ABSTRACT
Estonia is the smallest and northernmost of the three Baltic states bordering on Russia, Latvia, and Finland (Figure 18.1). The Republic of Estonia was proclaimed on 24 February 1918. Although Estonia lost its independence during the Second World War, independence was re-established on 20 August 1991. On 1 May 2004 Estonia became an EU member state and joined the Schengen visa space in December 2007. In 2011 Estonia will probably join the euro zone. Estonia has a population of 1.34 million, of which Estonians (68.7%) make up the majority while 25.6% are Russians. The average population density is 30.9 inhabitants per sq km. Tallinn is the largest city with a population of almost 404,500 while the other major centres include Tartu (98,500), Narva (65,800), and Pärnu (43,000). The official language is Estonian (Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2010).
