Estonia
Name
| Official name | Republic of Estonia — Eesti Vabariik |
|---|---|
| Former names | The Governorate of Estonia within the Russian Empire (1721–1918); the Estonian SSR under Soviet occupation (1940–1941, 1944–1991), unrecognized by most Western states |
| Demonym | Estonian |
| Meaning of the name | From the Aesti of Tacitus's Germania, 98 AD — a Baltic people; Eesti in Estonian |
| Motto | None official |
Quick facts
| Capital | Tallinn — Reval until 1918; about 460,000, 600,000 in the region |
|---|---|
| Largest cities | Tallinn; Tartu, about 100,000; Narva; Pärnu; Kohtla-Järve; Viljandi; Rakvere; Maardu |
| Official language | Estonian — a Finnic language of the Uralic family; Russian the mother tongue of about 29%; English widely spoken; Võro and Seto regional |
| Currency | Euro — EUR, €; since 1 January 2011, replacing the kroon at 15.6466 |
| Time zone | Eastern European Time, UTC+2; summer time UTC+3 |
| Calling code | +372 |
| Internet domain | .ee |
| ISO 3166 codes | EE · EST · 233 |
| Vehicle registration code | EST |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 230 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F |
| Independence | Declared 24 February 1918; restored 20 August 1991, from the Soviet Union |
| National days | 24 February, Independence Day; 20 August, the Day of Restoration of Independence; 23 June, Victory Day, for Võnnu 1919; 24 June, Jaanipäev, Midsummer; 14 June, the Day of Mourning for the deportations of 1941 |
| Constitution | 3 July 1992 — approved by referendum 28 June 1992, the fourth since 1920; amended 2003 for the EU, 2007, 2011, 2015 and April 2025, removing the local vote of non-EU citizens |
| Population | 1,369,285 on 1 January 2025 (Statistics Estonia); 1,331,824 at the census of 2021 — about 1.37 million |
| Area | 45,339 km² (17,505 sq mi) by the national count, with the Estonian part of Lake Peipus; 45,228 km² by the CIA World Factbook |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | A horizontal tricolor of blue, black and white — the sky, the soil and the snow, or hope, the dark past and the light — first consecrated as the flag of the Estonian students' society at Otepää on 4 June 1884; the national flag from 21 November 1918, banned in 1940, raised again over Tall Hermann tower on 24 February 1989 and readopted 7 August 1990.Flag of Estonia |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms | Three blue lions passant on gold — the arms of the Danish king on the Duchy of Estonia since the 13th century, of the province of Estonia under Sweden and Russia, of the republic since 19 June 1925, and restored 1990 |
| National anthem | "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" ("My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy") — words by Johann Voldemar Jannsen, music by Fredrik Pacius, 1848; first sung at the song festival of 1869; the anthem from 1920; the same melody as Finland's |
| National colors | Blue, black and white |
| National bird | The barn swallow — suitsupääsuke; chosen by the ornithological society in 1960 |
| National flower | The cornflower — rukkilill; chosen by public vote in 1968 |
| National stone | Limestone — paekivi, the rock of the north coast; declared 1992 |
| National fish | The Baltic herring — räim; declared 2007 |
| National tree | The oak — tamm; widely cited |
| National dish | Black rye bread — leib; kama; sauerkraut with pork; widely cited |
| Symbol status | The flag and arms are fixed by law; the anthem by custom since 1920; the bird, flower, stone and fish by societies' and public choice; the tree and dish widely cited |
Geography
| Location | Northern Europe on the Baltic — the northernmost of the three Baltic states, on the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga; Finland 80 km across the water, Sweden across the sea, Latvia south, Russia east |
|---|---|
| Land borders | 657 km (408 mi) with two countries |
| Border with Latvia | 333 km (207 mi) |
| Border with Russia | 324 km (201 mi) — the Narva River and Lake Peipus; the treaty of 2014 unratified by Russia; the crossings at Narva restricted since 2022 |
| Coastline | 3,794 km (2,357 mi) counting the islands |
| Islands | 2,355 — Saaremaa, 2,673 km², the largest, with Kuressaare and the Kaali meteorite craters; Hiiumaa; Muhu; Vormsi; Kihnu, with its women's culture on UNESCO's list; Naissaar |
| Highest point | Suur Munamägi, 318 m (1,043 ft) — the highest in the Baltic states |
| Lowest point | The Baltic Sea, 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Lakes and rivers | Lake Peipus, 3,555 km², the fifth-largest in Europe, shared with Russia; Võrtsjärv, the largest wholly Estonian, 270 km²; the Emajõgi through Tartu; the Narva; the Pärnu; some 1,500 lakes |
| Terrain | Flat and low — the limestone plateau of the north with its cliff, the Glint; the uplands of Pandivere, Otepää and Haanja; bogs over a fifth of the land; forest over half; the islands of the west |
