Estonia in facts
History |
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.JPG) Entrance to Old Town |
Though related
to the people of Finland, the Ests of Estonia had been a colony of Denmark,
the Teutonic Knights, Swedes, Poles, and Russians. And through it all,
Germanic burghers ruled the towns of the region. The Ests, tied to the
land, were primarily serfs (serfdom not being abolished until 1819).
A nationalist spirit began to surface with interest in folklore, language,
and history. In 1920, a fully independent Estonia emerged thanks to
the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This period of independence came to
a halt with the 1939 Hitler-Stalin pact as Estonia was given over to
the Soviets as a sphere of influence. Soviet troops, far outnumbering
the Estonia military, were garrisoned in the country. Elections in 1940
that were presumably rigged by the Soviet Union resulted in Estonia
'requesting' to be annexed into the USSR, a move that was never recognized
by the US. Throughout the Second World War, Estonia endured huge losses
through battle, deportation, flight, and outright murder. Not until
1990 did Estonia manage to begin the process of freeing itself. In 1991,
Estonia's independence was recognized by the Soviets. Estonia, like
its Balkan cousins, did not become part of the Commonwealth of Independent
States. |
Geography |
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 Country Map |
Estonia is located in Eastern Europe, bordering
the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia.Its terrain
is mostly low-lying land with many lakes, rivers, and forests.
Climate: |