Estonia topic (0)

Estonia
Topic
Tallinn 2007
List of Contents
page
Facts and figures 3
Geography 3
Climate 3
Nature 4
History 5
Economy 6
Culture 6
Biggest towns 7
Language 8
Facts and figures
The Republic of Estonia is a small country . Covering only 45, 228 sq km it is slightly bigger than Denmark, Belgium or Switzerland. Estonia’s population is under 1.4 million. The official language is Estonian but since very many Russians live here Russian is also wide spread .
The capital of Estonia is Tallinn. The currency used in Estonia is Eesti kroon.
The Estonian national flag is blue - black -white. It was originally the flag of the Estonian Students ’ Society. The flag was first consecrated in Otepää Church in 1884. For a while , during the Soviet occupation , the flag was banned but it was again seen in public in Tartu in May 1988.
The national flower is cornflower, the national bird is barn swallow and the national stone is limestone .
The Estonian national anthem called “My Native Land , My Pride and Joy” was composed in 1848 by Friedrich Pacius. The Estonian language words were written by J. V. Jannsen . It was officially adopted after the War of Independence in 1920.The same melody with different words is also Finland ’s national anthem.
The current coat of arms of Estonia is a golden shield which includes three slim, blue leopards (or lions) in the middle , with oak branches along the side of the shield. It originates from Denmark. It was officially adopted in 1925.
Geography
Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic States . It is located on the northern hemisphere on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea in the north - east of Europe . It has land contact with Russia from the east and Latvia from the south . In the north The Gulf of Finland separates Estonia from Finland. The Gulf of Riga is situated to the south- west .
Estonia has more than 1500 islands . The biggest ones are located to the west. The four biggest islands are Saaremaa, Hiiumaa , Vormsi and Muhu .
The highest point in Estonia and also in the Baltic region is Suur Munamägi. It is 318. above sea level.
Estonia is a country of a thousand lakes . The Largest one is Lake Peipsi which is also the fourth biggest freshwater lake in Europe. Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv are rich in fish .
Estonia has many rivers but only nine of them are longer than 100km . The most important ones are Pärnu River and Emajõgi River
Climate
Estonia lies in the northern part of the temperate climate zone and in the transition zone between maritime and continental climate. Because Estonia is continuously warmed by the Gulf Stream it has a milder climate despite its northern latitude. Northern latitude means long summer daylight hours (the longest summer day stretches to 19 hours), and dark winters when daylight lasts sometimes only six hours.
Being on the Baltic Sea the country is subjected to sea breezes and humidity.
Estonia has a temperate climate, with four seasons of near -equal length . Summer is warm , while spring and autumn can be mild . Winter , which lasts from November to middel March , can be very cold . The cold winter does not necessarily mean constant snow; in fact snowfalls are few and far between. When it falls it stays though, and there tends to be a layer of snow on the ground constantly. The deepest snow cover is usually in the south-eastern part of Estonia.
Temperatures range from a summer average of 30°C to an average in winter of -8°C.The coldest month is considered to be February and the hottest July .
There are about 160 to 181 rainy days a year . Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with the heaviest rainfall in August.
Nature
Waterbodies
Estonia is a country of thousands of lakes. There are about 1450 natural and man-made lakes in Estonia. The two largest of them are Lake Peipsi (the fifth largest in Europe; 3 555 sq km, shared with Russia) and Võrtsjärv (270 sq. km). Of all the other lakes, only 45 have an area of more than 100 ha. Lake Peipsi and Lake Võrtsjärv are rich in fish. In Lake Peipsi you can find rare species of fish such as the lake whitefish and the Peipsi smelt. Võrtsjärv is famous for its catches of pike- perch and eel, which are regarded as a delicacy.
Estonia has more than 7 000 rivers, streams and drainage ditches. Only nine are over 100 km in length. The longest, at 162 km, is the Võhandu River in the southeast, followed by the Pärnu, Põltsamaa and Pedja rivers.  
Forests
Forest covers around one half of Estonia. The most common types of tree are pine , spruce and birch . The forests are rich in game . The forests contain elk, roe deer, wild boar, beavers, lynxes, bears and wolves. Estonia, along with Finland and Sweden are the countries with the greatest percentage of forest. Forest management and wood production are particularly important for the Estonian economy.
Meadows
Meadows in Estonia are much richer in different species than western Europe, and in summer foreign tourists travelling around the countryside can discover for themselves the variety and colour of the roadside meadows. The type of meadow richest in species is the wooded meadow.
Marshes and bogs
About one fifth of Estonia is covered with marshes and bogs, and most of these are to be found in the central and eastern parts of the country. The best place to see marshes is in the Soomaa National Park in Western Estonia. Soomaa indeed 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 .
At least 10 per cent of the Estonian territory is subject to the environment protection . The most important protection areas are resting and recreation areas for migratory birds . Mainly seashore wetlands and chaste woodland and wetland areas. The preservation of traditional cultural landscapes is important as well.
History

