Baltic and Poland

This city is the administrative center of region whose Yantarny mines contains 8percent of the world’s amber reserves. Before its final disappearance, the lost Amber Room was brought to this city by the Nazis. This city was formed around the old fort of Twangste [t’vahngst]. Like Wittenburg, this city is home to a Schlosskirche [shloss keer kuh], or “Castle Church,” where it hosted the self-coronation of (*) Wilhelm I in 1861. This city is the home base for the Russian Baltic Fleet. For the points, name this former capital of East Prussia that is now a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania.

What is the capital city of Lithuania, known for its charming Old Town and historic architecture? It is home to many museums and cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Lithuania and the Vilnius Picture Gallery. Additionally, the city is known for its vibrant nightlife and its reputation as a cultural hub for the region.

A sand dune-spit separates this body of water from the Curonian Lagoon. The Neman River flows into this body of water, which is connected to the Little Belt and the Great Belt. The Kattegat is located north of the western end of sea, where the Aland Islands can be found south of the Gulf of Bothnia. Tallinn and Riga are capitals that lie along arms of, For the point, what sea whose namesake states include Latvia and Lithuania?

This body of water's port of Kronstadt is on Kotlin Island. The eastern end of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline enters this body of water near the city of Vyborg, which is connected to Lake Saimaa by canal. The Hanko Peninsula defines the northwestern end of this body of water, while its eastern border includes the Karelian Isthmus, which separates it from Lake Ladoga. The Neva River empties into, for the point, what arm of the Baltic Sea whose ports include Tallinn, St. Petersburg, and Helsinki?

The region surrounding this sea passage is home to several cities and towns, including Helsinki, Turku, and Oulu. It is approximately 725 kilometers (450 miles) long and 150 kilometers (93 miles) wide. For the point, what sea passage, located between Sweden and Finland, connects to the Baltic Sea and is known for its shallow depth and tendency to freeze over in the winter months?

What is the name of the second-largest city in Estonia, located in the southeastern part of the country? It is home to Estonia's oldest and most prestigious namesake university, which was founded in 1632. Additionally, the city has a rich cultural history and is known for its charming Old Town, which is filled with historic buildings, museums, and cultural institutions.

A group of about two dozen granite statues in this city are known as the “Old Prussian Hags.” In 2019, the mayor of this city was stabbed to death at an event for the Great Orchestra of Christmas. This city’s “Golden (+) Gate” and “Long Market” is on its “Royal Route,” which originated when it belonged to the Hanseatic League. One of the first skirmishes of World War II took place at a post office in this city, also the site of the (*) Lenin shipyard. The resort city of Sopot and the port of Gdynia [guh-din-yuh] are north of this city, which names a gulf separated from Kaliningrad by the Vistula Spit. For the points, name this Polish city on an arm of the Baltic Sea.

Lake Saint Anne is nestled in this mountain range, and that body of water located near the settlement of Mohos is the only crater lake within its nation. A people who share a name with this range were originally mass deported to Pannonia by the Roman military on the order of Constantine the Great. This range’s highest peak is Gerlach, and it includes the sub-range of the Tatras, which cover Slovakia and Poland. For the point, name this European mountain range that covers half of Romania.

A lagoon shared between Klaipėda County and Kaliningrad is named for this historical region, whose northernmost tip is occupied by Livonians south of Saaremaa [[sah-REH-mah]] Island. A pocket of Nazi forces in the Reichskommissariat [[RIKES-koh-meh-SEHR-yat]] Ostland was named for this region, and it was the site of a Duchy named for it and Semigallia. For the points, name this region in western Latvia, which forms a peninsula enclosing the Gulf of Riga.

What is the name of the third-largest city in Poland, located in the center of the country? It was once a major center of the textile industry and is known for its industrial architecture and urban landscape. Additionally, the city is home to several museums and cultural institutions, including the Museum of Art and the Museum of Cinematography.