"became strategically encircled by the German-Soviet pact. Since the Baltic states; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; had been forced to accept ""limited"" Soviet forces on their soil, in the autumn of 1939, they were de facto more or less in a state of occupation. For Sweden and Finland, this meant that the only possible trade route to nations other than Germany and the Soviet Union, was through Petsamo harbour, in the far north of Finland. This seriously hampered the supply situation in both these nations. It also meant that an invasion of Sweden could be launched from almost any direction. Sweden"
"Denmark bordering to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria to the southeast, Switzerland to the south-southwest, France, Luxembourg and Belgium lie to the west, and the Netherlands to the northwest. It lies mostly between latitudes 47° and 55° N and longitudes 5° and 16° E. Germany is also bordered by the North Sea and, at the north-northeast, by the Baltic Sea. With Switzerland and Austria, Germany also shares a border on the fresh-water Lake Constance, the third largest lake in Central Europe. German territory covers , consisting of of land and of water. It is"
"Finland–Sweden border The Finnish-Swedish border is the border between the countries of Finland and Sweden. Almost the entire border runs through water: along the Tornio River and its tributaries, and in the Gulf of Bothnia. Only a few kilometres of the border are on dry land. Because of the Schengen treaty and the Nordic Passport Union, the border can be crossed mostly freely. In the north, the Finnish–Swedish border begins from the Treriksröset tripoint at the border of Norway, located in the Koltajärvi lake near Kilpisjärvi, which is also the northernmost point of Sweden. The first 230 metres of the"
", the Russian border is the world's longest. Along the 20,139-kilometer land frontier, Russia has boundaries with 14 countries: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (via the Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the People's Republic of China and North Korea. Approximately two-thirds of the frontier is bounded by seawater. Virtually all of the lengthy northern coast is well above the Arctic Circle; except for the port of Murmansk—which receives currents that are somewhat warmer than would be expected at that latitude, due to the effects of the Gulf Stream—that coast is locked in ice much of the"
"Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and it is also linked to Denmark (south-west) by the Öresund Bridge. Its border with Norway (1,619 km long) is the longest uninterrupted border within Europe. Sweden lies between latitudes 55° and 70° N, and mostly between longitudes 11° and 25° E (part of Stora Drammen island is just west of 11°). At , Sweden is the 55th-largest country in the world, the 4th-largest country entirely in Europe, and the largest in Northern Europe. The lowest elevation in Sweden is in the bay of Lake Hammarsjön, near Kristianstad, at below sea level. The highest point"
"Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, enclosed by Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, northwest Russia, Poland, Germany and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 10°E to 30°E longitude. A mediterranean sea of the Atlantic, with limited water exchange between the two bodies, the Baltic Sea drains through the Danish islands into the Kattegat by way of the straits of Øresund, the Great Belt, and the Little Belt. It includes the Gulf of Bothnia, the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, the"
"Oder The Oder (; Czech, Lower Sorbian and , , Upper Sorbian: ""Wódra"") is a river in Central Europe and Poland's third-longest river after the Vistula and Warta. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany as part of the Oder–Neisse line. The river ultimately flows into the Szczecin Lagoon north of Szczecin and then into three branches (the Dziwna, Świna and Peene) that empty into the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea. The Oder is known by several names in different languages, but the modern ones"
"Borders of Finland The borders of Finland are the dividing lines between it and the neighbouring countries of Norway, Russia and Sweden. The border between Norway and Finland is 736 kilometers (457 mi) long. It is a land and river border between two tripoints. The western tripoint is marked by Treriksröset, a stone cairn where both countries border Sweden. The eastern tripoint is marked by Treriksrøysa, a stone cairn where both countries border Russia. The border was defined in a 1751 treaty, which also defined the Swedish–Norwegian border. In the period 1738–1751 field investigations and negotiations took place on the"
