Facts and Figures Territory Religion Historical
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TERRITORY HISTORICAL OVERVIEW INDEPENDENCE Estonia is the smallest of the three Baltic states Estonians have lived in Under Russian rule, a cultural Russification was located on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea what is today’s Estonian imposed upon Estonians until 24 February 1918 only about 50 miles across Helsinki, Finland. Its lands for 11,000 years. when Estonia proclaimed independence. This flat landscape is The common belief is they FINLAND lasted until 21 July 1940 when the Soviet Union shaped by the migrated westward from illegally incorporated Estonia into the Union of glaciers of the Gulf of Finland the Volga region near the Soviet Republics through the infamous Molotov- Baltic Continental Sea Narva Ural Mountains. Unlike Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. Russification and Ice Belt and Tallinn Tapa other branches of Finno- Old Town, Tallinn Sovietization of cultural, economic, and political life the Baltic Sea. Ugric people who migrated south to what today consisted of forced collectivization, expropriation of Historically, is Hungary, the ancestors of Estonians settled in private property, and central planning accompanied the Baltic Sea Tartu RUSSIA the northern part of Europe in today’s Estonia and by mass deportations to Siberia, mass executions, has served as a Finland. Squeezed between the Slavic nations in Gulf out-migration and low-birth rates. The outcome was trade route and a of the east and Germanic ones in the south and west, a change in demographics among ethnic Estonians, source of wealth Riga LATVIA Estonia has been invaded, Russians and Russian-speaking people. Estonia for the coastal occupied and ruled for 700 reclaimed independence on 20 August 1991. people. Estonia has 1,520 islands scattered years by most of its hostile The peaceful and democratic transition to multi- along its shores. Its main islands are Saaremaa, neighbors. The first ruler of partism and free market influenced its membership Hiiumaa, Muhu and Vormsi. The largest lakes Estonia was the German Order in NATO and the EU. Estonia’s policy of “security are Peipus and Võrtsjärv. The longest river is of Sword Brethren in the 12th through integration” has created conditions for Pärnu. Estonia’s main cities are Tallinn, Tartu, Century, who brought with stable government and effective institutions that Narva, Pärnu, Viljandi and Rakvere. Due to them Lutheranism and forced follow democratic values such its long, shallow coastline and the warm waters Town Hall, Tartu the serfdom system upon as low levels of corruption along the Baltic Sea, Estonia has some of Estonians. Under the Swedish rule that followed, (below the EU average). the finest harbor facilities in the region with from 16th to 17th C, Estonian urban areas became Yet, Estonia faces physical Tallinn’s Muuga part of the Hanseatic League, a commercial and and energy security issues, port being one defensive confederation of city merchants. After the ecological pollution and issues of the best Treaty of Nystad in 1721, Estonia became unified of integration of Russian- in Europe. in what today are its present borders. speakers in Estonian society. FACTS AND FIGURES RELIGION CULTURE AND FOLKLORE VALUES Name: Estonia (Eesti Vabariik) Christianization of Estonia took place during the The evolution of Estonian culture cannot be 13th Century by the German Teutonic Knights. properly understood without recognizing the Capital: Tallinn The Evangelical Lutheran Church has been the role and position of Estonian peasantry under Population: 1,265,420 (2015 est.) dominant church among Estonians since the the rule of foreign elites, especially the German Protestant Reformation in 1524. Religion does not political, economic and cultural elite, who sought Ethnicity: Estonian majority (68.7%) play an important part in Estonian lives because it to define Estonian identity. Estonian identity is Languages: Estonian 68.5% (official), represents the collective traumas associated with founded on its Finno-Ugric language, the pagan- Russian 29.6% foreign ruling classes, German serfdom, linguistic folk culture, and Lutheranism reflected in today’s Seto Kingdom Day inability to understand foreign missionaries, and Estonian urbanization, westward-orientation, Age structure: 41.83% are Soviet atheist policies. Hence, a better description and democratic traditions. The oral tradition of Estonian VBBN is influenced by the size of the 25-54 years old of Estonia’s religious context is “believing without Estonian peasantry embodies land, its history and the language. Having been Currency: Euro € belonging.” Therefore, in Estonia, national and the values and beliefs through fenced in by hostile powers, and belonging to lower religious identities do not