City of Tallinn Tallinn
Tallinn old town
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Tallinn municipality in Estonia
City of Tallinn Location in Estonia
Coordinates: 59°26′N 24°45′E / 59.433, 24.75
Country	Estonia
County	Harju County
First appeared on map	1154
Government
- Mayor	Edgar Savisaar
Area
- Total	159. Coat of arms of Tallinn is the Coat of arms of the Estonian capital Tallinn. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region A County (maakond is an administrative subdivision of Estonia. Harju County (Harju maakond or Harjumaa, ( Latin: Harria) nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Edgar Savisaar (born May 31, 1950 in Harku Commune, Harju County) is an Estonian politician and the leader of the Centre Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 2 km² (61. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 5 sq mi)
Population (2007)
- Total	400 911
- Density	2,506. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 9/km² (6,492. 8/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website: www.tallinn.ee

Tallinn (historically known by the German and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names) is the capital and largest city in Estonia. Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region It lies on the northern coast of Estonia on the Gulf of Finland. The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken The city is an important industrial, political and cultural center and seaport. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo

Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 Historical names 2 History 3 Geography 4 Administrative districts 5 Population 6 Economy 7 Education 8 Tourism 8.1 Toompea 8.2 Lower Town 8.3 Kadriorg 8.4 Pirita 9 Transport 9.1 City transport 9.2 Air 9.3 Rail and road 9.4 Ferry 10 Sister cities 11 See also 12 Gallery 13 References 14 External links 14.1 General 14.2 Travel 14.3 Photos and videos 14.4 Maps 14.5 Other

Etymology

In 1219 Valdemar II of Denmark, leading the Danish Fleet in connection with the Livonian Crusade, landed in an Estonian town of Lindanisse ^[1] at (Latin) Revelia (Estonian) Revala or Rävala, the adjacent ancient Estonian county. "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel. The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia The Danish Army defeated the Estonians at the Battle of Lyndanisse. The Battle of Lyndanisse took place on June 15 1219 Under pretext of helping the Crusade in Palestine the Danish king Valdemar II Sejr defeated the The German and Swedish name Reval (Latin: Revalia) originated from the ancient Estonian name of the county. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to be Estonian, although the original meaning of the name is debated. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 It is usually thought to be derived from "Taani-linn(a)" (meaning "Danish-castle/town"; Latin: Castrum Danorum) after the Danes built the castle in place of the Estonian stronghold at Lindanisse. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Toompea Castle (also Latin: Castrum Danorum, Toompea loss (previously probably Taani linn, literally "The Danish castle" is a Castle However, it could also have come from "tali-linna" ("winter-castle/town"), or "talu-linna" ("house/farmstead-castle/town"). The element -linna, like Germanic -burg and Slavic -grad / -gorod, originally meant "fortress" but is used as a suffix in the formation of town names. The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages Grad or gorod (Cyrillic град город or gord is a Slavic word for town or city Gorod may refer to Grad (Slavic settlement Bely Gorod Kitai-gorod Kitay-Gorod (Metro

Tallinna replaced the previously used official German name Reval (help·info) (Russian: Ревель) in 1918, when Estonia became independent. REVAi ( REVA G-Wiz i in some markets is an Indian Electric car intended for use as a City car. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages In the early 1920s, the official spelling of the city name was changed from Tallinna to Tallinn, making the new name notable since Estonian-language place names always end with a vowel (denoting the genitive case). In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another However, somewhat confusingly to non-Estonian speakers, the word Tallinna still appears in modern Tallinn as the -a suffix can denote the genitive case (thus Tallinna Lennujaam translates literally as Tallinn's Airport).