"Gulf of Riga, and the Bay of Gdańsk. The Baltic Proper is bordered on its northern edge, at the latitude 60°N, by the Åland islands and the Gulf of Bothnia, on its northeastern edge by the Gulf of Finland, on its eastern edge by the Gulf of Riga, and in the west by the Swedish part of the southern Scandinavian Peninsula. The Baltic Sea is connected by artificial waterways to the White Sea via the White Sea Canal and to the German Bight of the North Sea via the Kiel Canal. Administration The Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the"
"Oder–Neisse line The Oder–Neisse line (, ) is the basis of the international border between Germany and Poland. It mainly runs along the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers and meets the Baltic Sea in the north, just west of the Polish seaports of Szczecin and Świnoujście (German: ""Stettin"" and ""Swinemünde""). It was decided upon by the Soviet Union and presented to the Potsdam Conference as a ""fait-accompli"" in the aftermath of the Second World War. All pre-war German territory east of the line and within the 1937 German boundaries (23.8% of the former Weimar Republic) fell into the Soviet Occupation"
"Territorial evolution of Poland Poland () is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is , making it the 69th largest country in the world and the ninth largest in Europe. From a nucleus between the Odra and Vistula rivers on the North European Plain, Poland has at its largest extent expanded as far as the Baltic, the Dnieper, the Black Sea and"
"the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, Northern Germany (Hansestadt Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein), Northern Poland (Pomorskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie and Zachodnio-Pomorskie), and Russia's Northwestern region including Kaliningrad. The region shares many historical ties, which often are symbolized by the legacy of the Hanse around the Baltic Sea. Thus, the Baltic Sea has been the facilitator of integrative processes in more than 1000 years with more intensive periods than other. Naturally, the Cold War to a large extent hindered extended cooperation, but when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 new strong ties"
"borders of Poland, Russia and Lithuania. First mentions of amber deposits on the South coast of the Baltic Sea date back to the 12th century. The bordering countries have also traditionally exported lumber, wood tar, flax, hemp and furs by ship across the Baltic. Sweden had from early medieval times exported iron and silver mined there, while Poland had and still has extensive salt mines. Thus the Baltic Sea has long been crossed by much merchant shipping. The lands on the Baltic's eastern shore were among the last in Europe to be converted to Christianity. This finally happened during the"
"Lithuania–Russia border The Lithuania–Russia border is an international border between the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of the Russian Federation (CIS member) and Republic of Lithuania (EU member). The long border passes (from west to south-east clockwise) through the Curonian Spit and Curonian Lagoon, and then follows along the Neman River, Šešupė, Širvinta, Liepona, and Lake Vištytis. There is a tripoint between Lithuania, Russia, and Poland with a stone monument at . Most of the border follows rivers or lakes. On land, border stations are equipped with engineering and technical facilities (wired fences and the exclusion zone). Most other land areas"
"of Cracow. In 2002, Poland and Slovakia made some further minor border adjustments: Territorial evolution of Poland Poland () is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is , making it the 69th largest country in the world and the ninth largest in Europe. From a nucleus between the Odra and Vistula rivers on the North European Plain, Poland has at its largest"
"removed along the border in December 2007. The limitations on Poles working in Germany expired in April 2011. Oder–Neisse line The Oder–Neisse line (, ) is the basis of the international border between Germany and Poland. It mainly runs along the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers and meets the Baltic Sea in the north, just west of the Polish seaports of Szczecin and Świnoujście (German: ""Stettin"" and ""Swinemünde""). It was decided upon by the Soviet Union and presented to the Potsdam Conference as a ""fait-accompli"" in the aftermath of the Second World War. All pre-war German territory east of the"
"Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling, Air Pollution–Persistent Organic Pollutants (signed 2001, ratified 2002), Climate Change–Kyoto Protocol (signed May 1998, ratified together with 14 other EU countries May 31, 2002). Geography of Finland The geography of Finland is characterized by its northern position, its ubiquitous landscapes of intermingled boreal forests and lakes and its low population density. Finland can be divided into three areas: archipelagoes and coastal lowlands, a slightly higher central lake plateau and uplands to north and northeast. Bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, as well as Sweden, Norway, and Russia, Finland"
"Agreement. East Germany confirmed the border with Poland in 1950, then West Germany, after a period of refusal, finally accepted the border in 1970. In 1990 newly reunified Germany and the Republic of Poland signed a treaty recognizing it as their border. Main section: Dziwna branch (between Wolin Island and mainland Poland): Świna branch (between Wolin and the Usedom islands): Szczecin Lagoon: Peene branch (between Usedom Island and the German mainland): Oder The Oder (; Czech, Lower Sorbian and , , Upper Sorbian: ""Wódra"") is a river in Central Europe and Poland's third-longest river after the Vistula and Warta. It"
"Borders of Poland The ""'Borders of Poland"" are 3511 or 3582 kilometers long. The neighboring countries are Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and the Russian province of Kaliningrad Oblast to the northeast. To the north, Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea. Breakdown of border lengths per entity: The Polish coastline is 770km long. After accession of Poland to the European Union in 2004, border crossings with EU states (Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania) were made redundant. Infrastructure remains in place, but its systematic"
"Haapasaari, Helsinki, Hanko, Åland, Saimaa Canal. Border controls on land exist only on the Russian border. See Finland–Russia border. The only permanent border control on airports is on the Helsinki airport (although occasional controls can take place for charter flights on other airports). Borders of Finland The borders of Finland are the dividing lines between it and the neighbouring countries of Norway, Russia and Sweden. The border between Norway and Finland is 736 kilometers (457 mi) long. It is a land and river border between two tripoints. The western tripoint is marked by Treriksröset, a stone cairn where both countries"
"Russia to the east. To the north, west and south, Norway is bordered by the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea, and Skagerrak. The Scandinavian Mountains form much of the border with Sweden. At (including Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (and without), much of the country is dominated by mountainous or high terrain, with a great variety of natural features caused by prehistoric glaciers and varied topography. The most noticeable of these are the fjords: deep grooves cut into the land flooded by the sea following the end of the Ice Age. Sognefjorden is the world's second deepest fjord,"
"the Soviet Union and Germany had changed the secret terms of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The formerly sovereign Lithuania was moved into the Soviet sphere of influence and attached to USSR as the brand new Lithuanian SSR among the Soviet republics. The demarcation line across the centre of Poland was shifted to the east, giving Germany more Polish territory. By this new and final arrangement – often described as a fourth partition of Poland, the Soviet Union secured the lands east of the rivers Pisa, Narew, Bug and San. The area amounted to about 200,000 square kilometres, which was inhabited by"
"modern Baltic states, northern Germany, and several regions that, to this day, are part of Sweden. Before the end of the 17th Century, a secret alliance was formed between Denmark-Norway, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Russia against Sweden. This coalition acted at the very start of the 18th Century as Denmark-Norway and the Commonwealth launched surprise attacks on Sweden. In 1721, Russia and its allies won the war against Sweden. As a result, Russia was able to annex the Swedish territories of Estonia, Livonia, Ingria, and Karelia. This effectively put an end to the Swedish Empire, and crippled her Baltic Sea Power."
