Baltic Sea
Man-made ship canal connecting the White Sea to Lake Onega, opened 2 August 1933.
via Wikipedia: White Sea–Baltic Canal · see source
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Geophysically, it is surrounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula and the North and Central European Plain regions, and it holds the distinction of being the world’s largest brackish water basin. Stretching from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 10°E to 30°E longitude, it is a shelf sea and marginal sea of the Atlantic with limited water exchange, making it an inland sea. Its waters drain through the Danish Straits—the Øresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt—into the Kattegat. The sea includes the Gulf of Bothnia (subdivided into the Bothnian Bay and Bothnian Sea), the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and the Bay of Gdańsk. The “Baltic Proper” is bordered by Åland and the Gulf of Bothnia to the north, the Gulf of Finland to the northeast, the Gulf of Riga to the east, and the Swedish part of the southern Scandinavian Peninsula to the west. Artificial waterways connect it to the White Sea via the White Sea–Baltic Canal and to the German Bight of the North Sea via the Kiel Canal. The Helsinki Convention defines the Baltic Sea Area as the Baltic Sea and the Entrance to the Baltic Sea, bounded by the parallel of the Skaw in the Skagerrak. Historically, the Kingdom of Denmark collected Sound Dues from ships at the border between the ocean and the Baltic, at Kronborg castle near Helsingør in the Øresund, at Nyborg in the Great Belt, and at Fredericia in the Little Belt. Geographers widely agree that the preferred physical border between the Baltic and North Seas is the Langelandsbælt and the Drogden-Sill strait; by this definition, the Bay of Mecklenburg and the Bay of Kiel are parts of the Baltic Sea. Another usual border is the line between Falsterbo, Sweden, and Stevns Klint, Denmark. The shallow Drogden Sill (depth of 7 m) and Darss Sill (depth of 18 m) limit the flow of heavy salt water from the Kattegat into the basins around Bornholm and Gotland. The Kattegat and southwestern Baltic are well oxygenated and rich in biology, while the remainder is brackish, poor in oxygen, and in species. The name’s origin is unknown; Tacitus called it the Suebic Sea, and Adam of Bremen first named it the Baltic Sea, possibly from the Germanic word “belt” or Latin “balteus” (belt), or from a legendary island named Baltia mentioned by Pliny the
- type
- Man-made ship canal
- length
- 227 km (141 mi)
- opening_date
- 2 August 1933
- minimum_depth
- 3.5 m (11.5 ft)
- minimum_lock_dimensions
- 14.3 m (47 ft) wide by 135 m (443 ft) long
- navigable_channel_width
- 36 m (118 ft)
- speed_limit
- 8 km/h (4.3 kn; 5.0 mph)
- navigation_season
- 20 May to 15–30 October (148–163 days per year)
Lore & Background
The canal was constructed by forced labor of gulag inmates. Beginning and ending with a labor force of 126,000, between 12,000 and 25,000 laborers died according to official records, while Anne Applebaum's estimate is 25,000 deaths. The canal was the first major project constructed in the Soviet Union using forced labor. Belbaltlag, the Directorate of the BBK Camps, managed the construction, supplying a workforce of an estimated 100,000 convicts, at the cost of huge casualties. Although prison labor camps were usually kept secret, the White Sea Canal was a propaganda showcase of convicts 'reforging' themselves in useful labor (Soviet concept of perekovka, reforging or rehabilitation). Marshall Berman states that 'The canal was a triumph of publicity; but if half the care that went into the public relations campaign had been devoted to the work itself, there would have been far fewer victims and far more development.'
Reader's Guide
The total length of the waterway is 227 km (141 mi), of which 48 km (30 mi) are man-made. The current flows north from Lake Onega to the White Sea, and all navigation marks are set according to it. Once in Lake Onega, ships can exit the southwest shore through the Svir River (and its two locks) to reach Lake Ladoga and then proceed down the Neva River to Saint Petersburg and the Baltic Sea. Alternatively, from Lake Onega river ships can sail eastward into the Volga–Baltic Waterway. The canal begins near Povenets settlement in Povenets bay of Lake Onega. After Povenets there are seven locks close together, forming the 'Stairs of Povenets'. These locks are the southern slope of the canal. The canal summit pond at 103 m elevation is 22 km (14 mi) long between locks 7 & 8. The northern slope has twelve locks numbered 8–19. Minimum lock dimensions are 14.3 m (47 ft) wide by 135 m (443 ft) long. The navigable channel is 36 m (118 ft) wide and 3.5 m (11.5 ft) deep, with a radius of curvature of 500 m (1,640 ft). Speed is limited to 8 km/h (4.3 kn; 5.0 mph) in all artificial portions. In conditions of low visibility (less than one km) navigation is halted. For the navigation seasons of 2008 to 2010, the canal locks were scheduled to operate from 20 May to 15–30 October, giving 148–163 navigation days per year.
Did You Know?
- Until 1961, the canal was called the Stalin White Sea–Baltic Canal.
- The canal was constructed by forced labor of gulag inmates, with official records showing between 12,000 and 25,000 deaths.
- The canal's summit pond is at 103 m elevation, 22 km (14 mi) long between locks 7 and 8.
- The workforce was organized into brigades of 25–30, which made up phalanges of 250–300.
- After construction, 12,484 prisoners were freed as reward, and 59,516 prison terms were shortened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Baltic Sea?
Baltic Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean tucked entirely within Europe, hemmed in by nine nations from Denmark through Russia. It holds the record as the planet's largest body of brackish water, spanning roughly 53°N to 66°N latitude and 10°E to 30°E longitude.
What are Baltic Sea's powers and role?
Its defining role is acting as a semi-enclosed inland sea that bridges the North Sea to the Arctic through a web of straits and engineered waterways. Ocean water flows in primarily via the Øresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt, while the Kiel Canal and White Sea–Baltic Canal add artificial shortcuts for shipping.
How does Baltic Sea's story end?
Its northernmost reach tapers into the Gulf of Bothnia, pressing up to about 66°N along the Finnish and Swedish shorelines. Past that point the waterway dissolves into open Arctic seas, marking the outer limit of its brackish domain.
Why is Baltic Sea important?
As the world's largest brackish basin, it sustains ecosystems unlike either pure freshwater or full-salinity marine systems. It also serves as a vital maritime corridor for the trade and navigation of all nine bordering countries.
What are Baltic Sea's key allies and connections?
Its most critical links are the three Danish Straits—Øresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt—which form the main gateway to the North Sea. Its four major gulfs (Bothnia, Finland, Riga, and the Bay of Gdańsk) anchor the coastlines of its neighboring states, while the Kiel and White Sea–Baltic Canals provide additional artificial passages.
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