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Estonian Official State Web Center
Geography
Area: 45 227 km² (the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920 defined 47 549 km²)
Coastline: 3794 km
Borders: 633 km total, 339 km with Latvia and 294 km with the Russian Federation
Distance from Tallinn to Helsinki: 85km; to Riga: 307km; to St.Petersburg: 395km; to Stockholm: 405km
Estonia in Europe
Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy
Head of State: President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Head of Government: Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
Legislature: unicameral Riigikogu
High court: Supreme Court
Suffrage: Universal for citizens who have attained 18 years of age for national elections. All legal residents, regardless of citizenship, who have attained 18 years of age can vote in local elections
Administrative regions: 15 counties
Estonia welcomes you!
A MODERN FAIRYTALE
Estonia is situated in Northern Europe, on the coast of the Baltic Sea, neighbouring Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Russia. It is a country with 1.4 million people, which attracts more than 3 million visitors annually. A location at the crossroads of various cultures has given Estonia its many advantages, both economic and cultural. On the heels of an extraordinary decade of transformation and growth, Estonia today has established itself as an open and liberal "happening country", known as E-Estonia, or the Tiger of the Baltic Sea. In addition, Estonia is famous for its musical heritage, modern dance and brilliant animated cartoons. Estonia's allure has captured the attention of numerous visitors and it is becoming known as a splendid holiday and health resort destination. Modern seaports and convenient air services make it simple to visit Estonia. Moreover, visas are not required for the citizens of most countries. Being understood is rarely a problem in Estonia, as you can easily get by with any number of languages, foremost being English, Russian or German. Come and discover Estonia yourself!
Summer and Winter Estonians
Estonia is, in effect, two entirely different countries - summer Estonia and winter Estonia. Perhaps inside every Estonian, every citizen of a northern country, there are two different people - a summer one and a winter one. In October, the whole of the country plunges into a dank darkness which penetrates to the bone and does not begin to recede till March. In November and December, all hope of light disappears. At midday there is a short period of daylight, but by three o'clock in the afternoon night is once again beginning to draw in.
In summer, things are quite the opposite. From March onwards, daylight increases right up until June when night is almost banished. Dusk slips over into dawn. This descent from light into darkness and the rise back into light continues incessantly. This has no doubt influenced the Estonian language, way of thinking and, through that history, much more than any other factor. Estonia differs both from Scandinavia and other Baltic countries in that its geographic location means that from the end of April until halfway through August, its territory lies in what is termed a zone of astronomical twilight. No more than a couple of hundred kilometres in breadth, this zone is quite unique in the world as a whole. In practice this means that after sunset it is no longer light, but neither does it become completely dark immediately. This phenomenon is unknown outside the zone of astronomical twilight. It must therefore affect the Estonian spirit in a way that it cannot for those who do not know twilight. It is possible that the basic characteristics of the nation come from the constant oscillation between light and darkness in the surrounding landscape. One interesting phenomenon is that Estonians are held together more by language and geographical location than by blood. History books confirm that through Estonian veins flows the blood of nearly all the peoples of Europe, since Estonia has known wars, famine and plagues and therefore has relatively frequently lost a large proportion of its population, leaving the country empty for invading peoples, Swedes and Danes, Finns and Germans, Dutch and Scots, Russians and Poles, all of whose descendants constitute the Estonians of today. For this reason, Estonians can look quite varied and there is no dominant colour of eye or hair, shape of head or face. Some have brown eyes, others blue, grey or green, hair can be blond or dark.
