Estonia
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
Estonia can be reached from Italy mainly by air via Tallinn-Ülemiste International Airport (TLL), with stopover flights via Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Copenhagen or Warsaw; direct flights from Italy are occasional. The overland connection from Finland is via the Tallinn-Helsinki ferries, with 2-3 hour crossings operated by companies such as Tallink and Eckerö Line, from the ports of Länsisatama and Olympiaterminaali; these connections are the busiest access for those arriving from Scandinavia. The overland route from Central Europe passes through Poland and Latvia to reach the Estonian border: from Warsaw, following the [E67] to Riga and then the [Via Baltica] to Tallinn, the route is about 1,500 km. The Estonian motorway network does not include toll motorways; the main roads are well-maintained state roads. Estonian Railways (Elron) operates a limited network; trains connect Tallinn with Tartu, Narva and Pärnu. The main excursion towns - Lahemaa National Park, Soomaa and Alutaguse - can be reached from Tallinn in 1-2 hours by private transport. The ferry connects Tallinn with the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa (Muhu). In winter, temperatures can drop considerably; the road network is generally maintained.
.Introduction
Estonia is a northern European state, the northernmost of the three Baltic Republics, a member of the European Union and NATO since 2004 and of the Eurozone since 2011. With an area of 45,228 km², it is one of the least densely populated countries in Europe: its population of around 1.3-1.4 million is mainly concentrated in the southern coastal region and the capital Tallinn. The territory is flat, marked by the last ice age that left a landscape of coniferous and deciduous forests, peat bogs, thousands of lakes - over 1,500 - and an archipelago of over 2,200 islands in the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. The Estonian language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family, related to Finnish and far removed from the Baltic languages of Latvia and Lithuania. Estonia is known for its transformation into one of the most digitised countries in the world after independence in 1991: electronic government (e-Estonia), digital citizenship and the emergence of technology companies such as Skype are expressions of this identity. The country's history is marked by centuries of foreign domination - Denmark, the Teutonic Order, Sweden, Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union - and the long struggle for independence, culminating in the Singing Revolution of 1987-1991.
Description
Estonia's territory is predominantly low-lying: the highest point is Suur Munamägi in the Haanja Upland, at 318 m, the highest peak in the Baltic Republics. Glacial morphology has produced a landscape of moraine plateaus and lake depressions: Lake Peipsi, on the Russian border, is the fourth largest lake in Europe. The peat bogs - of which Estonia is among the European countries with the largest relative area, with about 22% of the territory - are ecosystems of extraordinary naturalistic importance, habitats of rare species of carnivorous plants, amphibians and birdlife. Forests of pine (Pinus sylvestris), birch (Betula pendula), spruce (Picea abies) and oak (Quercus robur) cover about 50 per cent of the national surface area. The fauna includes brown bear (Ursus arctos), lynx (Lynx lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), beaver (Castor fibre), elk (Alces alces) and over 200 species of breeding birds, including black stork (Ciconia nigra) and sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).
The history of Estonia begins in the 9th-13th centuries with the organisation of the Finno-Ugric tribes into semi-state structures. The German and Danish conquest in the 13th century led to the political subjugation and feudalisation of the Estonian peasant population. Swedish rule (1561-1710) brought some stabilisation and the start of Estonian language education. The Treaty of Nystad (1721) ceded the country to the Russian Empire. In the 19th century, the Estonian national movement produced the epic poem Kalevipoeg (1857-1861) by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, a founding work of national cultural identity. Independence was proclaimed in February 1918, recognised by Russia in the Treaty of Tartu (1920). Forced annexation to the Soviet Union (1940-1991) brought mass deportations to Siberia - an estimated 90,000 people were deported between 1941 and 1949 - and a systematic Russification of the territory. The Singing Revolution (1987-1991) - the name given to peaceful resistance through choral festivals and demonstrations - culminated in the Declaration of the Restoration of Independence in March 1990 and full international recognition in September 1991.
The Estonian economy, after the post-Soviet transition of the 1990s, has experienced sustained growth. The main sectors are IT and technology (Skype was developed in Estonia in 2003; Transferwise - today Wise - and Bolt are other start-ups of international significance), financial services, logistics, timber and tourism. Tallinn - with its medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 - is one of the most popular destinations in the Baltic. Estonian cuisine reflects Nordic rural traditions: rye bread, smoked pork, herring, local cheeses and sangfroid (pork jelly).
The protected area system includes six national parks. Lahemaa National Park (721 km², 1971) is the oldest in the former Soviet Union: it stretches along the north coast over forests, peat bogs, swift rivers and historic mansions (Palmse, Sagadi, Kolga, Vihula). Soomaa National Park is home to the largest peat bogs in Europe; it is famous for the "fifth season" - the spring flooding period when the area becomes navigable by canoe through flooded forests. Matsalu National Park is one of Europe's major bird sites, with over 275 species of birds using it as a stopover during migration. The Alutaguse National Park (in the east), Karula National Park (in the south) and Vilsandi National Park (on the island of Saaremaa) complete the protected system.
Estonian hiking is developed on forest trails, wooden footbridges in the peat bogs, coastal paths and long-distance trails. The RMK (Estonian State Forest Management Centre) network manages over 3,300 km of marked trails with 93 observation towers, 95 nature trails and 61 camping areas. The Peraküla-Aegviidu-Ikla Trail (approximately 700 km) and other long-distance trails cross the country from coast to coast. The Oandu-Ikla Trail, which runs from Lahemaa Park to the Gulf of Riga via Soomaa, is the main north-south trekking route. Hiking in the peat bogs with traditional Estonian snowshoes (bog shoes) is an all-season experience.
Mountaineering in the technical sense is not feasible in Estonia due to the absence of significant relief. Suur Munamägi (318 m) is the highest peak in the Baltic Republics and can be reached on foot in a few minutes. Estonian sporting tradition is oriented towards endurance running on natural terrain.
Trail running in Estonia is growing strongly. The Suur Munamägi Trail in the Haanja region, the Otepää Trail in the hills of southern Estonia and the Tartu Marathon (actually a skiathon, but with a trail variant) are among the most popular events. The flat but dense nature of forests and peat bogs offers ideal conditions for natural running; the Tallinn City Run and circuits in coastal parks are accessible all year round.
Information
General Data
Capital: Tallinn
Area: 45.228 km²
Minimum elevation: 0m (Baltic coast)
Maximum elevation: 318m - Suur Munamägi (Haanja Upland)
Number of inhabitants: 1,340.194 (given by Wikipedia IT)
Official name: Eesti Vabariik
Name of inhabitants: Estonians
Regions: 15 counties (maakond)
Border countries: Lettonia - Russia
Institutional site: https://www.valitsus.ee