1997 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
Results -- Pairs
Table:
Rank

Name[2][4]

Nation

TFP

SP

FS

1

Danielle Hartsell / Steve Hartsell
United States
3.0
4
1

2

Maria Petrova / Teimuraz Pulin
Russia
3.0
2
2

3

Victoria Maxiuta / Vladislav Zhovnirski
Russia
3.5
1
3

4

Sabrina Lefrançois / Nicolas Osseland
France
6.5
5
4

5

Evgenia Filonenko / Igor Marchenko
Ukraine
6.5
3
5

6

Natalie Vlandis / Jered Guzman
United States
9.5
7
6

7

Olena Bilousivska / Stanislav Morozov
Ukraine
10.0
6
7

8

Marsha Poluliaschenko / Andrew Seabrook
United Kingdom
13.5
9
8

9

Alexandra Roger / Vivien Rolland
France
14.0
10
9

10

Marni Wade / Lenny Faustino
Canada
14.0
8
10

11

Alena Maltseva / Oleg Popov
Russia
17.0
12
11

12

Carissa Guild / Andrew Muldoon
United States
18.5
13
12

13

Johanna Otto / Robin Szolkowy
Germany
19.5
11
14

14

Pang Qing / Tong Jian
China
20.0
14
13

15

Irina Mladenova / Stoian Kazakov
Bulgaria
23.5
15
16

16

Irina Galkina / Artem Knyazev
Uzbekistan
24.0
18
15

17

Veronika Ruzkova / Marek Sedelmajer
Czech Republic
25.0
16
17

18

Ekaterina Nekrassova / Valdis Mintals
Estonia
26.5
17
18

Consulting the provided table together with the article excerpts below.

Answer the following question: What is the capital of the country that achieved a rank of 1 at the 1997 World Junior Figure Skating Championships ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