Historical names

The German and Danish name Reval (Latin: Revalia) originated from the 13th century Estonian name of the adjacent Estonian county of Rävala. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Other known ancient historical names of Tallinn include variations of the Estonian Lindanisse^[2] (see Battle of Lyndanisse), such as Lyndanisse in Danish, Lindanäs in Swedish, and Ledenets in Old East Slavic. The Battle of Lyndanisse took place on June 15 1219 Under pretext of helping the Crusade in Palestine the Danish king Valdemar II Sejr defeated the Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Old East Slavic, also known as Old Russian (древнерусский or Old Ruthenian, was a vernacular literary language used from the 10th to the 14th centuries Kesoniemi or Rääveli in Finnish and Kolyvan (Колывань) in Old East Slavic are other historical names. Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside

The Ancient Arabic and Russian name Kaluria was first mentioned in 1154 when the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi used it in his map of the world. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani al-Sabti or simply El Idrisi ( Arabic أبو عبد الله محمد الإدريسي Latin: ^[3]

History

The southern coast of the Gulf of Finland is thought to have been settled by Finnic-speaking tribes already in the 2nd millennium BC. The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age.

Supposedly, in 1154 Tallinn was placed on the world map of the Almoravid cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi as Koluria. The Almoravids, was a Berber dynasty from the Sahara that spread over a wide area of North-Western Africa and the Iberian peninsula during Abu Abd Allah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani al-Sabti or simply El Idrisi ( Arabic أبو عبد الله محمد الإدريسي Latin: ^[4]

As an important port for trade between Russia and Scandinavia, it became a target for the expansion of the Teutonic Knights and Kingdom of Denmark during the period of Northern Crusades in the beginning of the 13th century when Christianity was forcibly imposed on the local population. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Crusades undertaken by the Catholic kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian Danish rule of Tallinn and Northern Estonia started in 1219.

In 1285 the city became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland The Danes sold Tallinn along with their other land possessions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Knights in 1346. The Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The city, with a population of 8,000, was very well fortified with city walls and 66 defence towers. See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors

A weather vane, the figure of an old warrior called Old Thomas was put on top of the spire of the Tallinn's Town Hall in 1530 that became the symbol for the city. A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind Old Thomas ( Vana Toomas) is one of the symbols and guardian of the city Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

With the start of the Protestant Reformation the German influence became even stronger as the city was converted to Lutheranism. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther In 1561 Tallinn politically became a dominion of Sweden. The Dominions of Sweden or Svenska besittningar were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish Crown, but never became fully integrated "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

During the Great Northern War the Swedish troops based in Tallinn capitulated to Imperial Russia in 1710, but the local self-government institutions (Magistracy of Reval and Chivalry of Estonia) retained their cultural and economical autonomy within Imperial Russia as the Duchy of Estonia. The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Magistracy of Reval was abolished in 1889. The 19th century brought industrialization of the city and the port kept its importance. During the last decades of the century Russification measures became stronger. Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily

On 24 February 1918, the Independence Manifesto was proclaimed in Tallinn, followed by Imperial German occupation and a war of independence with Russia. St Olaf’s church or St Olav's church ( Estonian: Oleviste kirik) in Tallinn, Estonia, is believed to have been built in the 12th Old Thomas ( Vana Toomas) is one of the symbols and guardian of the city Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Estonian War of Independence (Vabadussõda literally "freedom war" which occurred in 1918-1920 took place during the Russian Civil War, was the On 2 February 1920, the Tartu Peace Treaty was signed with Soviet Russia, wherein Russia acknowledged the independence of the Estonian Republic. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Tartu Peace Treaty ( Estonian: Tartu rahu, literally "Tartu peace" or Treaty of Tartu was a peace treaty between Estonia and Russian Tallinn became the capital of an independent Estonia. After World War II started, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1940, and later occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941-44. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers After Nazi retreat in 1944, it was occupied by the USSR again. After annexation into the Soviet Union, Tallinn became the capital of the Estonian SSR. The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the occupation of the Baltic states ( Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) first by the The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (Eesti Nõukogude Sotsialistlik Vabariik Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика Estonskaya

During the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Many buildings, like the hotel "Olümpia", the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Center, were built for the Olympics.

