Estonia is a country in Northern Europe, most of which was occupied. Many centuries ago, Estonia was under the yoke of Denmark, then Sweden, and more recently was part of the Soviet Union. However, despite the trials, Estonia began to prosper and became an independent, democratic country, prosperous, rich in culture, nature and architecture.
Estonia is surrounded on three sides by the sea. At the same time, about one fifth of the entire Estonian territory is occupied by swamps. In addition to the mainland, Estonia includes many islands in the Baltic Sea. The state includes 1521 islands.
The flag of Estonia has absorbed all the distinctive features of the state and its people: the blue color is the sky, the water element, as well as the color of the national Estonian flower, plus it characterizes loyalty to the national spirit; black - the earth, national Estonian jackets and all the burdens of Estonians; white - purity, desire for freedom and a bright future.
The exact name of the capital of Estonia, the city of Tallinn, is not known for certain even to its indigenous inhabitants. The most common options: “Danish city”, “Winter city” or “Manor city”. But there is no single accurate version, just as there is no final solution in writing the name of the city in Russian, with one or two “n”.
The originality of the Estonian language is striking, in which many words begin with the letter “s”. No less surprising is the presence of 14 cases and the absence of the future tense in the presence of 3 variants of the past.
Estonians celebrate significant dates in their own way, celebrating Victory Day on June 23 and calling Valentine's Day Friends' Day. Women-mothers are congratulated in May, but do not change the habit of giving an armful of flowers to beautiful ladies on March 8th.
St. Olaf's Church, built in the old town of Tallinn, was the tallest known building in the world in the 16th century. Its height was 159 meters, today 123.7 meters remain and, according to a city government decree, neighboring buildings should not exceed the old church. And the entire Old Town of Tallinn is included in the UNESCO list of cultural values.
Estonia is famous for the ghost of the White Lady, who can be seen once a year. The lady is a kind ghost who helps lovers unite.
Every year 1.5 million tourists visit Estonia, which exceeds the number of inhabitants of this country. The small Estonian population continues to decline, immigrating to Western Europe, and the small increase is mainly due to visiting Russians.
Estonia is a unique country in which the number of mobile phone subscribers exceeds the total population. The GSM network here covers 99.9% of the territory.
Kiiking is the name of a unique sport that is common only in Estonia. It involves riding on a special swing that spins like the sun. Similar swings can be found in parks and playgrounds.
Tallinn city authorities decided to experiment and made all municipal transport free. This bold move attracted more people to move to the capital, which subsequently contributed to the city's prosperity.
While many countries are debating the idea of online voting due to security issues, Estonia has been using it since 2005. Estonia is a high-tech country where the Internet is available in all classrooms and homes. It was for convenience that a decision was made in Estonia to automate the voting process. The most obvious problem in this situation may be the possibility of hacking to select a candidate against the will of the people.
Despite this threat, Estonians were not exposed to it, which makes everyone happy. Moreover, there is a reason for such joy. Just recently, the government provided everyone with their own passwords and logins for voting, which ensures undoubted security. Obviously, Estonians are used to such technologies, but despite some shortcomings, these technologies could also be our future.
Every year, several European countries come together to compete in a strange sport called wife-carrying. The point is that men must carry their wives or girlfriends in as little time as possible among the people participating in the race. Some believe the sport has its roots in the tradition of gangster initiation, where men would steal someone's wife.
Whatever the history of this sport, couples have a great time in such competitions, and Estonians themselves are very successful in this sport. After all, even this way of carrying wives was called the “Estonian” method; at the same time, the wife wraps her legs around her husband’s neck and hangs from behind on his back like a trophy! The record time for overcoming the obstacle course belongs to one Estonian couple, who did it in 55.5 seconds.
1. Estonia has a predominantly female population. For every 100 women in Estonia, there are 84 men - only in the Northern Mariana Islands (a US territory in the Pacific Ocean) with a population of about 50 thousand people, the proportion of men is less than in Estonia. Estonian women live 10 years longer, which may be one of the reasons for the imbalance.
2. In Estonia, the proportion of Olympic medals per million inhabitants is quite high. Excluding the results of the Rio games, Estonia won 25.5 medals per million inhabitants, which is the eighth highest in the world.
Express information on the country
Estonia(Republic of Estonia) is a state in Northern Europe located on the northeastern coast of the Baltic Sea.