Danielle Hartsell ( born November 21 , 1980 , Ann Arbor , Michigan ) is an American pair skater . With brother Steve Hartsell , she is the 1999 U.S. National Champion and 1997 World Junior Champion . She married Chris Minnis on September 20 , 2003
Steve Hartsell ( born January 6 , 1978 , Ann Arbor , Michigan ) is an American pair skater . With sister Danielle Hartsell , he is the 1999 U.S. National Champion and the 1997 World Junior Champion . After his sister retired , he skated with Marcy Hinzmann and Kristen Roth .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Maria Igorevna Petrova ( Russian : Мария Игоревна Петрова ; born 29 November 1977 ) is a Russian pair skater . With partner Alexei Tikhonov , she is the 2000 World champion and a two-time ( 1999 , 2000 ) European champion
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Viktoriya Oleksandrivna Maksyuta or Victoria Maxiuta ( Ukrainian : Вікторія Олександрівна Максюта ; born 15 November 1981 ) is a former pair skater . Competing with Vladislav Zhovnirski for Russia , she became the 1996 World Junior champion , 1997 Ondrej Nepela Memorial champion , 1998 Skate America bronze medalist , and 1999 Winter Universiade champion . She later represented Russia and Ukraine with Vitali Dubina .
Vladislav Vladimirovich Zhovnirski ( Russian : Владислав Владимирович Жовнирский ; born 12 July 1978 ) is a Russian pair skating coach and former competitor . With Victoria Maxiuta , he is the 1996 World Junior champion , 1997 Ondrej Nepela Memorial champion , 1998 Skate America bronze medalist , and 1999 Winter Universiade champion .
Sabrina Lefrançois ( born 22 November 1980 ) is a French former pair skater . With Nicolas Osseland , she placed fourth at the 1997 World Junior Championships , 12th at the 1997 European Championships , and 17th at the 1998 Winter Olympics . She later competed with Jérôme Blanchard and won the 2004 French national title .
Nicolas Osseland ( born 22 August 1978 ) is a French former pair skater . With Sabrina Lefrançois , he placed fourth at the 1997 World Junior Championships , 12th at the 1997 European Championships , and 17th at the 1998 Winter Olympics . He later competed with Marie-Pierre Leray . Following his retirement from competition , he began coaching in Luxembourg .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Evgenia Filonenko ( Ukrainian : Євгенія Філоненко , born 12 August 1982 ) is a Ukrainian former pair skater . She competed with Igor Marchenko and Aleksandr Chestnikh . With Marchenko , she placed 11th at the 1998 Winter Olympics . They won two medals at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships , a silver in 1996 and a bronze in 1995 . They are the 1998 Ukrainian national champions . After her partnership with Marchenko dissolved , Filonenko paired up with Aleksandr Chestnikh to skate for Georgia . They competed at the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships , placing 16th both times . She is the first cousin of Julia Obertas .
Igor Marchenko ( Ukrainian : Ігор Марченко , born 5 July 1977 ) is a Ukrainian former pair skater . He competed with Evgenia Filonenko . They placed 11th at the 1998 Winter Olympics . They won two medals at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships , a silver in 1996 and a bronze in 1995 . They are the 1998 Ukrainian national champions . He is the brother of Illya Marchenko , a Ukrainian male tennis player .
Ukraine ( Ukrainian : Україна , romanized : Ukrayina , pronounced [ ʊkrɐˈjinɐ ] ( listen ) ) is a country in Eastern Europe . It is bordered by Russia to the north-east ; Belarus to the north ; Poland , Slovakia and Hungary to the west ; and Romania , Moldova , and the Black Sea to the south . Ukraine is currently in a territorial dispute with Russia over the Crimean Peninsula , which Russia annexed in 2014 . Including Crimea , Ukraine has an area of 603,628 km2 ( 233,062 sq mi ) , making it both the largest country entirely within Europe and the 46th largest country in the world . Excluding Crimea , Ukraine has a population of about 42 million , making it the 32nd most populous country in the world . Its capital and largest city is Kiev . Ukrainian is the official language and its alphabet is Cyrillic . The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy . The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC . During the Middle Ages , the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture , with the powerful state of Kievan Rus ' forming the basis of Ukrainian identity . Following its fragmentation in the 13th century , the territory was contested , ruled and divided by a variety of powers , including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , Austria-Hungary , the Ottoman Empire and Russia . A Cossack republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries , but its territory was eventually split between Poland and the Russian Empire .
Jered Guzman ( born September 12 , 1981 in Garden Grove , California ) is an American retired competitive pair skater . From 1992 to 1998 , he teamed with Natalie Vlandis , capturing the gold medal at the 1996 U.S . Junior Championships and finishing fifth at the 1998 U.S . Figure Skating Championships . He then joined forces with Amanda Magarian for several years , with a fourth-place finish for the pair at the 2000 Nationals . After that partnership ended , he briefly skated with Jennifer Don .
Olena Bilousivska ( Ukrainian : Олена Білоусівська ; Russian : Елена Белоусовская : Elena Belousovskaya ; born 7 November 1980 ) is a Ukrainian former pair skater . She began competing with Ihor Maliar in 1993 . They placed ninth at the 1994 European Championships and were selected to represent Ukraine at the 1994 Winter Olympics , finishing 16th in Lillehammer . Bilousivska teamed up with Serhiy Potalov in mid-1994 . The pair placed in the top ten at two European Championships ( 1995 and 1996 ) and the 1996 World Championships in Edmonton . In mid-1996 , Bilousivska formed a partnership with Stanislav Morozov . They placed eighth at the 1997 European Championships and won two international medals - gold at the 1997 Karl Schäfer Memorial and silver at the 1997 Nebelhorn Trophy .
Stanislav Oleksandrovych Morozov ( Ukrainian : Станіслав Олександрович Морозов ; Russian : Станислав Александрович Морозов , born 1 February 1979 ) is a former pair skater who competed for Ukraine and now works as a coach in Russia . With partner Tatiana Volosozhar , he was a four-time ( 2005 , 2007 , 2008 , 2010 ) Ukrainian national champion . They placed 12th at the 2006 Winter Olympics and 8th at the 2010 Winter Olympics , and as high as 4th place at Worlds and Europeans .