To the Nineteenth Century
The Estonians settled in their present territory before the Christian era. They were mentioned by Tacitus 1st century A.D., who called them Aesti . In the 13th cent. the Danes and the German order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword formed an alliance to conquer the pagan Estonian tribes . The Danes founded Reval (now Tallinn) in 1219 and introduced Christianity and Western European culture to Estonia. While Denmark took the northern part of Estonia, the knights occupied the southern portion. In 1346 the Danes sold their territory to the order, and Estonia remained under the rule of the knights and the Hanseatic merchants until the order's dissolution in 1561.
Northern Estonia was then passed to Sweden, the rest was briefly held by Poland but was transferred to the Swedes by the Treaty of Altmark in1629. It ended the first Polish- Swedish war. German nobles—the Baltic barons— kept their sway over the Estonian peasantry until the eve of the 1917 Russian Revolution .
Industrialization proceeded during the 19th century. The republic became heavily interlaced with railroads, and the port of Tallinn grew in importance . Russification took place and it caused rebellion and considerable emigration mostly to the United States and Canada .

The Twentieth Century
Estonian proclamation of independence in February 1918 was followed shortly by German occupation. After Germany surrendered to the Allies in November 1918, Estonia declared itself an independent democratic republic and repulsed the invading Red Army .
In 1920, by the Peace of Tartu, Soviet Russia recognized Estonia's independence. Political parties were abolished in 1934, and President Konstantin Päts instituted an authoritarian regime (režiim). A more democratic constitution came into force in 1938; but the Nazi -Soviet Pact of August 1939, placed the Baltic countries under Soviet control .Complete Soviet military occupation came in June 1940. Following elections in July, Estonia was incorporated into the USSR as a constituent republic. Over 60,000 persons were killed or deported during the occupation's first year. Estonian irregulars fought Soviet troops in June 1941 as part of the German invasion, and their support of the Nazis continued through 1944. Occupied by German troops during much of World War II, Estonia was retaken by Soviet forces in 1944, who killed or deported thousands of Estonians. Collectivization of agriculture and nationalization of industry began in the late 1940s.
In 1991, during the attempted hard -line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Estonia declared its independence from the USSR. In June 1992, Estonia replaced the ruble with its own freely convertible currency, the kroon (EEK). Constitutional law of Estonian Government was admitted on 28th of June by national referendum and it came into force on 3rd of July. Lennart Meri was elected president and Mart Laar, a radical free- market advocate, became prime minister. The last Russian forces were withdrawn from Estonia in August 1994.
Estonia joined NATO on 29th March 2004 and the European Union on 1st May 2004.

