Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic States. It borders on Latvia in the south, Russia in the east and the Baltic Sea in the north and in the west. The area is 45 227 sq km. Nearly 10% of the territory is accounted for by 1,520 islands and islets, the biggest of which are Saaremaa and Hiiumaa in the west. Estonia has the biggest lakes in the Baltic region – Lake Peipsi is the fourth biggest in Europe.

The population of Estonia totals 1,4 million, of which 430,000 live in Tallinn. Estonians comprise 61%, Russian 30%, others 9%. Estonian´s official language is Estonian. It belongs to Finno-Ugric group of language and unrelated to the Slavic, Romanic or Germanic languages. But Russian, Finnish, English and German are understood and widely spoken in Estonia.

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is located in Northern Europe in the Baltic Sea region, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Tallinn has been a meeting point on the trading routes between east and west throughout history because of its auspicious geographical location. The city between the highly advanced Scandinavian countries and northwestern Russia with its noteworthy natural resources has always attracted interest from abroad.

Tallinn is one of the best –retained medieval European towns. Even more than in extant individual buildings, the Old Town’s value lies in the integrity of its medieval structure. In 1997 the Old Town of Tallinn was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Today Tallinn is the capital of the most rapidly developing countries in the Baltic Sea region. During the 10 years the medieval capital has developed into a modern and open city with tall glass and steel buildings, illuminated signs of major international companies, large shopping malls. The main principle behind the development of the city is harmony between history and present day. Tallinn serves as the political and commercial centre of Estonia. With 1/3 of Estonia´s population, the capital city is the country´s economic engine – about ½ of Estonians companies who produced 2/3 of the national gross domestic product and nearly ¾ of the total corporate profits are located in Tallinn.

Weather
The climate in Estonia is temperate, characterized by warm summers and fairly severe winters. The weather is often breezy and humid due to the proximity of the Baltic Sea. Average temperatures range from + 20, 9’ C in summer (July is the hottest month) to –9‘ C in winter. Although occasionally the temperature may rise to 30’ C and above in summer or sink below – 30’ C in winter, it is unusual at our latitude.

Government
Estonia is a parliament republic. The head of the State is the President (elected for a 5-year term) who has, in addition to symbolic functions, representational tasks and formal domestic duties. The Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, has 101 members for 4-year term. Estonia Highest Juridical Power is Supreme Court.

Religion
Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) but also Russian Orthodox community.

Local time
Eastern European Time, GMT + 2 hours.

National holidays
January 1st (New Year's Day), February 24th (Independence Day), March/April (Good Friday and Easter) May 1st (May Day), June 23rd (Victory Day) June 24th (Midsummer Day) August 20th (Re-Independence Day), December 25th (Christmas Day), December 26th (Boxing Day).

Currency and Credit cards
The national currency of Estonia is the kroon (EEK). The smaller unit is called the sent (1 kroon = 100 sents). The kroon is pegged to the euro at 1 EUR = approx. 15.65 EEK. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in banks and exchange offices that can also be found in major shopping centres and larger hotels, as well as the airport, harbour and railway station. Most hotels, restaurants, banks, larger stores and gas stations also accept credit cards such as American Express, VISA (also Electron), Mastercard, Eurocard. All banks also offer cash advances on major credit cards.

Electricity
The single phase voltage is 220 Volts/50 cycle. The 3-phase voltage value is 380 Volts. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

Telephones and Emergencies
The country code of Estonia is 372. Dial 00 for outbound international calls.
IDD system is available at all hotels. Telephone cards are used in telephone automates, GSM and NMT net are in wide operation.
112 is the emergency number for an ambulance, the police or the fire department. Emergency number can be dialed free of charge and without a phone card from any public phone.

Arrival
Estonia has visa-free entry with most of the European countries. Modern hotel accommodation and restaurants are available at reasonable prices. The quality of service meets the expectations of those who are used with the best in Europe.

Flight duration
By plane: Tallinn can be reached by air from all major cities in Europe. Tallinn airport is about 3 km from the city center.
By ship: You can reach Tallinn via Helsinki and Stockholm due to numerous ferry and catamaran services. The City Port with its 4 terminals is within a 10-15 minute walk of the Old Town.
By bus: There is a choice of international bus lines connecting Tallinn with Riga, Vilnius, St. Petersburg and numerous German and Skandinavian cities.
By train: There are only two international trains – one to St. Petersburg and one to Moscow. Both are overnight trains.