The Baltic countries and their capitals

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: north to south

Estonia is the northernmost, Latvia is in the middle and Lithuania is the southernmost. Say the three names as you move down a north-up map. The initials E–L–L help with the first name; the map helps you keep Latvia and Lithuania in the right order.

The Baltic Sea region is larger

The Baltic countries are not a list of every country with a Baltic Sea coast. Sweden and Finland also face the sea, but neither is part of this three-country group. A question about all the countries around the Baltic Sea would need a longer list.

“Baltic” and “Nordic” also describe different groups. Learn the countries in each before using either label. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania cooperate as the Baltic countries; the wider sea region reaches beyond them.

Add Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius

1. Keep country labels visible and find Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on the Europe map.
2. Hide the labels and identify only these three locations. Use north, middle and south as your initial check.
3. Add the country-capital pairs. Say “Latvia — Riga,” rather than memorizing Riga in an unattached list.
4. Mix the order and test both directions: country to capital, then capital to country on paper.

Try it

• 1. Put Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia into north-to-south order.
• 2. Fill the missing pair: Estonia — Tallinn; Latvia — _____; Lithuania — Vilnius.
• 3. Is Finland part of this three-country Baltic set simply because it has a Baltic Sea coast?
• 4. A prompt asks for the country whose capital is Vilnius. What should you choose?

Check your answers

• 1. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.
• 2. Riga.
• 3. No. Coastal position and membership in this named three-country group are different criteria.
• 4. Lithuania. Vilnius is a city answer to a capital question; Lithuania is the corresponding country answer.

• Locate the Baltic countries in Europe
• Practice country-capital pairs
• Compare the sea task
• Read the Nordic grouping