| Climate | Temperate maritime shading to continental — cold winters with snow, mild summers, the white nights of June |
| Natural hazards | Storms on the coast; the sinking of the ferry Estonia on 28 September 1994, 852 dead; floods in Pärnu |
| Natural resources | Oil shale in Ida-Viru — the largest deposits worked anywhere, being wound down; peat; phosphorite; limestone; timber; wind |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 22%; forest about 52% |
| National parks | 6 — Lahemaa (1971), the first in the Soviet Union; Soomaa, the bog country with its fifth season of floods; Matsalu, for the birds; Vilsandi; Karula; Alutaguse (2018) |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 2 — the historic center of Tallinn (1997); the Struve Geodetic Arc (2005, shared), with its points at Tartu Observatory and Simuna |
| Administrative divisions | 15 counties — maakonnad — from Harju with Tallinn to Võru; 79 municipalities since the reform of 2017, 15 towns and 64 parishes |
People
| Population | 1,369,285 (1 January 2025); 1,331,824 (census of 2021) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 30 per km² (78 per sq mi) — among the lowest in Europe |
| Population growth | Slightly positive since 2022 by immigration — Ukrainian refugees above all — after decades of decline; deaths above births |
| Median age | About 44 years |
| Life expectancy | About 79 years — women 83, men 75 |
| Fertility rate | About 1.4 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 70% |
| Adult literacy | About 100% |
| Ethnic groups | Estonian about 69%; Russian about 24%; Ukrainian about 5%; Belarusian, Finnish and others (census of 2021 and estimates) |
| Citizenship | About 65,000 residents of undetermined citizenship — the "grey passports" of those who did not naturalize after 1991 — and about 80,000 Russian citizens; their local vote removed by the constitutional amendment of 2025 |
| Languages | Estonian by about 68% as mother tongue; Russian by about 29%, in Tallinn and Ida-Viru — Narva above 90%; English by most under 50; Finnish; Võro |
| Religion | No religion about 58% — among the least religious countries in the world; Orthodox about 16%, most of them Russian-speaking; Lutheran about 8%; the Estonian Orthodox Church cut from the Moscow Patriarchate by the law of 2025 |
| Human Development Index | 0.905 (2023 data, 2025 report) — very high; about 30th of 193 |
| The Song Festival | The Laulupidu of Tallinn every five years since 1869 — some 30,000 singers before 100,000 listeners; on UNESCO's list with the Latvian and Lithuanian festivals; the Singing Revolution of 1988 sung from its grounds |
| Sport | Basketball; wrestling and weightlifting — Kristjan Palusalu's two golds of 1936; cross-country skiing; discus — Gerd Kanter's gold of 2008; the Tour of Estonia; Anett Kontaveit; the Rally Estonia of the WRC |
| Diaspora | About 200,000 of Estonian descent abroad — in Finland, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Russia and Australia, many from the flight of 1944 |
Government
| Form of government | Unitary parliamentary republic under the Constitution of 1992 — the president head of state, elected by the Riigikogu or an electoral college for five years, twice; the prime minister head of government |
|---|---|
| President | Alar Karis (independent), since 11 October 2021 — the sixth; a former auditor general and rector of Tartu, born 26 March 1958, who announced in June 2026 that he would not seek a second term; his term ends 11 October 2026 |
| President-elect | Ülle Madise (independent), elected by the Riigikogu on 2 September 2026 with 71 votes in the first round, three above the 68 required — nominated by 75 members from Reform, the Social Democrats, Estonia 200 and Isamaa; the Chancellor of Justice since 2015; to be sworn in as the seventh president on 12 October 2026, the second woman after Kersti Kaljulaid, 2016–2021 |
| Prime Minister | Kristen Michal (Reform Party), since 23 July 2024 — the 19th; climate minister before, leader of Reform since September 2024, born 12 July 1975 in Tallinn; succeeded Kaja Kallas, prime minister 2021–2024 and the EU's High Representative since December 2024 |
| The government | A coalition of the Reform Party and Estonia 200 — the Social Democrats dropped in March 2025; the second Michal cabinet |
| Parliament | The Riigikogu — 101 members elected for four years by proportional representation, a 5% threshold; the election of 5 March 2023: Reform 31.2% and 37 seats, EKRE 16.1% and 17, Centre 15.3% and 16, Estonia 200 13.3% and 14, the Social Democrats 9.3% and 9, Isamaa 8.2% and 8; Lauri Hussar the speaker |
| The next election | The Riigikogu election due by 7 March 2027; the municipal councils elected 19 October 2025 |