"and sparsely populated. To the south of the lake district, and across central Poland a vast region of plains extends all the way to the Sudetes on the Czech and Slovak borders southwest, and to the Carpathians on the Czech, Slovak and Ukrainian borders southeast. The central lowlands had been formed by glacial erosion in the Pleistocene ice age. The neighboring countries are Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the northeast. The country extends 876 kilometers from north to"
"Russia. Its borders follow three rivers: Tana, Muonio and Torne. The largest lake is Lake Inari, 1,102 km². Highest point is on Halti, which reaches 1,324 m (4,344 ft) on Finnish side of the border. The areas of Enontekiö and Utsjoki in northern Lapland are known as Fell-Lapland. The bulk and remaining Lapland is known as Forest-Lapland. Lake Inari, the many fens of the region and the Salla-Saariselkä mountains are all part of Forest-Lapland. Fell-Lapland lies in the fells of the Scandinavian Mountains. Where it is not made up of barren ground like blockfields it has a vegetation of birch"
"to Kuopio in Central Finland. The canal begins near Lauritsala, Lappeenranta, Finland () and ends in Vyborg, Russia (), connecting Lake Saimaa and the Vyborg Bay. On the way, it connects Lake Nuijamaa, on the Finnish–Russian border (), and three smaller lakes in Russia. There are three locks in the Finnish part of the canal Other five locks situated on the Russian side of the border: Mälkiä Lock has highest lift (), Tsvetochnoye Lock has the lowest (). The canal crosses The canal, inaugurated in 1856, was built between the cities of Lappeenranta and Vyborg (now part of Russia), both"
"forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Neuendorf-Sachsenbande at below sea level), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Germany shares borders with nine European countries, second only to Russia: Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Switzerland (its only non-EU neighbor) and Austria in the south, France in the southwest and Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the west. Germany is in Western and Central Europe, bordering Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria"
"Estonia–Russia border The Estonia–Russia border is the international border between Republic of Estonia (EU member) and the Russian Federation (CIS member).The border is long. In its present form, it has not changed since 1945, when Estonia became part of the Soviet Union. A small change was to take place in 2014, but this has yet to take effect. Much of the border with Estonia is water, passing through the channel of the Narva River and Lake Peipsi, but in the south there is a land border, parts of which were disputed when Estonia joined the European Union and NATO. The"
"Lake Peipus Lake Peipus (; ; ) is the largest transboundary lake in Europe, lies on the border between Estonia and Russia. The lake is the fifth-largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega (in Russia north of St. Petersburg), Lake Vänern (in Sweden), and Lake Saimaa (in Finland). Lake Peipus represents a remnant of a body of water which existed in this area during an Ice Age. It covers , and has an average depth of , the deepest point being . The lake has several islands and consists of 3 parts: The lake is used for fishing"
"Poland–Russia border The modern Poland–Russia border is a nearly straight-line division between the Republic of Poland (European Union (EU) member) and the Russian Federation (CIS member) exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, a region not connected to the Russian mainland. It is currently long. Its current location and size were decided as part of the aftermath of World War II. In 2004 it became part of the boundary of the European Union and Commonwealth of Independent States. The history of the border between Poland and Russia can be traced to the early history of both nations, with one of the earliest notable"
"use and the controls are no longer allowed by the Schengen agreement. with Germany with the Chech Republic with Slovakia with Lithuania Historically, Poland also had borders (and border crossings) with former countries, or with countries that no longer share a common border with Poland: with Ukraine with Belarus with Russia Borders of Poland The ""'Borders of Poland"" are 3511 or 3582 kilometers long. The neighboring countries are Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and Lithuania and the Russian province of Kaliningrad Oblast to the northeast. To the"
"hydroelectric stations, known as the Paatsjoki River Hydroelectric Plants, are along the river. The river provides good fishing opportunities for Atlantic salmon, although fishermen must ensure that their fishing lines do not cross the international border. Paatsjoki The Paatsjoki River (, , , , , , ""Paz or Patsoyoki"") is a river that flows through Finland, Norway, and Russia. Since 1826, the river has marked parts of the Norway–Russia border, except from 1920 to 1944 when it was along the Finland–Norway border. The river is the outlet from the large Lake Inari in Finland and flows through Norway and Russia"
"""Swine""), an outlet from the Szczecin Lagoon to the Baltic. In the Old Church Slavonic language, the name of the river is ""Vjodr"". The Oder is long: in the Czech Republic, in Poland (including on the border between Germany and Poland) and is the third longest river located within Poland (after the Vistula and Warta), however, second longest river overall taking into account its total length, including parts in neighbouring countries. It drains a basin of , of which are in Poland (89%), in the Czech Republic (6%), and in Germany (5%). Channels connect it to the Havel, Spree, Vistula"