In August 1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued. Tallinn became the capital of a de facto independent country once again on August 20, 1991. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

Tallinn has historically consisted of three parts:

• The Toompea (Domberg) or "Cathedral Hill", which was the seat of the central authority: first the Danish captains, then the komturs of the Teutonic Order, and Swedish and Russian governors. Toompea (Domberg or "Cathedral Hill" is a Limestone Hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Komtur was a rank within the Teutonic Knights. The Komtur was the Commander within a specific region or commandry ( Kommende or Komturei It was until 1877 a separate town (Dom zu Reval), the residence of the aristocracy; it is today the seat of the Estonian government and many embassies and residencies.
• The Old Town, which is the old Hanseatic town, the "city of the citizens", was not administratively united with Cathedral Hill until the late 19th century. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade It was the centre of the medieval trade on which it grew prosperous.
• The Estonian town forms a crescent to the south of the Old Town, where the Estonians came to settle. Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country It was not until the mid-19th century that ethnic Estonians replaced the local Baltic Germans as the majority amongst the residents of Tallinn. The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today

Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town (including Toompea) became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

At the end of the 15th century a new 159 m high Gothic spire was built for St. Olav's Church. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. St Olaf’s church or St Olav's church ( Estonian: Oleviste kirik) in Tallinn, Estonia, is believed to have been built in the 12th Between 1549 and 1625 it was the tallest building in the world. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the Skyscraper, Christian churches have been among the tallest buildings. After several fires and following rebuilding, its overall height is now 123 m.

Geography

Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north-western Estonia. The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken

The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (covers 9. Lake Ülemiste ( Ülemiste järv) is the largest of the lakes surrounding Tallinn, Estonia. 6 km²). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of It is the main source of the city's drinking water. Lake Harku is the second largest lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is 1. Lake Harku ( Harku järv) is a Lake on the western border of Tallinn, Estonia with an area of 1 6 km². Unlike many other large towns, the only significant river in Tallinn is located in Pirita (a city district counted as a suburb). The river valley is a protected area because of its natural beauty.

A limestone cliff runs through the city. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe. Toompea (Domberg or "Cathedral Hill" is a Limestone Hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. However, Toompea is not a part of the cliff, but a separate hill.

The highest point of Tallinn, at 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of Nõmme, in the south-west of the city. History Earlier Nõmme was a town of its own in the beginning of the Soviet occupation ( 1940) unified to Tallinn and not restituted until today

The length of the coastline is 46 kilometres. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. It comprises 3 bigger peninsulas: Kopli peninsula, Paljassaare peninsula and Kakumäe peninsula. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus.

Weather averages for Tallinn
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	9. 2 (49)	10. 2 (50)	15. 9 (61)	27. 2 (81)	29. 7 (85)	31. 2 (88)	32. 3 (90)	31. 2 (88)	28. 5 (83)	21. 8 (71)	13. 4 (56)	10. 7 (51)	32. 3 (90)
Average high °C (°F)	-2. 9 (27)	-3. 0 (27)	0. 8 (33)	7. 3 (45)	14. 0 (57)	18. 8 (66)	20. 8 (69)	19. 9 (68)	14. 9 (59)	9. 0 (48)	3. 3 (38)	-0. 2 (32)	8. 6 (47)
Average low °C (°F)	-8. 2 (17)	-8. 7 (16)	-5. 6 (22)	-0. 2 (32)	4. 9 (41)	9. 9 (50)	12. 5 (55)	12. 0 (54)	8. 0 (46)	3. 7 (39)	-0. 9 (30)	-4. 9 (23)	1. 9 (35)
Record low °C (°F)	-31. 4 (-25)	-31. 0 (-24)	-26. 2 (-15)	-17. 2 (1)	-4. 3 (24)	0. 0 (32)	4. 4 (40)	1. 7 (35)	-4. 7 (24)	-10. 5 (13)	-21. 3 (-6)	-32. 2 (-26)	-32. 2 (-26)
Precipitation mm (inches)	45 (1. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 8)	29 (1. 1)	29 (1. 1)	36 (1. 4)	37 (1. 5)	53 (2. 1)	79 (3. 1)	84 (3. 3)	82 (3. 2)	70 (2. 8)	68 (2. 7)	55 (2. 2)	667 (26. 3)
Source: Pogoda. ru. net[5] 7. 09. 2007