| e-Estonia | The digital state — the X-Road data exchange since 2001, the ID card and digital signature since 2002, internet voting in every election since 2005, e-Residency since 2014 with more than 120,000 e-residents; 99% of public services online; NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn since 2008, after the cyberattacks of 2007 |
| Russia | The border treaty of 2014 unsigned by Russia; the Bronze Night of April 2007 and the cyberattacks that followed; the Estlink 2 cable to Finland cut on 25 December 2024 by a ship of the shadow fleet; three Russian MiG-31s over Vaindloo island for twelve minutes on 19 September 2025, the gravest violation of Estonian airspace, and NATO's Article 4 consultations; the border crossings at Narva restricted; the Estonian Orthodox Church required by the law of 2025 to sever ties with Moscow |
| Defense | The Estonian Defence Forces of about 7,000 active and 40,000 reservists, with the Defence League; conscription; defense spending about 5.4% of GDP in 2026, the highest share in NATO; NATO's British-led battle group at Tapa since 2017 |
| Legal system | Civil law on the German model; the Supreme Court at Tartu; the Chancellor of Justice as ombudsman |
| Counties | 15, each under a county government abolished in 2018 and represented by the municipalities |
| European Union | Member since 1 May 2004; Schengen since 21 December 2007; the eurozone since 1 January 2011; the EU Council presidency of July–December 2017 |
| NATO | Member since 29 March 2004 |
| United Nations | Member since 17 September 1991; a Security Council seat in 2020–21 |
| Other memberships | The OECD (2010), the Nordic-Baltic Eight, the Council of Europe (1993), the OSCE, the WTO, the Council of the Baltic Sea States |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$45 billion (2025, IMF) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$32,000 (2025) — the highest of the Baltic states |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$50,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 1% in 2025 after three years of contraction, 2022–2024 — the longest recession in the EU; the tax rises of 2025 and 2026 |
| Economy by sector | Services about 68%, industry about 27%, agriculture about 3% |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Technology | Skype, built in Tallinn in 2003; Wise, Bolt, Pipedrive, Veriff and the other unicorns — the most per capita in Europe; the startup visa; about 7% of GDP from information technology |
| Industry | Timber and wood products, the largest export; electronics and machinery — Ericsson's Tallinn plant; food; the oil shale of Ida-Viru, from which electricity was generated for a century, phased down for 2035 |
| Trade partners | Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Germany and Lithuania; about 70% of trade with the EU; trade with Russia near zero since 2022 |
| Public finances | Public debt about 25% of GDP — among the lowest in the EU; VAT raised to 24% in 2025 and the security tax of 2026 to fund defense |
| Energy | Wind and solar rising as the shale plants close; the Estlink cables to Finland; a planned small modular reactor |
| Income classification | High income (World Bank); an OECD member since 2010 |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | Tallinn Lennart Meri Airport — about 3 million passengers; Tartu; Kuressaare on Saaremaa |
|---|---|
| Airline | No national carrier since Nordica ceased in 2024; Finnair, airBaltic, Ryanair and the rest |
| Main ports | Tallinn — the Old City Harbour for the ferries, Muuga for cargo; Sillamäe; Paldiski; the Tallinn–Helsinki crossing of Tallink and Viking Line, some 9 million passengers a year, among the busiest sea routes in the world |
| Railways | About 1,200 km (750 mi) — Elron's trains from Tallinn to Tartu and Narva; Rail Baltica, the European-gauge line to Riga, Kaunas and Warsaw, due about 2030; the Russian-gauge legacy |
| Roads | About 59,000 km (36,700 mi); the Tallinn–Tartu and Tallinn–Narva highways; free public transport in Tallinn for residents since 2013 |
| The islands | The ferries to Saaremaa from Virtsu and to Hiiumaa from Rohuküla; the ice roads of winter across the frozen sea |
History in dates
| c. 9000 BC | The first settlers — the Pulli settlement on the Pärnu |
|---|---|
| 1208–1227 | The Livonian Crusade; the Danes take Tallinn, 15 June 1219 |
| 1346 | Denmark sells northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order |
| 1561 | Swedish rule — "the good old Swedish times"; Tartu University, 1632 |
| 1710 · 1721 | The Russian conquest; the Treaty of Nystad |
| 1816–1819 | Serfdom abolished, a generation before Russia |
| 1869 | The first song festival, Tartu — the national awakening |
| 1918 | Independence declared, 24 February; the War of Independence to the Tartu Peace, 2 February 1920 |
| 1934 | Konstantin Päts's coup — the Era of Silence |
