The Republic of Estonia is a country in Northern Europe. It is separated from Finland in the north by the narrow Gulf of Finland and from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. Estonia has land borders with its fellow Baltic country Latvia to the south and Russia to the east. The capital of Estonia is Tallinn.

The official language in Estonia is Estonian which belongs to the Finno Ugric language family and is closely related to Finnish. Along with Finnish, English, Russian and German are also widely spoken and understood.

The number of comprehensive schools is 613, of which 503 are for speakers of Estonian, 80 are for speakers of Russian, 26 schools work in both Estonian and Russian, 2 schools work in English, 1 in both Estonian and English and 1 in Estonian and Finnish. There are 11 universities in Estonia, including 5 private universities.

Since the Reformation movement in the 16th century, the Lutheran church has played the leading role in Estonia. Other larger active confessions are Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist and Roman Catholic.

Explore the historical and architectural monuments of the capital. Particularly interesting is the old town centre, which is dominated by the soaring steeple of Oleviste Church. Climb up to Toompea Castle for views.

Stroll the 3km long sandy beach at Parnu, a small town situated on the banks of the Parnu River where it emerges into the Gulf of Riga. Established in the 13th century, the town is known as a seaport and a health resort.

Admire some more ancient architecture in Tartu. Estonias second largest city, on the Emajogi River. Visit the cities old university, the Vyshgorod Cathedral, the Town Hall and the universities Botanical Garden.

The role of music and singing has throughout the centuries been of utmost importance for the preservation of the Estonian nation. The tradition of great Song Festivals, which got its beginning in the swell of the national movement in the 19th century, has up to present been a distinctive event in the local culture. In recent years, the Viljandi Folk Music Festival has become a popular event for all ages, while keeping alive and interpreting the traditional music of different peoples.

The climate resembles that of other countries on the Baltic littoral. On account of the countries proximity to the sea, the skies are often cloudy and rain often falls in the spring and autumn, in the winter the rain turns to snow. The sea improves the climate in the spring and summer cool breezes waft in from the sea, so that the average temperature in July is 17 degrees Celsius. It is not unusual, however, that the temperature rises to 30 degrees in summers. In the autumn and winter, the sea releases the heat it has soaked up during the summer so that the average temperature is around -5 degrees Celsius.