Capital– Tallinn
Largest cities: Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Pärnu
Form of government- Parliamentary republic
Territory– 45,227 km 2 (132nd in the world)
Population– 1.31 million people. (151st in the world)
Official language– Estonian
Religion– Christianity
HDI– 0.861 (30th in the world)
GDP– $26.48 billion (104th in the world)
Currency– euro
Borders with: Russia, Latvia
3. Estonia is one of the least populated countries in Europe. The population density in the country is 28.4 people per square kilometer. Only in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia this figure is even lower.
4. Among EU member states, Estonia has the smallest population — 1.3 million inhabitants. Every year Estonia receives more tourists than the country's population.
Wooden dolls are the most popular souvenir and symbol of the country’s culture.
5. For residents of Tallinn, public transport is completely free.
6. The events that led to the restoration of Estonia's independence are usually called the Singing Revolution. The term was coined after a series of mass demonstrations during which Estonians sang banned national songs and patriotic anthems.
7. A group of Estonians played a decisive role in the invention of Skype. Today, 44% of Skype employees work in Tallinn and Tartu.
8. Tallinn is sometimes called the Silicon Valley of Europe , has the largest number of startups per capita on the continent.
9. Estonia has one of the world's highest literacy rates among the adult population - 99.8%, according to UNESCO. It is higher only in Latvia and, unexpectedly!, in North Korea.
10.The country's population is declining. If in 1989 there were 1,565,662 people living in the country, then today there are 1,314,370. A drop of 19.2%.
11. 52% of the country is covered by forests , making Estonia one of the greenest countries in Europe. And this figure is growing.
Coniferous forest on the island of Hiiumaa
12. Estonia became the first country in the world to introduce online voting. This happened back in 2005.
13. Estonia is the least religious country in the world. According to the Gallup Poll, only 16% of respondents said religion is an important part of their lives, compared with 27% of Britons, 65% of Americans and 100% of Bangladeshis and Indonesians.
14. Wooden Church of Ruhnu (Ruhnu), built in 1644, is the oldest surviving wooden building in the country.
Ruhnu Church
15. The Estonian national epic is called Kalevipoeg. These are stories about a giant who throws stones and talks to hedgehogs.
Estonia is a Baltic state that was once part of the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia and Estonia have separated, taking different paths, but some commonality between these two states is still present. Currently, Estonia is very popular among Russian businessmen due to its fairly flexible tax legislation.
- Estonia is surrounded on three sides by the sea. At the same time, about one fifth of the entire Estonian territory is occupied by swamps.
- In addition to the mainland, Estonia includes many islands in the Baltic Sea.
- The exact name of the capital of Estonia, the city of Tallinn, is not known for certain even to its indigenous residents. The most common options: “Danish city”, “Winter city” or “Manor city”. But there is no single accurate version, just as there is no final solution in writing the name of the city in Russian, with one or two “n”.
- The originality of the Estonian language is striking, in which many words begin with the letter “s”. No less surprising is the presence of 14 cases and the absence of the future tense in the presence of 3 variants of the past.
- Estonians celebrate significant dates in their own way, celebrating Victory Day on June 23 and calling Valentine's Day Friends' Day. Women-mothers are congratulated in May, but do not change the habit of giving an armful of flowers to beautiful ladies on March 8th.
- St. Olaf's Church, built in the old town of Tallinn, was the tallest known structure in the world in the 16th century. Its height was 159 meters, today 123.7 meters remain and, according to a city government decree, neighboring buildings should not exceed the old church. And the entire Old Town of Tallinn is included in the UNESCO list of cultural values.
- Estonia is famous for the ghost of the White Lady, who can be seen once a year. The lady is a kind ghost who helps lovers unite.
- Every year 1.5 million tourists visit Estonia, which exceeds the number of inhabitants of this country. The small Estonian population continues to decline, immigrating to Western Europe, and the small increase is mainly due to visiting Russians.
- There are only 84 men per 100 Estonian women.
- Estonia is a unique country in which the number of mobile phone subscribers exceeds the total population. The GSM network here covers 99.9% of the territory.
- Kiiking is the name of a unique sport practiced only in Estonia. It involves riding on a special swing that spins like the sun. Similar swings can be found in parks and playgrounds.
