爱沙尼亚波罗的海 Baltic Sea in Estonia (© fotoman-kharkov/Getty Images)

爱沙尼亚波罗的海 Baltic Sea in Estonia (© fotoman-kharkov/Getty Images)

像湖一样的大海 The sea that acts like a lake

Baltic Sea, Estonia

The Baltic Sea in northeast Europe is a peculiar body of water, possessing the characteristics of seas, lakes, and estuaries. Strictly speaking, it is in fact a sea and thus appropriately named, joined to the Atlantic Ocean through three straits in Denmark: the Oresund, Great Belt, and Little Belt. Technically, the Baltic is classified as a brackish sea, meaning it is not entirely fresh and not entirely saline. The Baltic Sea isn't landlocked, but it does border many countries, including Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—and it's the Estonian coast featured in today's image.

Like a lake, the Baltic is relatively shallow with an average depth of 150 feet. Its salinity is so low it nearly qualifies as freshwater. That's because hundreds of rivers empty into the sea, and more fresh water falls on the sea in the form of rain and snow than evaporates. The Baltic can also be described as a giant estuary, into which flow dozens of rivers. Sailors favor the Baltic because there is very little current and tide to contend with, and even when surface winds pick up, the seas remain relatively calm. Easy to navigate, gateway to so many lands—the Baltic has been integral to trade and commerce, and inevitable conflict, in the region for centuries. It has been known by many names, proof the Baltic is a true meeting place.

波罗的海，爱沙尼亚

欧洲东北部的波罗的海是一个独特的水体，具有海洋、湖泊和河口的特征。严格地说，它实际上是一个海洋，因此得名恰当，通过丹麦的三个海峡与大西洋相连：厄勒孙海峡、大海峡和小海峡。从技术上讲，波罗的海被归类为微咸海，这意味着它不完全是新鲜的，也不完全是咸的。波罗的海不是内陆，但它确实与许多国家接壤，包括俄罗斯、芬兰、瑞典、丹麦、德国、波兰、立陶宛、拉脱维亚和爱沙尼亚。今天的图片中是爱沙尼亚海岸。

波罗的海和湖泊一样，相对较浅，平均深度为150英尺。它的盐度很低，几乎可以称为淡水。这是因为数百条河流流入大海，更多的淡水以雨雪的形式流入大海，而不是蒸发。波罗的海也可以被描述为一个巨大的河口，数十条河流流入其中。水手们喜欢波罗的海，因为那里几乎没有水流和潮汐可供对抗，即使海面风力增强，海洋仍然相对平静。几个世纪以来，波罗的海一直是该地区贸易和商业的组成部分，也是不可避免的冲突。它有许多名字，证明波罗的海是一个真正的聚会场所。