[Split from Name Change Thread] Estonia: Nordic with a Twist??

[esaima]

Well, esäimä is a combination from words esä+imä in South-Estonian dialect; esä-father, imä-mother...a meaningful meaninglessness.

[hajduk]

In 1999, Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.[16] In 2003, the foreign ministry also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist."[17] In 2005, Estonia also joined the European Union's Nordic Battle Group. However, Estonia is not considered a Nordic country by the majority of the Nordic populations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_countries

[hajduk]

But if Estonia has no relation to Lithuanians or Latvians - the culture, the language, the people ifself, then Estonia must be considered nordic.

[poiuytrewq0987]

It's not what I believe, it's what we believe. 50 years of Communism wasn't enough to change our beliefs.




Well... I do, as I actually live in Estonia. Have you ever seen me arguing with some Balkan guy about internal Balkan issues? No, because I don't know much about the Balkans. Identically, you shouldn't argue with me.

Merely sharing my opinion on the matter. A Balkan one, that is.

[Äike]

In 1999, Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a speech entitled "Estonia as a Nordic Country" to the Swedish Institute for International Affairs.[16] In 2003, the foreign ministry also hosted an exhibit called "Estonia: Nordic with a Twist."[17] In 2005, Estonia also joined the European Union's Nordic Battle Group. However, Estonia is not considered a Nordic country by the majority of the Nordic populations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_countries

It was one before WW2, before USSR placed Estonia into a totally different geopolitical group.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Baltic Nations or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the European Union: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Between 1918 and 1920 in the aftermath of World War I, following centuries of foreign domination, the Baltic countries were reestablished as independent nations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Countries

[Äike]

Baltic Nations or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the European Union: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Between 1918 and 1920 in the aftermath of World War I, following centuries of foreign domination, the Baltic countries were reestablished as independent nations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Countries

Logically a Baltic country should be a country inhabited by Balts, but Estonians aren't Balts.

Ironically, even Finland was considered a Baltic country(1918), while in reality Finland and Estonia are Nordic. Finland and Estonia both just had gained independence from the Russian Empire at that time.

If USSR wouldn't have occupied Estonia in 1940, then Estonia wouldn't differ from the other Nordic countries in a geopolitical sense.

Geopolitics is a funny thing, if by some miracle Estonia wouldn't have been occupied in 1940 and Finland would have been annexed by the USSR. Then Finland wouldn't be considered as a Nordic country by Nordic countries of Estonia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

[Äike]

But if Estonia has no relation to Lithuanians or Latvians - the culture, the language, the people ifself, then Estonia must be considered nordic.

Exactly.

[The Ripper]

Well, I think the Nordic countries form a cultural, political and geopolitical sphere. Why some countries are considered "Nordic" while others aren't is mostly up to historical and (geo)political circumstance.

Estonia (as well as Latvia, I guess) belong to the same North European "Lutheran continuum", which envelops the Baltic Sea, all of which could with some justification be considered "Nordic".

However, I think this current PR-campaign for a Nordic Estonia has more to do with marketing the country to foreign investors and business than any cultural identity.

Personally I would of course gladly welcome increased co-operation between Estonia & "the Nordic countries".

[Äike]

Well, I think the Nordic countries form a cultural, political and geopolitical sphere. Why some countries are considered "Nordic" while others aren't is mostly up to historical and (geo)political circumstance.

Estonia (as well as Latvia, I guess) belong to the same North European "Lutheran continuum", which envelops the Baltic Sea, all of which could with some justification be considered "Nordic".

However, I think this current PR-campaign for a Nordic Estonia has more to do with marketing the country to foreign investors and business than any cultural identity.

Personally I would of course gladly welcome increased co-operation between EStonia %& "the Nordic countries".

I don't know about Latvia, but Estonia actually was considered Nordic by the other Nordic countries, before WW2.

One of my favorite songs, written in 1936, proves my point. The first 3 words being "Põhjamaa, me sünnimaa/Northern land, our birth land" back then, Estonians thought of themselves as Nordic people, because they were Nordic... Today nothing has changed, Estonians still think that they are Nordic, because it's a fact, but the major difference is that the other Nordic countries think that 50 years of Communistic rule made us "un-Nordic".