About Estonia

The Republic of Estonia is situated in Northern Europe along the Baltic Sea. Finland lies to the north of Estonia, across the Gulf of Finland. Sweden is the western neighbour across the Baltic Sea. Estonia borders Russia in the east, with St. Petersburg approximately 200 kilometres across the north-eastern border. In the south Estonia borders Latvia.

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.

Estonians have been living in this territory since approximately 2500 B.C., making them among the longest settled of the European peoples. Due to Estonia's strategic location as a link between East and West, it has been conquered numerous times, and under foreign rule for several centuries. After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. The period of independence was brief and Estonia was forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. In 1991, Estonia regained its independence, having managed to break free from the Soviet Union without any acts of violence. Estonia became a member of NATO on 29 March 2004 and joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. As of 21 December 2007, Estonia is a part of the Schengen visa area.

Area: 45,227 square km
Population: 1.340 million; in towns 65%, in rural municipalities 35%
Capital: Tallinn(400,000)
Other Major Cities: Tartu (102,000)
Narva (66,000)
Kohtla-Järve (46,000)
Pärnu (44,000)

General Information

Official name: Republic of Estonia
Head of State: President
Constitution: passed on 28th of June 1992 (4.)
Government: Parliamentary Republic, single chamber Parliament (Riigikogu) of 101 members
Currency: Eesti Kroon (EEK); 1 kroon = 100 cents.
Pegged to Euro under currency board arrangement at rate 1 EUR = 15.6466 EEK
National Day: Independence Day, February 24th
Language: Estonian
Other languages such as English, Russian and Finnish are also widely spoken.
Ethnic groups: 69% of the population is of Estonian ethnicity. The second largest ethnic group is Russian, forming approximately 26% of the population. 2% of the population has Ukrainian roots, and Belarussians and Finns each make up approximately 1% of the population.
Religion: Overall, most Estonians are not religious. There is a tolerance toward all religions and in general religious beliefs do not affect business activities in Estonia. Formally, Estonians are predominantly Lutherans, but religion does not have any considerable impact on daily life. There are small Russian Orthodox, Baptist and other communities across the country.
Major Natural Resources: Timber, oil shale, phosphorite, peat, limestone, dolomite
Estonia is divided into 15 counties, 194 rural municipalities and 33 towns
Time Zone: GMT + 2 hours
Distance from
Tallinn: Helsinki 85 km
Riga 307 km
St Petersburg 395 km
Stockholm 405 km
Vilnius 605 km
Flight times: Helsinki 35 min
Stockholm 1 h
Copenhagen 1 h 30 min
Moscow 1 h 40 min
Amsterdam 2 h 20 min
London 2 h 45 min
Climate: The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterised by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from 20.9° C in summer (usually July is the hottest month) to - 8°C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to 30°C and above in summer or sink below - 23°C in winter, it is very usual at our latitude.

More information about Estonia