The Baltic countries entered independent statehood in 1918–20 as lands that had been ravaged by warfare. The industrial plant, especially in Latvia, had suffered wholesale destruction or relocation into the Russian interior. Fundamental economic reorganization in the immediate aftermath of independence became a necessity, especially in Estonia and Latvia. The agricultural structure of both countries remained semifeudal, with large estates owned by the German nobility. The industrialization that had occurred had been engendered by an imperial Russian market that no longer existed. Agrarian reform on a major scale occurred in both countries. During the struggles for independence, the governments of Latvia and Estonia had promised distribution of land to landless volunteers. The holdings of the large estates were expropriated and redistributed, and the economic power of the German nobility was thus destroyed. Tens of thousands of the rural proletariat were given land. The expropriated forests became state property and provided an important source of revenue through lumber exports. Some of the industrial enterprises were successfully reoriented to Western exports, but many also folded. New industrial undertakings, however, also appeared.

In Latvia an entirely new electronics industry appeared and developed significantly. Manufacturing of miniature cameras was introduced in Riga. Estonia developed an entirely new industry with the opening of the oil-shale fields.

Economic reorganization was less drastic in Lithuania, which had developed a prosperous independent farming class in tsarist times. Some redistribution of estate land to army volunteers occurred. Lithuania remained an overwhelmingly rural country throughout the interwar period. The authoritarian regime of Smetona sponsored cooperatives to handle the collection and marketing of farm produce. By the late 1930s these cooperatives had emerged as significant economic undertakings. All three countries are significant exporters of foodstuffs to the western European market, particularly to the United Kingdom, with Germany a close second.

 

Country	Estonia	Latvia	Lithuania
Capital	Tallinn	Riga	Vilnius
Independence	-Until 13th century -24 February 1918 -20 August 1991	-Until 13th century -18 November 1918 -21 August 1991	-Until 18th century -16 February 1918 -11 March 1990
Current leaders	Toomas Hendrik Ilves	Valdis Zatlers	Dalia Grybauskaite
Population (2007)	1,340,602 (01/2007)	2,270,700 (12/2007)	3,369,600
Population (2000)	1,376,743	2,375,000	3,490,800
Density	29/km² = 75/sq mi	36/km² = 93/sq mi	52/km² = 134/sq mi
Area	45,227 km² = 17,413 sq mi	64,589 km² = 24,937 sq mi	65,200 km² = 25,173 sq mi
Water area %	4.56%	1.5%	1.35%
GPD (PPP) total	$26.85 billion (2007)	$41.108 billion (2007)	$66 billion (2008)
GPD (PPP) per capita	$21,800	$18,103	$19,730
GPD (nominal) total	$16.410 billion	$20.101 billion	$48.132 billion
GPD (nominal) per capita	$15,310	$8,852	$14,273
Gini Index	34	37.7	36
HDI	0.883	0.866	0.870
Internet TLD	.ee	.lv	.lt
Calling code	+372	+371	+370

The largest cities by population Riga (713,016) Vilnius (544,206) Tallinn (405,867) Kaunas (361,274) Klaipėda (188,954) Šiauliai (125,883) Panevėžys (116,749) Daugavpils (110,265) Tartu (101,740) Liepāja (85,448)

The largest cities by population of ethnic Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians Kaunas (335,624) Vilnius (312,708) Riga (298,466) Tallinn (216,996) Klaipėda (135,557) Šiauliai (120,263) Panevėžys (113,585) Tartu (81,423) Alytus (66,390) Marijampolė (44,555)

 

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