- Tallinn city authorities decided to experiment and made all municipal transport free. This bold move attracted more people to move to the capital, which subsequently contributed to the city's prosperity.
- Estonia ranks eighth in the world in the number of medals won at the Olympic Games.
- On August 23, 1989, about a quarter of all residents of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, holding hands, formed a 600 km long chain, connecting the capital cities of Talin, Vilnius and Riga. The “Baltic Way” flash mob of peaceful protest expressed the Baltic states’ desire for independence and was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, on the basis of which the Baltic states were annexed to the USSR (see.
Estonia is a small country in northeastern Europe with a population of 1.3 million people. But despite this, it is a very interesting country with numerous records and widespread access to the Internet. If you want to get to know it better, we bring to your attention very interesting facts compiled by foreign investors and emigrants.
Estonia is located in the northeast of the EU, bordering Russia and Latvia by land, and crossing the Gulf of Finland, you will find yourself in Finland. 10% of its territory is occupied by islands and islets. The calling card of Estonia is the Baltic Sea. The population of this state is 1.3 million inhabitants, 61% are Estonians, living mainly in cities. The country's main airport is located in the capital of Estonia, Tallinn, and is named after the former President of Estonia, Lennart Meri. But tourists prefer to come to this country by ferry from Helsinki or Stockholm.
Estonia is the only country in Europe where 98% of the territory is covered by wireless Internet. Catch a signal WiFi you can not only in the city, but also in the middle of a field and even on a deserted island. Almost all document flow in Estonia is carried out electronically, and digital signature has become common practice for all residents. Even elections in Estonia are held via the Internet.
Estonia ranks 5th in the world in terms of the number of mobile phone users. It turns out that there are 150 gadgets per 100 Estonians. In addition, according to official statistics, there are more Internet banking users here than the population of the country. Estonians carry out 98% of all banking transactions via the Internet.
Everyone's favorite program for free audio and video calls, Skype, was invented in Estonia. Skype's headquarters are located in Tallinn.
Potential investors, investing their money in the country's economy, have the same rights as local businessmen.
An Estonian woman, going on maternity leave for a year and a half, will receive from the state the amount that she was paid before at work. Local residents know that for failure to pay utility bills for several months, the law simply evicts them, regardless of the privatization act. But Estonians pay the least for gas than anyone else in the EU.
Today, Estonian is the least popular language in the Google Translate online translator. Most of the words here end in “-sex”. Locals joke that their language is one of the most difficult and sexiest in the world
If you decide to travel around Estonia, go to the west of the country to Haapsalu.Because it is in this region that the longest railway platform in Europe is located - 230 meters. It was built so that the king would not get wet when leaving the train.
On the island of Saaremaa there is the oldest lighthouse, built at the beginning of the 16th century, which still functions today. In the second largest Estonian city of Tartu you can see a Pub with the highest ceilings - 12 meters. The Gunpowder Cellar beer establishment will delight you not only with beer with milk, but also with the most
The old part of the capital of Estonia, Talin, is a cultural monument listed by UNESCO as the best preserved medieval city in Northern Europe. It is on one of the ancient central streets that you can see the oldest operating pharmacy in Europe. Estonians are very careful about their culture. It was these people who were able to collect the largest collection of folk music, 133 thousand songs. In addition, the only garlic restaurant in the world, Balthazar, is located in Tallinn. Here they even make ice cream with garlic.
In the center of Talin is the Oleviste Church. In the 16th century, the height of 123 meters was an absolute record holder all over the world. In memory of this, a building higher than the height of the church cannot be built in the center of Talin.
When coming to Estonia, you need to remember that local chefs practically do not prepare poultry dishes and never use mushrooms. Almost all Estonian dishes are prepared with fish. And in a bread store you can find bread with the addition of hemp oil, potatoes or honey.
When applying for a driver's license, Estonians are required to take a test for driving winter modes of transport. All students take their exams using a manual transmission.
According to the responses of tourists in Estonia, it is better not to get sick. The medical system is so confusing that without insurance, a patient will receive help faster than with it.
They still don't know whether there's one "n" on the end or two.
2. The melody of the Estonian anthem is identical to the melody of the Finnish one.
3. In Estonia, the official language is Estonian. But at the same time, in some cities you will have to wander for an extremely long time to stumble upon Estonian speech.
