Page 10 - Tallinn University

QUICk fACtS ABoUt
EStoNIA
n Geographically, Estonia is on the north-eastern edge of the European Union. Finland is a short trip across the sea - just 80 km by ferry.
n Estonia is in the Schengen Area, so we have open borders with the rest of Europe.
Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport, named after our first President after Soviet occupation period, has direct flights to most of Europe.
n Estonia has a population of about 1.3 million but its area is larger than Denmark or Netherlands.
n Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400,000. In 2011 Tallinn was the European Capital of Culture.
n The Estonian language is a Finno-Ugric language - mostly resembles Finnish and is different from Latvian and Russian languages.
n Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union for decades but Estonia sees itself as more influenced by Nordic tastes and traditions - Scandinavia with a twist.
n Estonia is an e-society, with electronic ID-cards, e-government, e-health, e-school, e-parking etc. Most people use e-banking, pay parking with a mobile phone and pay taxes or even vote online. The Skype software was developed by Estonian engineers. Wireless internet access can be found everywhere.
n Estonia boasts a long tradition of providing quality education. Its vibrant and international education and research environment, endowed with the latest developments in information technology makes Estonia an attractive place for people looking to work and study abroad. A total of 90% of international students are satisfied with their overall living and studying standard in Estonia (global average 88%).
n Tallinn is the city of the first Christmas Tree in the world. In 1441 the fraternity of Tallinn’s unmarried merchants, called the Blackheads, put up a Christmas Tree in the Town Hall Square.
n In winter it gets quite cold and we get plenty of beautiful snow. Around 55% of Estonian territory is covered with forest. There are over 1500 Islands, 1000 lakes and 7000 rivers in Estonia.
Estonia is one of the most dynamic countries among the new member states of the European Union. It is well-known both for its innovative drive and cosy living environment as well as the notable sense of humour of its inhabitants.
Tallinn esTOnia