Andrew Seabrook ( born 22 June 1978 in Camberley ) is a pair skater who has represented the Great Britain . With partner Marsha Poluliaschenko , he was the gold medalist at the 1998 and 1999 British Figure Skating Championships . In 1998 , they finished 10th at the European Figure Skating Championships and 13th at the World Figure Skating Championships . He later teamed with Tiffany Sfikas and the pair won the 2001 and 2002 British Championships . They also finished 10th at the European Championships in 2002 .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Lenny Faustino ( born May 29 , 1979 ) is a Canadian former pair skater . With Jacinthe Larivière , 2003 Canadian national champion and represented Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games . They were coached by Lee Barkell in Barrie , Ontario . Faustino retired from competition in 2004 . He is a graduate of York University with a Bachelor of Administration Studies , Marketing Honours and also holds a Diploma from Georgian College in Business - Marketing . In 2005 , he married Jennifer Ruppel , with whom he has two children . He lives in Toronto and is a Chartered Life Underwiter ( CLU ) with Trudy Butt & Associates Private Wealth Management .
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 million square kilometres ( 3.85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area . Its southern border with the United States , stretching some 8,891 kilometres ( 5,525 mi ) , is the world 's longest bi-national land border . Canada 's capital is Ottawa , and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto , Montreal , and Vancouver . As a whole , Canada is sparsely populated , with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra . Its population is highly urbanized , with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) of the southern border . Canada 's climate varies widely across its vast area , ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions , with four distinct seasons . Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast . As a consequence of various armed conflicts , France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 . In 1867 , with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation , Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces . This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom .
Andrew Muldoon is an American pair skater . With partner Carissa Guild , he is the 1996 U.S. novice silver medalist . They won the bronze medal at the 1997-1998 ISU Junior Series event in Slovakia and placed 12th at the 1997 World Junior Figure Skating Championships . Muldoon also competed with partners Naomi Grabow and Ingrid Goldberg [ citation needed ] . He skated professionally in Disney on Ice [ citation needed ] , Radio City Music Hall 's Christmas Spectacular [ citation needed ] , and Cold Rhythm [ citation needed ] . Andrew Muldoon is a graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania [ citation needed ] where he became a brother of the Gamma Lambda chapter of Theta Xi fraternity . Now , Muldoon is the cohost of Let 's Tuesday a weekly podcast distributed through Whooshkaa and can be found on both Apple Podcast and Google Play . A review by JonSuss says that If you like It 's Been a Minute , you 'll probably like Let 's Tuesday . Katie and Andrew have a fun conversational flow and the spirit is friendly and uplifting . One reviewer said : I 'm looking forward to their future offerings and meeting new friends through this pod . Also , clean lyrics . In retirement , Muldoon has achieved CFRE status and served as a Senior Director of Development at the University of Rochester Medical Center 's Highland Hospital .
Robin Szolkowy ( born 14 July 1979 ) is a German pair skater . With partner Aliona Savchenko , he is the 2010 and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist , a five-time World champion ( 2008 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , 2014 ) , a four-time European champion ( 2007-2009 , 2011 ) , a four-time Grand Prix Final champion ( 2007 , 2010 , 2011 , 2013 ) , and an eight-time German national champion ( 2004-2009 , 2011 , 2014 ) . Savchenko and Szolkowy scored the first 10.0 ever given by a judge under the ISU Judging System .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Pang Qing ( simplified Chinese : 庞清 ; traditional Chinese : 龐清 ; pinyin : Páng Qīng ; born December 24 , 1979 in Harbin , Heilongjiang ) is a Chinese pair skater . With partner and husband Tong Jian , she is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist , the 2006 and 2010 World Champion , a five-time Four Continents champion ( 2002 , 2004 , 2008 , 2009 & 2011 ) and the 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion .
Tong Jian ( Chinese : 佟健 ; pinyin : Tóng Jiàn ; born August 15 , 1979 in Harbin , Heilongjiang ) is a Chinese pair skater . With partner and wife Pang Qing , he is the 2010 Olympic silver medalist , 2006 & 2010 World Champion , a five-time Four Continents champion ( 2002 , 2004 , 2008 , 2009 & 2011 ) and the 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion .
China ( Chinese : 中国 ; pinyin : Zhōngguó ) , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a country in East Asia and is the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017 . Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers ( 3,700,000 sq mi ) , it is the third largest country by area . [ j ] Governed by the Communist Party of China , the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , [ k ] five autonomous regions , four direct-controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) , and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau . China emerged as one of the world 's first civilizations , in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain . For millennia , China 's political system was based on hereditary monarchies , or dynasties , beginning with the semi-mythical Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE . Since then , China has expanded , fractured , and re-unified numerous times . In the 3rd century BCE , the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire . The succeeding Han dynasty , which ruled from 206 BCE until 220 CE , saw some of the most advanced technology at that time , including papermaking and the compass , along with agricultural and medical improvements . The invention of gunpowder and movable type in the Tang dynasty ( 618-907 ) and Northern Song ( 960-1127 ) completed the Four Great Inventions . Tang culture spread widely in Asia , as the new Silk Route brought traders to as far as Mesopotamia and the Horn of Africa . Dynastic rule ended in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution , when the Republic of China ( ROC ) replaced the Qing dynasty . China , as a whole , was ravaged by feudal warlordism and Japan during World War II .