Estonians can be slow and aloof or fiery and impatient. Nevertheless, Estonians have several striking and uniting qualities. The first of these is nostalgia. This is a constant theme of Estonian poetry and folk song, literature and journalism. It is possible that the huge upheavals of the 20th century - the Siberian labour camps and German refugee camps have increased the strength of the this feeling. But the roots of this go deeper to the time when the Scottish soldier, the Danish sailor and the Swedish settler ended up in the foreign soil of the far North and who in the twilght of Estonia longed for his distant home. Another quality which unites Estonians is a reverence for science and technology. An Estonian wants everything scientifically confirmed, otherwise he cannot believe in it. On the one hand, Estonians tend to rapidly take on board every innovation, on the other, they find it almost impossible to promote things new and untried until their worth has been scientifically proven. In general, in every Estonian there is a battle between conservatism and a sense of adventure. As with the landscapes of winter and summer. Sometimes one wins, sometimes the other. The third characteristic of Estonians is a sense of humour, of mockery, irony and self-irony. Estonian humour is blacker than that of the English, and is mostly gallows humour. Behind the brave facade of Estonian irony lurks eternal nostalgia and a tender heart. For generation upon generation, Estonians have learnt to be fighting fit, even in the most hopeless of circumstances. And it is, incidentally, hope which unites Estonians. They hope to return home, even though home may mean different things to different Estonians.
Nature
A sea climate with surface vegetation held in check The Estonian climate resembles that of other countries on the Baltic littoral. On account of the country's proximity to the sea, the skies are often cloudy, and rain often falls in the spring and autumn, in the winter the rain turns to snow. The sea improves the climate; in the spring and summer cool breezes waft in from the sea, so that the average temperature in July is 17 degrees Celsius. It is not unusual, however, that the temperature rises to 30 degrees in summers. In the autumn and winter, the sea releases the heat it has soaked up during the summer so that the average temperature is around -5 degrees Celsius.The highest point in Estonia is Suur Munamägi (Great Egg Hill), whose tip is 318 metres above sea level. Estonians are proud of this highest point and the pride is justified - Suur Munamägi is in fact the highest point in the Baltic region. The most dramatic geological features near the sea are the limestone cliffs on the Gulf of Finland, which plunge sheer 50 metres into the sea. Nowhere else on the shores of the Baltic can such terraced powerful limestone cliffs be found. Limestone is the national stone.
Forests, meadows, lakes and bogs
Forest cover over one half of Estonia. The most common types of tree are pine, spruce and birch. The forests are rich in game. There are some 11 700 elk, 50 000 roe deer, 17 000 wild boar, 17 000 beavers, 800 lynxes, 600 bears and 100 wolves. Estonia, along with Finland and Sweden are the countries with the greatest percentage of forested land. Forest management and wood production are particularly important for the Estonian economy. One third of Estonian forests are protected areas. In these protected forests you can come across types of primeval forest cover, which have long ago disappeared from other parts of Europe. Examples of such primeval forests are the Järvselja forest in Tartumaa County and Poruni in Ida- Virumaa County. Meadows in Estonia are rich in different species much more so than in Western Europe. In the summer, tourists travelling around the countryside can discover the variety and colour of the roadside meadows. The type of meadow richest in species is the wooded meadow. In one wooded meadow in Vahenurme in Pärnumaa county one can find 74 different species of flora per square metre. Such a density of botanic life is rare in Europe. Centuries ago, there were many such wooded meadows in, among other places, southern Finland, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. Nowadays, such meadows can only be found in Estonia. Estonia is a country of thousand of lakes. In the Estonian territory there are about 1200 natural lakes whose water area exceeds 1 ha. The largest of these is Lake Peipsi, which is the fourth largest freshwater lake in Europe. Most of Estonia's lakes are small and are found in the south of the country. Larger lakes such as Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv are rich in fish. One can find rare species of fish such as the lake whitefish and the Peipsi smelt in Lake Peipsi. Võrtsjärv is famous for its catches of pike-perch and eel, which are regarded as a delicacy. There are also many rivers in Estonia, but only ten of them are longer than 100 kilometres. The most important rivers are the Pärnu River and the Emajõgi River.About one fifth of Estonia is covered with marshes and bogs. Most of these are located in the central and eastern parts of the country. The best place to visit marshes is in the Soomaa National Park in Western Estonia. Soomaa means "Bogland" in Estonian and impressive bogs cover the majority of the park with the thickness of the peat layer reaching up to 7 metres in some places.
