Estonia

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Estonia (Eesti Vabariik in Estonian) is a country located in Northern Europe, part of the three Baltic states along with Latvia and Lithuania.

### Geography

Estonia is situated in the northeastern part of Europe, bordered by:

* The Gulf of Finland to the west
* Russia to the east
* Latvia to the south
* The Baltic Sea to the north and west

The country's territory consists of a mainland region and 2,222 islands within the Baltic Sea. The capital and largest city is Tallinn.

### History

Human presence in Estonia dates back more than 11,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age. Archaeological evidence suggests that hunter-gatherer communities existed around 6,500 BC near the city of Conda in northern Estonia. The ancestors of the Estonians emigrated from the meeting point of the Volga and Kama Rivers, where they originated as part of the Pino-Ogar peoples, and settled in tribes on the southeastern islands of the Baltic Sea over 5,000 years ago.

During the Middle Ages, most of Estonia was inhabited by small tribal groups. The Estonian government has been distributed among various territories throughout history.

### Climate

Estonia has a humid continental climate, with significant seasonal variations.

### Demographics

The majority of the country's population consists of ethnic Estonians, with a smaller Finnish minority. The official language is Estonian, and the country's capital is Tallinn.

### Politics

Estonia gained independence from the Soviet Union on August 20, 1991. In 2004, it joined both NATO and the European Union (EU). Today, Estonia is one of the 27 sovereign states that form the EU, being the smallest of the three Baltic countries. The country is divided into 15 counties for administrative purposes.

### Area

The total area of Estonia covers approximately 45,228 km².