Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a Northern European country bordered by the Gulf of Finland (opposite Finland), the Baltic Sea (opposite Sweden), Latvia, and Russia. It comprises the mainland, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa islands, and over 2,300 other islands. Tallinn is the capital. Estonian is the official language for its population of nearly 1.4 million. Estonia is among the least populous EU and NATO members.
Around 1905, a neo-romantic literary movement Young Estonia (Noor-Eesti) led by poet Gustav Suits and including writers Friedebert Tuglas, Villem Grünthal-Ridala, and Johannes Aavik amongst others, had an aesthetic programme that followed the trends of Finnish, French, German, Scandinavian and Italian literature of the time, comprising elements of Impressionism, Symbolism and Expressionism.
During the 1905 Revolution, the first legal Estonian political parties were founded, and an Estonian national congress demanded unification and an end to Russification. The Tsarist government responded to the unrest with a brutal crackdown.
In 1906, the Vanemuine in Tartu and the Estonia Theatre in Tallinn formally became professional institutions.
From 1908 onwards, Estonia Theatre became known for its pioneering work in opera and operetta.
In 1908 the history of cinematographic film production in Estonia started with a newsreel documenting a visit to Tallinn by then King Gustav V of Sweden.
In 1913, early narrative filmmaking soon followed, with early works such as Laenatud naene by Johannes Pääsuke.
In 1914, early narrative filmmaking soon followed, with early works such as Karujaht Pärnumaal by Johannes Pääsuke.
In November 1917, Bolsheviks seized power in Estonia and disbanded the Provincial Assembly. The Provincial Assembly then established the Salvation Committee.
In February 1918, the Salvation Committee declared the independence of Estonia, forming the Estonian Provisional Government during the interlude between Russian retreat and German arrival.
After 1918, the newly independent Estonia sought to express its identity through new buildings.
During the 1918–1940 period of independent Estonia, artists increasingly integrated contemporary European avant-garde influences.
In 1918, the Estonian Declaration of Independence marked a significant moment, culminating the Estonian national awakening from the mid-19th century.
In January 1919, the Estonian Army, led by Johan Laidoner, launched a counter-offensive, ejecting Bolshevik forces from Estonia within a few months.
In April 1919, the Estonian Constituent Assembly was elected. They passed a sweeping land reform and adopted a highly liberal constitution, establishing Estonia as a parliamentary democracy.
In June 1919, Estonia defeated the German Landeswehr which had attempted to dominate Latvia.
In 1919, courses were offered in Estonian for the first time at the University of Tartu.
The founding of the Pallas Art School (1919–1940) in Tartu marked a turning point, giving rise to a generation of artists.
On February 2, 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed between Estonia and Soviet Russia, with the latter giving up all sovereign claims to Estonia.
Võidupüha is celebrated on 23 June in remembrance of the Estonian victory in the 1918–1920 War of Independence.
In 1921, Estonia became a member of the League of Nations.
The Estonian parliament building at Toompea, designed by architects Eugen Habermann and Herbert Johanson, was completed in 1922.
In 1925, Estonia adopted the cultural-autonomy law for ethnic minorities, which was one of the most liberal of its time.
The Estonian Cultural Autonomy law that was passed in 1925 was unique in Europe at that time.
In 1932, Estonia signed non-aggression pacts with the Soviet Union to ensure peace.
In 1933, the right-wing Vaps movement spearheaded a constitutional reform establishing a strong presidency in Estonia.
On March 12, 1934, Konstantin Päts, the acting head of state, extended a state of emergency over the entire country, under the pretext that the Vaps movement had been planning a coup.
Estonia's best Summer Olympics ranking was 14th at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
In 1937, a referendum adopted a new constitution in Estonia, modifying the government structure.
In 1938, an election including opposition candidates provided a new bicameral parliament in Estonia.
In August 1939, the Nazi-Soviet Pact secretly assigned Estonia to the Soviet Union's sphere of influence.
In September 1939, Joseph Stalin pressured the Estonian government into signing a "mutual assistance treaty", allowing the USSR to establish military bases in Estonia during the Soviet invasion of Poland.
