Estonia: 17 Interesting Facts Worth Knowing

One of the well-preserved old Medival Towns in Europe, Estonia, located across the Gulf of Finland is slowly turning out to be a popular tourist destination amongst travelers other than the Finnish and Russian tourists!

There are over 2000 small islands in Estonia, most of which are still untouched by civilisation. Most of the inhabitants of these islands live life, the traditional way!

About 50% of the total land is covered with forests, making it one of the greenest countries in the world.

Though being a small country, the population of Estonia is about 1.3 million in 2020. This means there are about 32 Estonians per square kilometer!

Summers don't last long in the country! Mostly by mid-August, most of the summer season is already gone, and it is time for the rains. So, don't forget to pack your rain protection gear while exploring the country.

Traveling by buses is the easiest and convinent way to explore the country. However, few trains are connecting Tallinn with Tartu and Narva while a few international ones go through St Petersburg and Moscow!

The women hold supreme power in Estonia. Considered to be one of the most progressive countries in the world, Estonia's population consists of 46% men and the remaining 54% majority are women! It is even ruled by a woman leader.

The current life expectancy at birth  for females is 83 years and for males is 75 years.

The country proudly boasts of its 99.8% literacy rate, ranking number 2 in the world!

Though having knowledge of Finnish can save you while exploring the country, Estonians usually speak in 'Finno-Ugric' language that is closest to Hungarian! However, most people have basic English knowledge, so you can at least have basic communication with the locals.

Estonia celebrates its Independence Day twice - the first one on 24th February and the 20th August! The first one is celebrated to mark their independence from Russia in 1918 and again from Russia in 1940!

Being an ancient Medieval town, the architecture around the city takes one back in time! The Neoclassical buildings of Tartu, the medieval architecture of Tallinn old town, wooden panel houses along seaside Parnu and the Soviet architecture across the country are worth visiting!

Though the country is a tiny one, it has made huge contributions to the IT sector! Skype was one of the inventions from Estonians. It was also one of the first countries to start electronic voting!

The delicious black bread and the locally made craft beer make for a perfect mealtime combination! You can explore several varieties of craft beer being served, across the country.

The first EU capital to provide free public transport to its residents was the capital city of Tallinn! If you are a registered resident of Tallinn, you are entitled to use this facility.

Despite being tiny, the country has excelled in sports! Its success in the Olympics is a phenomenon while their innovative sports are also wonderful to watch. Kiking is one such innovative sport where the participant has to stand on a swing and swing around full 360 degrees!

Wife-carrying is a real sport in the country. Husbands have to carry their wives on their backs and run a few hundred meters with two dry obstacles and 1 m deep water obstacle for company!

There are more meteorite craters in Estonia than any country in the world, with the biggest one being the Kaali carter (110 meters wide).