Short answers, pulled from the story.
Adam of Bremen, a German chronicler from the 11th century, was the first person to label this body of water the Baltic Sea. His written records established a name that would eventually cover the entire region surrounding the waters.
The countries with shorelines along the Baltic Sea include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. This broad definition encompasses all nations touching the water rather than just three specific states.
A narrower interpretation restricts the term to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania alone. These three nations form the group known as the Baltic states within political shorthand.
Members of the Euroregion B7 Baltic Islands Network manage islands like Åland, Bornholm, Gotland, Hiiumaa, Öland, Rügen, and Saaremaa. These groups work together on sustainable development strategies for the entire region.
Imperial Russian governorates governed parts of present-day Estonia and Latvia during the 19th century. These territories excluded sections of modern Eastern Latvia that had belonged to Vitebsk Governorate.