In 1939, Estonia declared neutrality at the start of World War II, but this proved futile.
In 1939, the German-speaking population mostly left Estonia.
In June 1940, the Soviet Union instituted a full naval and air blockade on Estonia, and demanded free passage of the Red Army and the establishment of a pro-Soviet government.
In August 1940, Estonia was formally annexed by the Soviet Union as the Estonian SSR.
In 1940, Estonia recorded its lowest temperature at −43.5 °C (−46.3 °F).
The Pallas Art School in Tartu existed from 1919 to 1940.
On June 14, 1941, approximately 11,000 Estonians were deported to Russia, where most would be killed, as part of the Soviet Union's repressive terror regime.
In late August 1941, the Soviets evacuated Tallinn by sea, suffering massive losses in the process. A puppet Estonian Self-Administration was established, and occupied Estonia was merged into Reichskommissariat Ostland.
In 1943, German occupation authorities instituted forced conscription in Estonia, eventually leading to the formation of the Estonian Waffen-SS division.
In 1944, the Red Army reached the Estonian borders, but its advance was stopped for six months. In March, the Soviet Air Force bombed Tallinn and other Estonian towns. In September, the Germans abandoned mainland Estonia. As German forces retreated from Tallinn, Jüri Uluots appointed a government headed by Otto Tief in an unsuccessful attempt to restore Estonia's independence.
Many writers fled Estonia in 1944 from Soviet rule.
Under the 1944-1991 Soviet occupation, architecture in Estonia was heavily influenced by Soviet urban planning.
When the Soviet army occupied Estonia in 1944, many Estonian artists fled westwards and art was heavily regulated.
In 1945, Estonians formed 97% of the population of Estonia.
In March 1949, about 20,000 Estonians were deported to Siberia as part of the Soviet's collectivization policy.
In 1966, the first Estonian modernist art works got the official permission from the Soviet authorities to be displayed in public exhibitions.
On August 23, 1987, the Hirvepark meeting in Tallinn called for the public disclosure of the secret protocols of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact that had led to Estonia's occupation.
Animator Priit Pärn, celebrated for his surreal and satirical style, gained international recognition in 1987 with Breakfast on the Grass, a profound critique of totalitarian society.
On November 16, 1988, the parliament of Soviet-controlled Estonia asserted the primacy of Estonian laws with the Sovereignty Declaration.
In 1988, The Singing Revolution began as a non-violent movement against Soviet rule, paving the way for Estonia's restored independence.
On August 23, 1989, two million people formed the Baltic Way, a human chain spanning Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, to demonstrate unity in pursuit of independence.
By 1989, Estonians share of the population had fallen to 62% due to Soviet Russification policies.
Between 1944 and 1990, exiled Estonian writers published 267 novels, 181 poetry collections, and 155 memoirs, reflecting their determination to preserve national identity.
In 1990, Estonia launched its first private radio station.
In 1990, the Baltic News Service (BNS), a private news agency covering the Baltic states, was established.
In 1990, the Congress of Estonia was formed as the representative body of Estonian citizens.
In March 1991, a referendum was held where 78.4% of voters supported independence in Estonia.
In August 1991, following the Singing Revolution from 1988 to 1990, Estonia restored its full independence after years of Soviet occupation.
In 1991, Estonia joined the United Nations.
In 1991, the Soviet occupation of Estonia ended, leading to strained relations with Russia.
Major demographic changes took place in Estonia after the country restored independence in 1991.
In 1992 radical economic reforms were launched for switching over to a market economy, including privatisation and currency reform.
In 1992, Estonia adopted its current constitution through a referendum.
In 1992, Estonia issued its first private TV licences.
In 1992, Estonia recorded its highest temperature at 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).
In 1993, Õnne 13, Estonia's longest-running television series, debuted.
The Law on Cultural Autonomy for National Minorities was reinstated in Estonia in 1993.
In 1994, Estonia became one of the first countries to adopt a flat tax, initially at a uniform rate of 26%.
