With an area of 45 000 sq. km, Estonia is larger than Holland, Denmark or Switzerland. Estonians have been living here since approximately 2,500 B.C.- this makes them one of the longest settled European peoples. Due to Estonia's strategic location as a link between East and West, several European conquerors have invaded Estonia. Estonia got back its independence in 1918 but was forcibly incorporated into the USSR after WWII. Freedom was regained in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union and since then Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. Estonia has been particularly successful in benefiting from the application of information and telecommunications technology.

Estonia's technological sector is thriving while the past has been perfectly preserved. From untouched nature to post-modern city culture these are the contrasts you can experience in Estonia.
Estonia's population ranks amongst the smallest in the world with density of only 30.2 people per sq. km. Although the official language is Estonian there are many people who can speak English, so do not be afraid to ask for directions or help in a foreign language.

Geography
Estonia lies along the Baltic Sea, just below Finland. Tallinn, Estonia's capital city is only about 80 km south of Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland. Sweden is Estonia's western neighbour across the Baltic. Russia is to the east, with St. Petersburg just across the north-eastern border. To the south is Latvia with its capital city Riga.

The mainland terrain is flat and slightly hilly in the south. The highest point of Estonia is Suur Munamägi (318 m). Various kinds of forests comprise slightly under half of Estonia's territory. Wetlands, together with primeval forests, represent preserved communities which have for the most part been destroyed in Europe.

Climate
Estonia has four clearly distinguishable seasons. Our winters are moderate with average temperature of - 8 Celsius. Snow usually falls in December and melts away during March. Springs are sunny and pleasant. Summers are relatively warm with temperatures around +20 Celsius, in southern parts of the country occasionally close to +30 Celsius. Because of the country´s high latitude, the sun does not set completely to create total darkness. Twilight blends into dawn - this is what is often referred to as the "white nights". This period lasts from mid-June to mid-July.

Time
GTM is +2 hours.