Administrative districts

District	Area	Population
Haabersti	18. 6 km²	35,000
Kesklinn	28. Kesklinn (Town Center is one of the 8 administrative districts ( linnaosa in Estonian of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. 0 km²	34,985
Kristiine	9. 4 km²	27,531
Lasnamäe	30. Sport Ajax Lasnamäe football club represents the district in Estonian Meistriliiga. 0 km²	108,644
Mustamäe	8. Geography Mustamäe covers 81 km² and is located 5km from the center of Tallinn 0 km²	62,219
Nõmme	28. History Earlier Nõmme was a town of its own in the beginning of the Soviet occupation ( 1940) unified to Tallinn and not restituted until today 0 km²	35,043
Pirita	18. Gallery 7 km²	8,507
Põhja-Tallinn	17. Põhja-Tallinn is one of the 8 administrative districts ( linnaosa in Estonian of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. 3 km²	52,573

For local government purposes, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative districts (Estonian: linnaosad, sg. Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a State. Districts are a type of Administrative division, in some countries managed by a Local government. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 - linnaosa). The district governments are city institutions that fulfill, in the territory of their district, the functions assigned to them by Tallinn legislation and statutes. Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing A statute is a formal written enactment of a Legislative authority that governs a Country, State, City, or County.

Each district government is managed by an Elder (Estonian: linnaosavanem). Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 He or she is appointed by the City Government on the nomination of the Mayor and after having heard the opinion of the Administrative Councils. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The function of the Administrative Councils is to recommend, to the City Government and Commissions of the City Council, how the districts should be administered.

Population

Population development

Year	Population
1372	3,250
1772	6,954
1816	12,000
1834	15,300
1851	24,000
1881	45,900
1897	58,800
1925	119,800
1959	283,071
1989	478,974
1996	427,500
2000	400,378
2005	401,694
2006	399,108
2007	400,911

Tallinn's population is registered 400,200 (as of May 2007). A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or

According to Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, of all EU member states' capital cities, Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27. The Statistical Office of the European Communities ( Eurostat) is the Statistical arm of the European Commission, producing data for the European Union The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 8% of its population are not EU citizens. This is because planned immigration from other Soviet republics during the period of Soviet control (1944-1991) brought large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly Russians, to Tallinn and other areas of Northern Estonia. The Republics of the Soviet Union were according to the Article 76 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution, Sovereign Soviet Socialist states that had united with other The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries These immigrants and their offspring do not qualify automatically for Estonian citizenship.

Nationality	Percentage
Estonians	54. Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country 9%
Russians	36. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries 5%
Ukrainians	3. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens 6%
Belarussians	1. Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also 9%
Finns	0. The terms Finns and Finnish people ( Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finländare) are used in English to 9%
Others	3. 1%

In addition to the native Estonian language (which is of the Finno-Ugric group, closely related to the Finnish language), Russian, Finnish and English are widely understood in Tallinn. Estonian (; ˈeːsti ˈkeːl is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1 Finno-Ugric (ˌfɪnoʊˈjuːgɹɪk is a grouping of languages in the Uralic language family comprising Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian and Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Economy

In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an information technology sector in recent years; in its 13 December 2005, edition, The New York Times characterized Estonia as "a sort of Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley. " One of Tallinn's sister cities is the Silicon Valley town of Los Gatos, California. Skype is one of the best-known of several Tallinn IT start-ups, and a first venture capital firm was founded in 2005. Skype (skaɪp is Software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. Venture capital (also known as VC or Venture) is a type of Private equity capital typically provided to immature high-potential growth companies Many are housed in the Soviet-era Institute of Cybernetics, which is said to been one of the seeds for Estonian adoption of computing technology. Despite this, the most important economic sectors of Tallinn are the light, textile, and food industry, as well as the service and government sector. There is a small fleet of ocean going-trawlers that operate out of Tallinn. A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish ^[6]