| 1940 | The Soviet occupation, 17 June; annexed 6 August |
| 1941 | The deportations of 14 June; the German occupation to 1944 |
| 1944 | The great flight to Sweden and Germany; the Soviet return |
| 1949 | The March deportation — some 20,000 sent to Siberia |
| 1988 | The Singing Revolution — the night song festival of 11 September; the declaration of sovereignty, 16 November |
| 1989 | The Baltic Way, 23 August — two million hands from Tallinn to Vilnius |
| 1991 | Independence restored, 20 August |
| 1994 | The last Russian troops leave, 31 August; the Estonia sinks, 28 September |
| 2004 | NATO, 29 March; the European Union, 1 May |
| 2005 | The world's first national internet voting, October |
| 2007 | The Bronze Night, 26–27 April; the cyberattacks |
| 2011 | The euro, 1 January |
| 2014 | e-Residency launched, 1 December |
| 2021 | Kaja Kallas the first woman prime minister, 26 January |
| 2024 | Kristen Michal prime minister, 23 July |
| 2025 | The MiG-31s over Vaindloo, 19 September |
| 2026 | Ülle Madise elected president, 2 September |
Records & firsts
| The first national internet voting | 2005 — and in every election since |
|---|---|
| The first e-Residency | 2014 |
| The most unicorns per capita in Europe | Skype, Wise, Bolt and the rest |
| The highest point in the Baltics | Suur Munamägi, 318 m |
| Among the least religious countries | About 58% with none |
| The Singing Revolution | Independence won in song, 1988–91 |
| The Baltic Way | 675 km of joined hands, 1989 |
| The highest defense spending in NATO | About 5.4% of GDP, 2026 |
| Free public transport in a capital | Tallinn, since 2013 |
| The first cyber defense center | NATO's, in Tallinn, 2008 |
| 2,355 islands | And a fifth of the land in bog |
| A women's island | Kihnu, on UNESCO's list |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Estonia?
The Republic of Estonia — Eesti Vabariik — declared on 24 February 1918 and restored on 20 August 1991 after fifty-one years of Soviet occupation, which the state regards as an interruption rather than an end: today's republic is the same one founded in 1918. The name comes from the Aesti of Tacitus, a people of the Baltic coast in the 1st century; the Estonians call themselves eestlased and their land Eesti, and their language is Finnic, a cousin of Finnish and no relation to the tongues of their Latvian and Russian neighbors.
What is the capital of Estonia?
Tallinn, on the Gulf of Finland 80 km across the water from Helsinki — the Danish castle town of 1219, the Hanseatic Reval, whose walled Old Town is a World Heritage site; about 460,000 people, a third of the country, and 600,000 in its region. Tartu, the university city on the Emajõgi, is the second city with about 100,000; Narva on the Russian border, Pärnu the summer capital and Kohtla-Järve follow.
How big is Estonia, and how many people live there?
About 45,339 km² (17,505 sq mi) by the national count, a little larger than Denmark and about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire together — with 2,355 islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa the largest, and a share of Lake Peipus, the fifth-largest lake in Europe. Statistics Estonia counted 1,369,285 people on 1 January 2025, the census of 2021 1,331,824 — one of the smallest populations in the European Union, lifted since 2022 by Ukrainian refugees after decades of decline.
What are the highest and lowest points of Estonia?
Suur Munamägi — "Big Egg Hill" — 318 m (1,043 ft), in the Haanja uplands of the southeast, the highest point in the three Baltic states; and the Baltic Sea. Estonia is among the flattest countries on earth, half of it forest and a fifth of it bog; the limestone cliff of the north coast at Ontika, 56 m, is its one steep face.
What currency does Estonia use?
The euro (ISO code EUR, €), since 1 January 2011, when it replaced the kroon at 15.6466 — the seventeenth member of the eurozone. Clocks keep Eastern European Time, UTC+2, with summer time; and the country runs on the internet, with 99 percent of state services online, a digital identity for every citizen since 2002 and internet voting in every election since 2005.
Who governs Estonia?
Prime Minister Kristen Michal of the Reform Party, head of government since 23 July 2024, when Kaja Kallas left to become the European Union's foreign policy chief, leading a coalition of Reform and Estonia 200 in the 101-seat Riigikogu; the next election is due by 7 March 2027. The head of state is President Alar Karis, whose single term ends on 11 October 2026: on 2 September 2026 the Riigikogu elected Ülle Madise, the Chancellor of Justice, with 71 votes in the first round, and she takes office as the seventh president on 12 October 2026, the second woman in the post after Kersti Kaljulaid.
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