overlap. Orthodox which Estonians understand social status in their own land, Estonian pride Christianity is the 2nd largest faith of Estonia. The themselves and the world. today manifests itself in the country’s collective Orthodox community, who is more religious, is The folksongs and folktales and individual achievements. Speaking Estonian is divided between the Patriarchate of Tallinn and that mostly represent the rural considered a rite of passage to full Estonian identity Moscow. Estonians claim to be the least religious culture of ethnic Estonians which is highly valued. Estonians prefer to lead people in Europe and 54% of them believe in some are observable through song rather than be led, and behave impatiently towards sort of spirit or life force. They practice folk and festivals (Laulupidu) and epic those who try to tell them what to do and how to do pagan traditions, such as lighting bonfires during poems like Kalevipoeg written things. Estonians exhibit a deep sense of individual the summer solstice and worshipping nature. with the purpose of creating capabilities. Their understanding of success and None a unified-national Estonian status is closely related to education, money and Unspecified mythology. Being a symbol material possessions. They view stubbornness of Estonian national cultural as a virtue entrenched in their centuries-long Orthodox-Christian identity, the belief is that endurance and resiliency to foreign influences and Lutheran-Christian Kalevipoeg will one day “return survival. Estonian language uses a specific word Christian Other to bring his children happiness Jonn, understood as willfulness to tenacity and Kalevipoeg, “Kadriorg Other Park” Tallinn and build Estonia’s life anew.” endurance, to explain stubbornness. IDENTITY The national identity of contemporary Estonia is Recognizing the uniqueness of Estonian folklore, LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION closely related to the concept of Undeutsche (non- their ancient customs and their capability for National identity in Estonia is a very complex German). Historically, those who did not speak survival will gain you admiration, and help Estonian is closely linked to Finnish and, to a lesser concept because the nation has been identified German were considered Undeutsche/Estonian by establish reliable personal connections. The extent, Hungarian. Russian is the second most with the state only twice in its history--during the 20 the German-nobility. Originally, the term Estonian majority of Estonians tend to be punctual, direct widely spoken language in the northeast where years of independence between the interwar period was used by German-baron rulers to identify “the and decisive. Sometimes, their decisiveness the majority of the people are ethnic Russians. and post-Soviet independence. Defining Estonian other” as not being ethnic Estonians, but rather makes them look tenacious, yet unemotional in Estonians are unwilling national identity using primordial methods (blood- as Undeutsche regardless of their ethnicity. When their arguments. Estonians are very limited in their to speak Russian and the related/genetic) could prove to be erroneous and speaking of Estonian national identity it is important non-verbal communication such as body and hand younger generation mostly dangerous. Therefore, Estonian national identity to observe the way the language and place/land gestures, and facial prefers to speak English. could be better understood in reference to land and intersect with each other very closely. Today, expressions. Others, Language division is most language. Traditionally, the language spoken, the Estonian attachment to the land is echoed in the ethnic Russians and noticeable in Estonian and place/land of origin, and attachment to the land are famous poem My Fatherland is My Love. Russian-speaking Russian cafés, kindergartens the main principles of Estonian self-identification. Estonians in the East and schools. There are three The social status of 19th Century NEGOTIATION noticeable dialects of Estonian of the country, are Language Phrases Estonia, determined by the Conducting business of a higher context Laulupidu, Singing Festival spoken in the north, south and landholding structure, was the and negotiations go and more impulsive. Note that although these northeast. Estonian language has no articles nor cornerstone of Estonian national better with some tendencies reflect generalized business habits, any gender pronouns for ‘he/she’. Instead, the word identity. According to the understanding of the they might not specifically apply to the Estonian Tema for ‘one’ or ‘it’ is used for both. The Estonian landholding structure, German role of culture. For military which is a hierarchical organization communication style is slow and quiet. Estonians nobility (barons) were at the top of Estonians,