Bulgaria ( /bʌlˈɡɛəriə , bʊl-/ ( listen ) ; Bulgarian : България , romanized : Balgariya ) , officially the Republic of Bulgaria ( Bulgarian : Република България , romanized : Republika Balgariya , IPA : [ rɛˈpublikɐ bɐɫˈɡarijɐ ] ) , is a country in Southeast Europe . It is bordered by Romania to the north , Serbia and North Macedonia to the west , Greece and Turkey to the south , and the Black Sea to the east . The capital and largest city is Sofia ; other major cities are Plovdiv , Varna and Burgas . With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres ( 42,855 sq mi ) , Bulgaria is Europe 's 16th-largest country . One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture , which dates back to 6,500 BC . In the 6th to 3rd century BC the region was a battleground for Thracians , Persians , Celts and ancient Macedonians ; stability came when the Roman Empire conquered the region in AD 45 . The Eastern Roman , or Byzantine , Empire lost some of these territories to an invading Bulgar horde in the late 7th century . The Bulgars founded the First Bulgarian Empire in AD 681 , which dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script . This state lasted until the early 11th century , when Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it . A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire , which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II ( 1218-1241 ) . After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife , the Second Bulgarian Empire disintegrated in 1396 and its territories fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries . The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 resulted in the formation of the current Third Bulgarian State .
Artem Knyazev ( Russian : Артём Князев ; born 16 May 1980 ) is an Uzbekistani former pair skater . He competed for much of his career with Marina Aganina . They became the 2004-05 Uzbekistani national champions and competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics .
Uzbekistan ( UK : /ʊzˌbɛkɪˈstɑːn , ʌz- , -ˈstæn/ , US : /ʊzˈbɛkɪstæn , -stɑːn/ ; Uzbek : O'zbekiston , Ўзбекистон pronounced [ ozbekiˈstɒn ] ) , officially Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek : O'zbekiston Respublikasi ) , is a country in Central Asia . It is bordered by five landlocked countries : Kazakhstan to the north ; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast ; Tajikistan to the southeast ; Afghanistan to the south ; and Turkmenistan to the southwest . Along with Liechtenstein , it is one of the world 's only two doubly landlocked countries . As a sovereign state , Uzbekistan is a secular , unitary constitutional republic . It comprises 12 provinces and one autonomous republic . The capital and largest city of Uzbekistan is Tashkent . What is now Uzbekistan was in ancient times part of the Iranian-speaking region of Transoxiana and Turan . The first recorded settlers were Eastern Iranian nomads , known as Scythians , who founded kingdoms in Khwarezm ( 8th-6th centuries BC ) , Bactria ( 8th-6th centuries BC ) , Sogdia ( 8th-6th centuries BC ) , Fergana ( 3rd century BC - 6th century AD ) , and Margiana ( 3rd century BC - 6th century AD ) . The area was incorporated into the Iranian Achaemenid Empire and , after a period of Macedonian Greek rule , was ruled by the Iranian Parthian Empire and later by the Sasanian Empire , until the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century . The Muslim conquest in the 7th century converted the majority of the population , including the local ruling classes , into adherents of Islam . During this period , cities such as Samarkand , Khiva and Bukhara began to grow rich from the Silk Road . The local Khwarezmian dynasty , and Central Asia as a whole , were decimated by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .
Ekaterina Nekrassova is an Estonian retired pair skater . With partner Valdis Mintals , she is a multiple Estonian national champion . They competed many times at the World Figure Skating Championships , the European Figure Skating Championships , and the World Junior Figure Skating Championships . That partnership ended in 1998 . Nekrassova works as a coach . Her former students include Maria Sergejeva / Ilja Glebov .
Valdis Mintals ( born 11 December 1979 in Tallinn ) is an Estonian pair skater . With partner Ekaterina Nekrassova , he is a multiple Estonian national champion . They competed at the World , European , and World Junior Championships before ending their partnership in 1998 . From 1998 through 2002 , Mintals competed with Viktoria Shklover . They were the 1998-2002 Estonian national champions . They competed twice at the World Junior Championships , and three times at the World and European Championships . Their highest placement at an ISU Championship was 10th at the 2000 and 2001 European Championships . Early in his career , Mintals competed in single skating . Following his retirement in 2002 from competitive skating , Mintals performed in touring ice shows and ice theater .
Estonia ( Estonian : Eesti [ ˈeːsʲti ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Estonia ( Estonian : Eesti Vabariik ) , is a country on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe . It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland with Finland on the other side , to the west by the Baltic Sea with Sweden on the other side , to the south by Latvia ( 343 km ) , and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia ( 338.6 km ) . The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland and of 2,222 islands in the Baltic Sea , covering a total area of 45,227 km2 ( 17,462 sq mi ) , water 2,839 km2 ( 1,096 sq mi ) , land area 42,388 km2 ( 16,366 sq mi ) , and is influenced by a humid continental climate . The official language of the country , Estonian , is the second-most-spoken Finnic language . The territory of Estonia has been inhabited since at least 9,000 BC . Ancient Estonians became some of the last European pagans to adopt Christianity - following the Livonian Crusade in the 13th century . After centuries of successive rule by Germans , Danes , Swedes , Poles and Russians , a distinct Estonian national identity began to emerge in the 19th and early 20th centuries . This culminated in independence from Russia in 1920 after a brief War of Independence at the end of World War I . Initially democratic prior to the Great Depression , Estonia experienced authoritarian rule from 1934 during the Era of Silence . During World War II ( 1939-1945 ) , Estonia was repeatedly contested and occupied by the Soviet Union and Germany , ultimately being incorporated into the former . After the loss of its de facto independence , Estonia 's de jure state continuity was preserved by diplomatic representatives and the government-in-exile . In 1987 the peaceful Singing Revolution began against Soviet rule , resulting in the restoration of de facto independence on 20 August 1991 .