culture: Art (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The National Armed Forces (Latvian: Nacionālie bruņotie spēki (NAF)) of Latvia consists of the Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, National Guard, Special Tasks Unit, Military Police, NAF staff Battalion, Training and Doctrine Command, and Logistics Command. Latvia's defence concept is based upon the Swedish-Finnish model of a rapid response force composed of a mobilisation base and a small group of career professionals. From 1 January 2007, Latvia switched to a professional fully contract-based army.

From Wikipedia: Latvia · Government and politics: Military (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (1999) and the European Union (2004). On 1 January 2014, the euro became the country's currency, superseding the Lats. According to statistics in late 2013, 45% of the population supported the introduction of the euro, while 52% opposed it. Following the introduction of the Euro, Eurobarometer surveys in January 2014 showed support for the euro to be around 53%, close to the European average.

From Wikipedia: Latvia · Economy (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Traditional Latvian folklore, especially the dance of the folk songs, dates back well over a thousand years. More than 1.2 million texts and 30,000 melodies of folk songs have been identified.

From Wikipedia: Latvia · Culture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The oldest known settlement in Estonia is the Pulli settlement on the banks of Pärnu that dates to the early 9th millennium BC, making it at least 11,000 years old.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · History: Prehistory (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Estonia is a unitary parliamentary republic. The unicameral parliament Riigikogu serves as the legislature and the government as the executive.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Politics (CC BY-SA 4.0)

As a member of the European Union and OECD, Estonia is considered a high-income economy by the World Bank. The GDP (PPP) per capita of the country was $46,385 in 2023 according to the International Monetary Fund, ranked 40th.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Economy (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A week before the outbreak of World War II, on 23 August 1939, Nazi Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In the pact's secret protocol Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were divided between USSR and Germany into "spheres of influence", with Estonia assigned to the Soviet "sphere". On 24 September 1939, the Soviet dictator Stalin presented the Estonian government an ultimatum demanding that Estonia immediately sign a treaty that would allow the USSR to establish military bases in Estonia, or else face war. The Estonian government decided to avoid military conflict, and a "mutual assistance treaty" was signed in Moscow on 28 September 1939. On 14 June 1940 the Soviet Union instituted a full naval and air blockade on Estonia. On the same day, the airliner Kaleva was shot down by the Soviet Air Force.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · History: World War II (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Traces of Estonian artistry date back to the Stone Age, with decorated bone artefacts, amber pendants, and early figurines. During the Middle Ages, Gothic art became prominent, visible in the medieval churches of Saaremaa and exemplified by Bernt Notke's Danse Macabre in St. Nicholas Church, Tallinn. Renaissance painter Michael Sittow, trained in the Early Netherlandish style, was Estonia's first internationally recognised artist.

From Wikipedia: Estonia · Culture: Art (CC BY-SA 4.0)