In 1994, the last units of the Russian army left Estonia, marking the end of foreign military presence.
Since 1995, Estonia has participated in numerous international security and peacekeeping missions, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kosovo, and Mali.
Around 2000 BC, archaeological estimates place the population within Estonian territory at approximately 10,000 inhabitants.
In the 2000 census, the share of Estonians in the population was 68.3%.
In 2001, Estonia won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Everybody" performed by Tanel Padar and Dave Benton.
In 2003, Estonia held a referendum regarding its membership in the European Union.
In 2004, Estonia joined both the European Union and NATO, aligning itself with Western institutions.
In 2004, the Estonian government established regulations for categorizing populated areas as küla (village), alevik (small town or small borough), alev (town), and linn (city).
In 2004, the Ingrian Finnish minority in Estonia elected a cultural council and was granted cultural autonomy.
In 2005, Estonia became the first country to enable nationwide binding Internet voting during local elections.
In 2005, Estonia reduced its flat tax rate to 24%.
Estonia's best Winter Olympics ranking was 12th at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In 2006, Estonia further reduced its flat tax rate to 23%.
In 2007, Eesti Rahvusringhääling was established, consolidating radio and television services previously provided by Eesti Raadio and Eesti Televisioon under the Estonian National Broadcasting Act.
In 2007, Estonia joined the Schengen Area.
In 2007, Estonia signed a cooperation treaty with the European Space Agency.
In 2007, Estonian Sign Language was officially adopted under the Estonian Language Act as the primary sign language of Estonia, used by an estimated 4,500 people.
In 2007, the Estonian Swedes minority received cultural autonomy.
In 2007, the construction industry in Estonia employed over 80,000 people, roughly 12% of the total workforce.
By 2008, the number of Swedish residents in Estonia had risen again, numbering almost 500 people.
In 2008, Estonia reduced its flat tax rate to 21%.
In 2008, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence was established in Tallinn.
The 2008 United Nations Human Rights Council report called the description of the citizenship policy of Estonia as "discriminatory" "extremely credible".
The 2008 financial crisis impacted Estonia with an initial contraction of GDP, leading to governmental budget adjustments.
In 2009, Estonia's Gini coefficient held steadily higher than the EU average (31).
In 2009, wind energy comprised only 6% of Estonia's energy consumption but has been rapidly growing in recent years.
Since at least 2009, logging has increased significantly across both private and protected lands, including national parks in Estonia.
As of 2 July 2010, 84.1% of Estonian residents were citizens of Estonia, 8.6% were citizens of other countries and 7.3% were "citizens with undetermined citizenship".
By 2010, Estonia's economy began to recover, driven by exports, and annual industrial output increased by over 20%.
By 2010, nearly two-thirds of the native Russian-speakers of Estonia had learnt to speak Estonian proficiently.
In 2010, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt became the world's most performed living composer, a position he held until 2018.
On January 1, 2011, Estonia adopted the euro as its official currency.
In 2011, 97% of people who identify with a religion consider themselves Christian, in contrast to 93% in 2021.
In 2011, Estonia joined the Eurozone.
In 2011, Estonia's real GDP growth reached 8%.
In 2011, the Baltic states, including Estonia, were invited to cooperate with Nordic Defence Cooperation in selected activities.
In the 2011 census, the share of Estonians in the population was 69.8%.
Since the 2011 census, Eastern Orthodoxy has surpassed Lutheranism in terms of church membership in Estonia.
In 2012, Estonia was the only eurozone country with a budget surplus, with national debt at 6%.
In 2012, Estonia's oil shale industry contributed approximately 4% to the country's GDP.
In 2012, the eu-LISA systems became operational in Tallinn.
As of 2013, Estonia's oil shale industry was among the most developed globally, supplying approximately 70% of the country's total primary energy needs.
In 2013 Tangerines received nominations for both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
In 2013, research satellite ESTCube-1 was successfully launched.
In 2013, the Estonian electricity market was liberalized, integrating into the Nord Pool Spot network.
In 2014, Estonia launched the e-residency programme, extending various digital services to non-residents.
