Ambassador to BBC: Lithuanians think of themselves as a Nordic nation

[Pure ja]

Skaisgirytė is mixing up the notions Northern and Nordic. Whether she did it because of ignorance or was it done knowingly for some agenda or her personal insecurities is, of course, another question.

Most Lithuanians don't consider themselves Nordic as in Scandinavian like most Estonians do. Most Lithuanians do, however, consider themselves Northern.

Nordic does not equate to Scandinavian. If it did, one would just call it Scandinavian.
There is Scandian, Fennoscandian, Baltoscandian, and there is Nordic.

Estonians do not consider themselves scandinavians, estonians consider themselves nordic - while others seem to understand that to mean 'northern'. Estonians make the distinction between northern and nordic, but the latter does not equate with scandinavian. There is a very specific word designation for nordic in estonian and finnish languages: Põhjala / Pohjola. Northern Europe would be 'Põhja-Euroopa', which is not the same as Põhjala.

As to the nordic and Nordic, it is the same as to internet and Internet.
There can be Internet and Internet2, just as there can be Nordic and Nordic2. The meaning of nordic should be more general and hence more stable.

Also, while nordic can exist without a continent designation, northern can not. Northern is always either Northern Europe, Northern Asia or Northern America.

[Pure ja]

I would distinguish countries into maritime and continental, depending on whether their capital is on a seashore, or not. Lithuania and Poland and Germany have inland capitals, thus they do not lean to a maritime culture. Contemporary Latvians are maritime largely thanks to assimilated livonians.

And maritime countries in Europe can be divided into Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic (let's forget about the Black Sea and Caspian Sea countries for a moment).

[Hercus Monte]

Contemporary Latvians are maritime largely thanks to assimilated livonians..

explain. maritime tradition is important for Latvia. (It's also important for Lithuania, but not as much as Latvia.)

[Pure ja]

explain. maritime tradition is important for Latvia. (It's also important for Lithuania, but not as much as Latvia.)

Here I was mostly considering Riia and Üksküla.

[Hercus Monte]

Here I was mostly considering Riia and Üksküla.

what about Riga?

[Pure ja]

what about Riga?

A place of livonian settlement.
Even the crusaders' town / castle was built partly by livonians.

[Citizen]

Clearly, someone has to be really deluded to consider any of the Baltic states Nordic, Scandinavian or even Northern in a political context, as they are geographically in Northern Europe. It clearly is now a definition of certain economic model, development level and geopolitical stance. None of which fits with any of the Baltic states. Economically all Baltic states are more aligned with Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria are closest by GDP per capita and income distribution), poverty is high and economic development is low and income distribution is unequal. Socially in all Baltic republics prejudice against certain ethnic groups and sexual minorities is high, as far as I know in all 3 same sex marridge is illegal while "Nordics" are very liberal.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/201...e_Map_2013.jpg
If you look at foreign policy stance its clear that all 3 republics are in line with rest of Eastern Europe not "Nordic Scandinavia", take a look for example on stance of Iraq war, Eastern Europe was generally in favor of it while a lot of western world and "Nordics" where opposed to it. And this is not about if its right or wrong but the general trend is visible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St...s_Iraq_war.svg

[Turkophagos]

It's almost as pathetic as some balkan slavs thinking of themselves as Macedonians.

[Hercus Monte]

Clearly, someone has to be really deluded to consider any of the Baltic states Nordic, Scandinavian or even Northern in a political context, as they are geographically in Northern Europe. It clearly is now a definition of certain economic model, development level and geopolitical stance. None of which fits with any of the Baltic states. Economically all Baltic states are more aligned with Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria are closest by GDP per capita and income distribution), poverty is high and economic development is low and income distribution is unequal. Socially in all Baltic republics prejudice against certain ethnic groups and sexual minorities is high, as far as I know in all 3 same sex marridge is illegal while "Nordics" are very liberal.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/201...e_Map_2013.jpg
If you look at foreign policy stance its clear that all 3 republics are in line with rest of Eastern Europe not "Nordic Scandinavia", take a look for example on stance of Iraq war, Eastern Europe was generally in favor of it while a lot of western world and "Nordics" where opposed to it. And this is not about if its right or wrong but the general trend is visible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St...s_Iraq_war.svg

completely agree, we're far from Nordic. our internal policies are very similar to russia and foreign policy is the same as most of eastern EU members.

It's almost as pathetic as some balkan slavs thinking of themselves as Macedonians.

that's a little harsh.

[Turkophagos]

that's a little harsh.

You're Baltic people, that's already pretty special, you don't need to group (a.k.a. lick the arse of) with the Vikings or any other European meta-ethnicity.