4. In Estonia, almost all residents born around 1985 speak Russian.
5. There are 15 counties in Estonia.
6. The Estonian flag consists of blue, black and white. Blue signifies loyalty to the ideas of the country, it is the color of the sea, the sky and the national Estonian flower. Black symbolizes all the hardships experienced by these people, this is the color of the earth and national jackets. The white color on the flag is purity, it is used as a symbol of Estonia's desire for freedom, its hope for the best.
7. The same colors, only in a different order, are on the flag of Botswana.
9. In Estonia, many words begin with the letter “s”.
10. Estonia has the largest collection of folk songs in the world.
11. The country does not recognize dual citizenship, but nevertheless such people exist.
12. Many foreigners do not know about the existence of such a country as.
14. The territory of Estonia is surrounded on three sides by water.
15. Estonia includes 1521 islands.
16. More than 20 percent of Estonian territory is occupied by swamps, there are 11,800 of them in total.
17. There are also about 1150 lakes.
18. In the 16th century, the Estonian Oleviste Church in Tallinn was the tallest building in the world. Its height was 159 meters. Now the height of the church is already less - about 124 meters.
19. The Tallinn government decreed that all new buildings in the central part of the city should not be higher than the Oleviste Church.
20. Estonian dishes may seem quite specific.
21. Regarding the location of the Battle of the Ice in 1242, there are three versions, one of which tells that it happened on Estonian soil.
22. Estonia has the most meteorite craters.
23. Estonian resorts are famous for their healing mud.
24. In Estonia, in winter, granite chips are used to prevent ice on the roads. In the spring, all the material is collected back so that it can be used the following winter.
25. In Estonia, the main religion is Lutheranism.
26. The Estonian language has 14 cases.
27. There is simply no future tense in the Estonian language. But there are three who have passed.
28. The GSM network covers the entire territory of Estonia - 99.9%.
29. In Estonia, the number of cellular subscribers exceeds the population.
30. Secondary education in Estonia lasts 12 years.
31. Students in grades 10-12 are not allowed to repeat their studies; they are immediately expelled.
32. Sometimes in Estonia, medical care is cheaper for those who do not have health insurance at all.
33. Cornflower is considered the national Estonian flower. The national bird is the swallow and the stone is the limestone.
34. In Estonia, when learning to drive, they take a separate test for driving in winter. Exams are accepted only on vehicles with a manual transmission.
35. Summer in Estonia is quite short.
36. In Estonia, people are supposed to give an even number of flowers.
37. Estonian women dress very stylishly.
38. As history shows, in not a single war has anyone been able to take it by storm, and all because the Estonians surrendered it themselves, having previously agreed on the terms of the deal.
39. The Old Town of Tallinn is one of the UNESCO cultural sites.
40. and argue about which of them has the right to be called the birthplace of marzipan.
41. For some reason, when many tourists come to Estonia, they always buy Vana Tallinn, but it is better to take Kännu kukk liqueur.
42. You can buy the most beautiful knitted items in Estonia.
43. There are ostrich farms in Estonia.
44. Many Russian films were shot in Estonia. Among them are “The Three Musketeers” and “17 Moments of Spring”.
45. Among the best Estonian children's books there is a book called “Poop and Spring”.
46. The Tallinn TV Tower, whose height is 312 meters, is considered the tallest building in the country.
47 The Koenigsegg CCX supercar is the most expensive car in the country.
48. In Estonia it is prohibited to sell gasoline imported from Russia, as it is cheap.
49. was the first to allow its residents to vote by telephone.
50. Among the EU countries, Estonia sells the most inexpensive gas.
51. In Estonia, a parent who goes on maternity leave is paid the same salary as before the birth of the child. Payments are made until the baby turns 1.5 years old.
52. In Estonia, although there is no women’s holiday on March 8, men still give flowers to women on this day.
53. There is a monument to Agent 007 in Estonia. It is located in Tallinn.
54. In Estonia, if the owner does not pay for his housing for several months, he can be evicted from the apartment.
55. The country prohibits smoking in public places, but not everyone follows this rule.
56. Estonian chocolate tastes better than Swiss chocolate.
57. People in Estonia are only drafted into the army for eight months.
58. Skype was created in Estonia.
59. Contrary to the popular belief that Estonians are slow, we can say that they just prefer to double-check everything several times before doing it.
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