Islands
Estonia has more than 1 500 islands. The largest of these is Saaremaa, which is about 2 900 square kilometres in size. Saaremaa is followed in size by Hiiumaa, Muhu and Vormsi. The islands and the coastal areas of the mainland are interesting owing to the fact that they are on the migratory route for waterfowl. Twice a year - in the spring and autumn - several hundreds of thousands of birds are visitors in Estonia. The barnacle goose, the swan, the eider plus many more are protected species.The mild sea climate and the rather level landscape of the island, makes Saaremaa an area abundant in flora and fauna. Rare and beautiful species of orchids can be found in many places, and a large number of rare animals including seals live there.
Estonian modern culture
Estonia situated between Eastern and Western Europe is also culturally a border area, to be more exact a crossing point. In the traditions of these parts, one can find elements originating from the East, as well as the West, but even more the Estonians have considered themselves as northern people and conceptually bound to Scandinavia. Marginal and border cultures are where one can find interesting phenomena and combinations. In this regard, Estonia happens to be a country of a dozen possibilities. Estonian modern culture, in spite of its size, includes a great number of different facets, for which it is often difficult to find common denominators.
Culture
Estonian culture is that of a nation of a little more than one million people. Along with the language, this culture is the main vehicle for Estonian identity, hence the respect which Estonians feel for it. The most striking example of the culture of ancient Estonians is their regivärss, i.e. rhythmic verse, as well as their aural tradition of folk song where each line is repeated several times with variations on a theme. Nowadays, such ancient culture is rarely encountered, exceptions being the island of Kihnu and the Setu border region, but such culture is nonetheless preserved and research is carried out on it. Estonians have one of the biggest collections of folk songs in the world, with written records of about 133,000 folk songs. In the early 13th century, the Teutonic Order sent their crusaders here. The knights were followed up by priests. What remains of that epoch are mainly small country churches with tarred spires, situated near the coast. The German colonists made their mark on Estonian spiritual, material and everyday culture. By way of this culture, Estonia entered the mainstream of the Occident. The Germans, who lived in manor houses and towns, did not mix with the indigenous population and for several centuries, Estonian and German culture developed in parallel. Over time, the Germans developed their own brand of specifically Baltic German sub-culture. Through the centuries, Estonia has also been under the tutelage of Denmark and Sweden. The latter nation built the city of Tallinn on the spot once occupied by an Estonian stronghold. Northern Europeans can feel at home with the Gothic architecture of this structure which has been well preserved. Sweden founded the University of Tartu in 1632, which incidentally is four years older than Harvard. Russian cultural influence has been relatively small, barring a couple of waves of Russification by the authorities. The breakthrough for the Estonian people came simultaneously with that of their cousins the Finns in the mid-19th century.