Economy
In the years that Estonia was part of the Soviet Union, it provided the USSR(The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) with gas and oil produced from its large supply of oil shale . It is still the world's second largest producer of oil shale. The majority of its workforce is involved in industry, which also includes shipbuilding, phosphate mining , and the manufacture of electronics and telecommunications equipment, electric motors, excavators, cement , furniture, and textiles and clothing . Its efficient agricultural sector employs some 20% of the labor force and produces meat (largely pork ), dairy products , potatoes, flax, and sugar beets. Fishing is also important. Peat, limestone, dolomite, marl , clays (for cement and earthenware ), sand (for the glass industry), phosphorite (for fertilizer), and timber are important natural resources.
The nation exports light industrial products, machinery, food, wood products, textiles, and electric power . In 1993 Estonia signed a free-trade agreement with its fellow Baltic states, Latvia and Lithuania ; the three nations became members of the European Union in 2004. Estonia's major trade partners include the countries of the European Union and Russia.
Culture
The culture of Estonia incorporates indigenous heritage . Due to its history and geography, Estonia's culture has been influenced by the traditions of the adjacent area's various Finnic, Baltic and Germanic peoples as well as the cultural developments in the former dominant powers Sweden and Russia.
Though Estonian written language could be said to exist since J.J.Köhler translated the New Testament into Estonian in the 18th century as a result of the Reformation , few notable works of literature were written until the 19th century. In the 19th century Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald collected Estonian folk poetry and arranged and published them as Kalevipoeg, the Estonian national epic . The era saw a rise of poets and novelists who wrote in Estonian, notably Lydia Koidula.
Modern Estonian popular music has received attention also in foreign countries, especially on the rock and metal scenes, with such bands as Vanilla Ninja , Metsatöll and Arvo Pärt gaining international acclaim .
Cinema in Estonia started in 1908.
The first regular radio broadcasts in Estonia began in 1926.
Estonian Television (ETV) is the national public television station of Estonia. Its first broadcast was on July 19, 1955.
The University of Tartu was established by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1632. Bengt Gottfried Forselius was a founder of public education in Estonia and author of the first Estonian language ABC-book, and creator of a spelling system which made the teaching and learning of Estonian easier .
The most typical foods in Estonia are black bread , pork, potatoes and milk - related products. Estonians themselves have considered blood sausage (verivorst) and sauerkraut (hapukapsas) "typical Estonian foods", but mostly those are eaten only at Christmas .

Holidays
Estonian holidays are mostly based on the Western Christian calendar and Protestant traditions.
Noteable holidays are Jaanipäev, Christmas and th Estonian independece day.
Jaanipäev marks Estonian midsummer which involves seeking one's way to non- urban environments and burning large bonfires. The midsummer traditions also include different versions of pairing magic (such as collecting a number of different kinds of flowers and putting them under one's pillow to see the future in one’s dreams) and games (such as jumping above the bonfire).
The Estonian Christmas is generally in line with the North and Middle European traditions of Christmas trees and Advent calendars and traditional meals, involving a number of dishes which are typically only eaten on Christmas. Christmas is the most extensive and appreciated and commercialized holiday in Estonia. Holidays start from the 23th December and continue through Christmas Eve (24th) and Christmas Day (25th). In schools and in many workplaces, the vacation continues until the New Year.
The Estonian independence day is the 24th of February. It is a national holiday. Every year a parade is held in central city.

Biggest towns
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the Gulf of Finland. The city is an important industrial, political and cultural center , and seaport. Through history Tallinn has also been called Reval among other less common names .
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is more intellectual and cultural city. It is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university the Tartu University. Tartu is situated between Lake Peipsi and Võrtsjärv. The Emajõgi River, which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, crosses Tartu. Through history Tartu has been called Tarbatu , Dorpat, Dorpt, Derpt and Jurjev .
Pärnu
Pärnu is situated in South-western Estonia. It is a popular summer destination, a seaside resort , and a town with a lively cultural life. It has shady parks and quality restaurants, cafés, spas and nightclubs. Pärnu is mostly famous for its beach . Every summer thousands of tourists visit it. If one is tired of the beach, they can visit the local theatre, museums , numerous concerts and exhibitions.
Pärnu is over 750 years old. Through the city flows the Pärnu River, which is the longest river in Estonia.
Tallinn, Pärnu and Tartu are all hansaeatic cities.
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipsi. Narva is the easternomost city in Estonia.
Language
Estonia’s official language is Estonian. It is spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and by about ten thousand people who live in various other countries. It is a Finno -Ugric language and it is closely related to Finnish . For a small nation a language plays a key role in maintaining its national identity . Estonian language uses the Latin alphabet and it has 32 letters .
An interesting feature that sets Estonian apart from most languages is the vowel . The most unusal ones for foreingers are ä,ö,õ and ü. The language also has grammar durations and declinations. There are three durations (short, long and extra long and ) and fourteen decliantions. These are possibly the hardest thing for a foreinger to learn.
Also postpositions are used quite often. In Estonian no articles or genders are used. Most loans come from German language.
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