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Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Europe.Located in Northern Europe that has also been classified as Central or Eastern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipsi and Russia.
- Economy of Estonia
The economy of Estonia is rated advanced by the World Bank,...
- Irreligion in Estonia
Irreligion in Estonia pertains to atheism, agnosticism, and...
- Geography of Estonia
Between 57.3 and 59.5 latitude and 21.5 and 28.1 longitude,...
- Estonian Declaration of Independence
The tricolour flags of Estonia were displayed during the...
- Estonia (Disambiguation)
Estonia is a country in Northern Europe.. The same country,...
- Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (Estonian SSR),...
- Kuressaare Castle
Kuressaare castle is considered one of the best preserved...
- Estonian Cuisine
Traditional Estonian cuisine has substantially been based on...
- President of Estonia
The president of the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti...
- Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of Estonia is a golden shield which...
- Economy of Estonia
The history of Estonia forms a part of the history of Europe. Humans settled in the region of Estonia near the end of the last glacial era, beginning from around 9000 BC. Before German crusaders invaded in the early 13th century, proto-Estonians of ancient Estonia worshipped spirits of nature. [1]
- Overview
- Land
- Relief and drainage
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Ethnic groups
- Language
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
Estonia, country in northeastern Europe, the northernmost of the three Baltic states. Estonia’s area includes some 1,500 islands and islets; the two largest of these islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, are off mainland Estonia’s west coast.
Estonia has been dominated by foreign powers through much of its history. In 1940 it was forcibly incorporated into the U.S.S.R. as one of its constituent republics. Estonia remained a Soviet republic until 1991, when, along with the other Baltic states, it declared its independence. The Soviet Union recognized independence for Estonia and the other Baltic states on September 6, 1991, and United Nations membership followed shortly thereafter. Estonia set about transforming its government into a parliamentary democracy and reorienting its economy toward market capitalism. It sought integration with greater Europe and in 2004 joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU).
Situated in northeastern Europe, Estonia juts out into the Baltic Sea, which surrounds the country to the north and west. To the east Estonia is bounded by Russia—predominantly by the Narva River and Lakes Peipus (Peipsi; Russian: Chudskoye Ozero), Tyoploye, and Pskov—and to the south it is bounded by Latvia.
The Estonian landscape is largely the product of glacial activity. The south is covered with moraine hills, and the central part of the country abounds in elongated hills with flat tops. Northern Estonia is characterized by long narrow swells consisting of deposits left by glacial rivers that formed during the melting of ice. Extensive sandy areas mark what was once the glacier’s edge. Estonia’s relief is thus generally undulating, with small hills and numerous lakes, rivers, and forests lending a mild and picturesque aspect to the scene, particularly in the south.
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The mean elevation is 164 feet (50 metres) above sea level; only about one-tenth of the territory lies at elevations exceeding 300 feet (90 metres). In the southeast is the Haanja Upland, containing Suur Munamägi (Great Egg Hill), which, at 1,043 feet (318 metres), is the highest point in Estonia.
Estonia abounds in rivers, which flow to the Gulf of Finland, to the Gulf of Riga, and into Lake Peipus. The longest river, the Pärnu, stretches for about 90 miles (145 km); other important rivers are the Pedja, Narva, and Kasari. The country’s largest lake is Peipus, with a surface area of about 1,370 square miles (3,550 square km), which is shared with Russia. Lake Võrts is situated in south-central Estonia.
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The temperate and humid climate of Estonia differs sharply from the climates of regions to the east (in Russia) at the same latitude. The country lies in the path of air masses borne by cyclonic winds that originate in the North Atlantic Ocean and carry warm air in winter and cool air in summer. The northern and western coastal areas tend to be mil...
Mixed forests, with about 90 native species of trees and shrubs, cover almost half of Estonia’s territory. Most widespread are pines, firs, birches, and aspens; less common are oaks, maples, elms, and ashes. Scots pine is the most common native tree. Meadows occupy a large area, as do marshes and swamps, where one-quarter of Estonia’s 1,500 plant species are found.
About 60 species of mammals live in Estonia. The largest of these is the elk; roe deer, red deer, and wild pigs also are found. In the deep forests of the northeast, bears and lynx are encountered. Foxes, badgers, otters, rabbits, hare, and—along the riverbanks—mink and nutria (coypu) are fairly common. Fish (cod, herring, salmon, eel, plaice, and others) are of commercial importance. Birds are numerous and migratory; more than 300 species have been identified, few of which are year-round residents.
Compared with other European countries, Estonia has a large percentage of foreign-born residents and their children. Only about two-thirds of the population are ethnic Estonians. Russians are the most significant minority, comprising about one-fourth of the citizenry. Prominent among other ethnic minorities are Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Finns. T...
Estonian, the official language of the country, is a member of the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family. More than two-thirds of the populace speak Estonian as a first language; about an additional one-fourth speak Russian as their first language (mostly in the northeast), though few Estonians over age 60 or under age 20 speak the langu...
There is no state religion in Estonia, and many of the people are either nonreligious or atheist. The Christian majority includes a large slice of unaffiliated Christians, along with significant Evangelical Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox communities, as well as lesser numbers of Baptists, Methodists, and Roman Catholics.
As in the other Baltic states, Estonia’s population is predominantly urban (more than two-thirds). Ethnic Estonians make up the vast majority of the rural population, while the urban population has a preponderance of non-Estonians. Tallinn and Tartu are the two largest cities, though Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland, is closer to Tallinn than T...
Estonia / isˈtoʊniə / ( listen) ( Estonian: Eesti ), officially the Republic of Estonia ( Estonian: Eesti Vabariik) is a small country in the Baltic Region of Northern Europe. The capital city is Tallinn. Estonia's neighbors are Sweden, Finland, Russia and Latvia. Its population is 1,332,893. [10]
- Estonian
- Estonian
- Russian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Latvian, Finnish, Swedish
History of Estonia, survey of the important events and people in the history of Estonia. One of the three Baltic states (with Latvia and Lithuania) located in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, Estonia had been under foreign rule—notably by Germany, Sweden, and Russia—for much of its existence
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Age structure of Estonia from 1970 to 2010. Data is taken from Statistics Estonia. [4] Age: 0–14. Age: 15–64. Age: 65+. Between 1970 and 1990 the age structure of Estonia was rather stable with around 22% of the population in the age group 0–14 years, 66% between 15 and 65, while 12% were 65 years or older. [4]
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipsi and Russia. The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland, the larger islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, and over 2,300 other islands and ...