Estonia even has the tune of its national anthem in common with that of Finland, and the national epics of the two countries exhibit common features. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Catholicism vied with Protestantism, the latter winning the ultimate victory. This has led to the focus of Estonians on a literary culture and the written word. A writer would not merely be the author of books, but also a spiritual leader for his people. Culture has thus been a tool of political struggle, since direct manifestations of the political will of the common people were prohibited. Estonia’s greatest writers are Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Eduard Vilde, Marie Under, Betti Alver, Friedebert Tuglas and Karl Ristikivi. The Estonian author most well known throughout the world is Jaan Kross. The most popular contemporary authors are Jaan Kaplinski, Andrus Kivirähk and Tõnu Õnnepalu. During the 1860s, the national movement began to make its presence felt in the first newspapers written in Estonian, and theatrical and musical associations sprang up throughout the country. Cultural activity was also brought to the towns. National song festivals were organised, a tradition which survives to this day. Every fifth year, tens of thousands of singers from all over the land come to sing for countless listeners. In 1944, a large number of Estonians fled to the West. During the first few decades following the Second World War, a great deal of valuable Estonian culture ended up being in exile. Back home, most cultural people practiced what could be termed silent opposition. Cultural development was relatively separate from the powers that be. During the period under Russian tutelage, the Baltic states, i.e. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were regarded as the “Soviet West”, since it was there that Western culture trickled through the Iron Curtain. Since the mid-1960s, half of Estonia was able to watch Finnish television. Poetry became important then, during the 1970s, theatre and in the 1980s architecture and fine art were given central stage. Since Estonia regained independence, Estonian cultural life has evolved rapidly, largely in a similar way to that of the rest of Europe. The new media and virtual art have made their breakthrough. Our ticket to the outside world is, however, music, on account of the lack of language barriers. World-famous conductors include Neeme Järvi and Tõnu Kaljuste, while composers Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis and Erkki-Sven Tüür are well known abroad. At an institutional level, there are many private initiatives such as small theatres, dance groups and especially publishing houses. Estonians like theatre and go to see a play at least twice a year. A large number of cultural institutions such as theatres, museums and libraries are financed by the state, as are cultural periodicals, whose editions are very large, given the size of the population. Cultural efforts are supported financially by the Kultuurkapital fund, which derives its revenue from duty on the sale of alcohol and on gambling. As well as society as a whole, generations have changed since the early 1990s and this evolution has not always been painless. The aims of society have changed. The task now facing us is to ward off globalisation and guard against the whims of market forces so as to keep our own national culture retain our specific cultural features even as a Member State of the European Union.
Come and see: Beautiful Estonia!
If you have not made up your holiday plans yet, come to Estonia. This small country welcomes you with unspoilt nature, rich traditions and history as well as modern entertainment facilities. Estonia is a diverse country that ought to suit the taste of even the most pretentious visitor. There are ancient defensive walls, medieval fortresses and cobbled streets coupled with leafy parks, romantic coasts, deep forests, sandy beaches, wooden windmills, modern hotels, luxury restaurants and tourist farms. The four seasons are distinct in Estonia and provide an environment for plenty of activities. Winters are usually snowy and provide good conditions for ski holidays. Spring and autumn are perfect seasons for nature-loving people, blooming May and colourful September are especially enjoyable. Estonian summers allure visitors with their warm lakes and white nights.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ESTONIA
Estonia's area of 45 227 km2 is similar to that of the Netherlands, but the population (1.4 million) is ten times smaller.
The length of the longest day in summer is over 19 hours, while the shortest winter day lasts only six hours. It is not completely dark at night from the beginning of May until the end of July.
Estonia has more than 1 500 islands, 1 000 lakes (5 per cent of the Estonian territory), 7 000 rivers and streams. Bogs and wooded swamplands of different types cover over one fifth of the country.
Estonia is a sea country - the length of coastline (3,800 km) is about 6 times longer than the mainland borders
Estonia is very rich in forests - various kinds of forests cover almost half of Estonia's territory. Elk, wild boar, bear and lynx are amongst Estonia's common large mammals. About 10 per cent of Estonia is a nature reserve.
The average temperature of the coldest month, February, is –3.5° to – 7 °C and may sink to -20°C, that of the warmest, July, being 16 to 20°C and may rise to +30°C.
SOME TIPS
A number of people in Estonia speak English, but also Finnish, German, and Russian, so do not be afraid to ask for directions or help in a foreign language.
Estonians value their language and culture. They are always very delighted when foreigners know something about it as well.
When being introduced to people, handshaking is customary and giving flowers is always welcome, especially when visiting somebody.
Although at first glance people may seem reserved and not talkative at all, they are actually very friendly and have a favourable opinion of tourists. The reserve and shyness will melt away once you try and talk to the people.
No vaccinations or health certificates are required upon entering Estonia, though health insurance is advisable.
Credit cards are widely accepted in shops, restaurants and hotels; traveller's checks are not, but banks cash them.
Most shops are open between 09.00 and 19.00 on weekdays and shorter at the weekends. Most supermarkets are open until 23.00.
You can also find some shops, which are open 24 hours.
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