Where is Estonia in the World?

Where is Estonia?

Estonia, bordered by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, is the northernmost and smallest country of the three Baltic States. With Latvia to its south and Russian to its east, Estonia also shares oral history with Finland, located to the north across the Baltic Sea. Estonia is 45, 227 square miles. The capital city, Tallinn, is one of the most well preserved medieval cities in the world.

Geography

At over 50% forest, Estonia is a temperate climate with marked seasons. Because of its geographically northern location, Estonia can experience very harsh winters, but due to the bordering Baltic Sea, it can also be an extremely humid country with hot summers.

Estonia is also rich in wooded bogs and swamplands, which make up over one-fifth of the terrain. Estonia has a varied and incredibly rich biome in which the diversity of species can exceed that of even the tropics. In some of the wooded parts, one square meter can be host to more than 70 species of wildlife, including wolves, elk, and mink, along with a vast assortment of birds.

Estonia has a substantial amount of meteorite craters, the most in the world by area. It is also home to a hole caused by the last giant meteorite to hit earth in the Kaali Meteorite Crater. It is estimated that the impact caused by this was roughly the same power as a nuclear bomb.

Estonia is also home to almost 2,500 islands, most of which are incredibly tiny. Several of the islands are tourist attractions, such as Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, which boast beautiful shorelines and rock cliffs.

Mountains are not a part of Estonia's topography, as the highest point lies only 1,043 feet above sea level in Suur Munamägi. The country is home to over 200 rivers.

Population

Estonia is one of Europe's most sparsely populated countries, having only around 1.3 million in 2017. It has a higher number of women than men, and Estonian women live ten years longer than men, on average.

The country's population is mostly Estonian, although a large percentage is Russian. It is the least religious country in the world, according to a Gallup Poll, but they have a vast and storied history in Nordic tales and legends. Oddly enough, St. Madeline's Church in the city of Ruhnu is the oldest wooden building in the country, with construction starting in 1643.

Estonia was freed from communism in 1991 when it separated from the U.S.S.R. and gained its independence. It is now a parliamentary democracy and is known for being one of the most liberal countries in the world.