In 2014, the smoke sauna tradition of Võru County, distinguished by its lack of a chimney and the use of smoke in the heating process, was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
Since 2014, the Baltic Air Policing deployment has been based in Ämari Air Base, as part of NATO.
A 2015 study by Pew Research found that the 45% of respondents who declared themselves to be religiously unaffiliated, were divided between 9% as atheists, 1% as agnostics, and 35% as believing in "nothing in particular".
As of 2015, Estonia spends around 1.5% of its GDP on Research and Development.
Estonia accepted quota refugees under the migrant plan agreed upon by EU member states in 2015.
In 2015, Estonia officially joined the European Space Agency.
Since 2015, Estonia's defence budget has been over 2% of GDP, fulfilling its NATO defence spending obligation.
In 2017, Estonia underwent administrative reform, resulting in a total of 79 local governments.
In the second half of 2017, Estonia held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Since 2017, Estonia has been working on the Rail Baltica project to integrate with the European standard gauge railway system.
As of May 2018, the Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank Group placed Estonia 16th in the world.
According to the 2018 PISA report, Estonian students placed 1st in Europe and globally ranked 5th in reading, 8th in mathematics, and 4th in sciences.
From 2010 to 2018, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was the world's most performed living composer.
In 2018, Estonia's exported goods amounted to €10.4 billion, representing 72% of the country's total merchandise exports.
In 2019, Estonia recorded approximately 1.05 million hectares of arable land and 0.24 million hectares of natural grasslands.
In 2019, significant job creation occurred in Estonia, particularly in the production of electrical equipment and the repair and installation of machinery and equipment. The wood industry saw the highest growth in production volume during that year.
In 2020, the total profit margin for manufacturing companies in Estonia was 4.9%.
According to 2021 census data, 76% of the population in Estonia can speak a foreign language, and 17% of the native speakers of standard Estonian reported that they can also speak a dialect of Estonian.
According to data collected from the 2021 census, Approximately 29% of Estonia's population identified with a religion.
According to self-reported data of the 2021 census, 86,030 people (or 7.7% of the population) belong to the Lutheran church in Estonia.
In the 2021 census, the share of Estonians in the population was 69.4%.
The previous census to January 1, 2025 was conducted in Estonia in 2021.
As of January 2022, Estonia had 1,291 startups, including seven unicorn companies.
In 2022, Ukrainian refugees arrived in Estonia, now representing around 6% of the national population.
In 2022, the state forestry agency RMK reported a record profit of 1.4 billion euros.
As of 2023, Estonia had 170 museums, whose collections collectively hold over 10 million artefacts.
As of 2023, Estonia has prohibited the import of pipeline gas from Russia, following a decade of 100% reliance on Russian gas.
As of 2023, Estonia's GDP (PPP) per capita was $46,385, ranked 40th globally by the IMF.
As of 2023, there were a total of 514 schools, a range of private and public educational institutions, in Estonia.
During the 2023 parliamentary elections, over half of the votes were cast online. Six parties secured seats in the Riigikogu, with Kaja Kallas of the Reform Party forming a coalition government.
In 2023, Estonia ranked 8th globally on the Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders.
In 2023, research satellite ESTCube-2 was successfully launched.
In 2023, the agreement giving preferential status to the Lutheran church in Estonia ended.
As of 2024, Estonia has 47 cities, 13 towns, 186 small towns, and 4,457 villages, with Tallinn being the capital and largest city.
Estonia achieved a first-place ranking in the Environmental Performance Index in 2024.
In 2024, Estonia began transitioning all public schools to Estonian-only instruction, underscoring a renewed focus on the national language and culture.
In 2024, Estonia ranked 6th globally on the Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders.
In 2024, Kristen Michal became the prime minister of Estonia.
In 2024, the registered unemployment rate in Estonia was 7.6%.
On January 1, 2025, Estonia's population was 1,369,285 people, about 3% higher than in the previous census.
As of 2025, Estonia is the 12th most successful country in the world in terms of accumulated Olympic medals per capita.
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