Estonia

Overview

Estonia escaped the suffocating clutches of Soviet rule in 1991 and is faring particularly well, especially when compared to some of the other former Soviet ruled areas. As its tourist site points out although there is still hand milking of cows, the internet infrastructure is superbly set-up. The relatively low population is extremely concentrated into the larger cities, which means when the visitor ventures into the countryside they will probably feel a sense of comfortable isolation.

The capital, Talinn, has been in the hands of the Danish, Germans and Czarist Russians. When the visitor sees the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old City they will encounter well preserved examples of past and present cultures.

If it is the beach that the visitor hankers after, then they should move up to Pärnu on the banks of the river of the same name. There are also a number of tidy parks in the area or perhaps Haapsalu with its castle and health spa will be more enticing. The coast in this western part of the country has many islands which allow further opportunity for relaxation. The southern part of the country is probably easiest to explore using Tartu as a base. The university here has a major focus on the humanities so seats in the coffe shops may have to be fought over. Ancient cultures can be seen around Põlva and Võru and the traditional way of life is still very much in evidence.

History

Estonians are one of the longest settled European peoples whose forebears known as the "comb pottery" people lived on the southeastern shores of the Baltic Sea over 5 000 years ago. Like other early agricultural societies Estonians were organized into economically self-sufficient male-dominated clans with few differences in wealth or social power. By the early Middle Ages most Estonians were small landholders with farmsteads primarily organized by village. Estonian government remained decentralized with local political and administrative subdivisions emerging only during the first century A.D. By then Estonia had a population of over 150 000 people and remained the last corner of medieval Europe to be Christianized.

Estonia also managed to remain nominally independent from the Vikings to the west and Kievan Rus to the east subject only to occasional forced tribute collections.

However the Danes conquered Toompea the hilled fortress at what is now the center of Tallinn and in 1227 the German crusading order of the Sword Brethren defeated the last Estonian stronghold; the people were Christianized colonized and enserfed. Despite attempts to restore independence Estonia was divided among three domains and small states were formed. Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in 1248.

By 1236 the Sword Brethren allied with the Order of the Teutonic Knights and became known as the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights. Finding upkeep of the distant colony too costly the Danes in 1346 sold their part of Estonia to the Livonian Order. Despite successful Russian raids and invasions in 1481 and 1558 the local German...more