The present booklet, the finał issue in the series Peoples ofthe Baltic, is different from the previous seven booklets. While these provide systematic discussions of subjects important for the Region, the present booklet consists of a collection of articles by specially invited contributors giving his or her analy sis and understanding of the futurę development of the Region. The writers are from several of the countries in the Region, with an emphasis on the eastern part, and they represent a variety of disciplines. (Preface, fragment)