Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Baltic Provinces

BALTIC PROVINCES, a term which comprehends the three former Russian governments bordering on the Baltic, viz., Courland, Livonia, Esthonia. Since the European War they are independent states. The Baltic provinces once belonged to Sweden, except Courland, which was a dependency of Poland. They came into the possession of Russia partly in the beginning of the 18th century, through the conquests of Peter the Great, partly under Alexander in 1809 They form, however, a borderland between the Germanic and Slavonic areas, and have been a frequent cause of difficulty between Germany and Russia. In 1905, the Letts and Esthonians revolted against the German land owners and Russian Government, when much property was destroyed. Area 35,614 square miles; pop. about 2,750,000.