Education

Tallinn is the location of many institutions of higher education and science, including:

• International University Audentes
• Estonian Academy of Music
• Estonian Academy of Art
• Estonian Academy of State Defence
• Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Institute of Theology
• Estonian Business School
• Estonian IT College
• Estonian Maritime Academy
• Tallinn University (old name Tallinn Pedagogical University)
• Tallinn University of Technology

Tourism

Since independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia's accession to the European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The picturesque old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the current novelty of the destination attract many tourists and facilities (hotels, restaurants) have developed to meet their needs. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex English is widely spoken within the tourist areas.

Estonia has made rapid economic progress since independence and this is reflected in local prices. Although not extortionate, neither are prices as cheap as in other former Eastern Bloc countries.

The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions. Although the economics of this may be marginal, it is convenient to use. Local walking tours offer short-cuts to understanding the city.

The main attractions are in the two old towns (Lower Town and Toompea) which are both easily explored on foot. Toompea (Domberg or "Cathedral Hill" is a Limestone Hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Eastern districts around Pirita and Kadriorg are also worth visiting and the Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum) near Rocca al Mare, west of the city, preserves aspects of Estonian rural culture and architecture. Gallery

Toompea

This area was once a separate town (Dom zu Reval), the residence of the Chivalry of Estonia, Roman Catholic bishops of Tallinn (until 1561) and Lutheran superintendents of Estonia, occupying an easily defensible site overlooking the surrounding districts. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The major attractions are the walls and various bastions of Castrum Danorum, the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (built during the period of Russian Empire, the church was built on a site that formerly housed a statue of Martin Luther) and the Lutheran Cathedral (Toomkirik). Toompea Castle (also Latin: Castrum Danorum, Toompea loss (previously probably Taani linn, literally "The Danish castle" is a Castle See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an Orthodox church in the Tallinn Old Town Estonia. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther

Lower Town

This area is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation. Major sights include Raekoja plats (Town Hall square), the town walls and towers (notably "Fat Margaret" and "Kiek in de Kök (Tallinn)") and St Olaf church tower (124 m). Kiek in de Kök ( Low German Peep into the Kitchen) is an old German language nickname for towers mainly those which were parts of town fortifications St Olaf’s church or St Olav's church ( Estonian: Oleviste kirik) in Tallinn, Estonia, is believed to have been built in the 12th

Kadriorg

This is 2 kilometres east of the centre and is served by buses and trams. The former palace of Peter the Great, built just after the Great Northern War, now houses (part of) the Art Museum of Estonia, presidential residence and the surrounding grounds include formal gardens and woodland. The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea.

The new residence of the Art Museum of Estonia: KUMU (Kunstimuuseum, Art Museum) was built several years ago.

Pirita

This coastal district is a further 2 kilometres north-east of Kadriorg. The marina was built for the Moscow Olympics of 1980, and boats can be hired on the Pirita river. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Two kilometres inland are the Botanic Gardens and the Tallinn television tower. Tallinn TV Tower ( Tallinna teletorn) is a free-standing structure with an Observation deck, built to provide better telecommunication services for the 1980 Moscow

Transport

City transport

The city operates an extensive system of bus (63 lines), tram (4 lines) and trolley-bus (8 lines) routes to all districts. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Fares are reasonably priced, and a flat-fare system is used. Payment is made either by pre-purchase of tickets at street-side kiosks or by a purchase from the transport vehicle.

Air

Tallinn Airport is about four kilometres from Raekoja plats (Town Hall square). Tallinn Airport or Ülemiste Airport ( IATA: TLL, ICAO: EETN; Estonian: Tallinna lennujaam) is the largest There is a local bus connection between the airport and the edge of the city centre (bus no. 2). The nearest railway station Ülemiste is only 1. Lake Ülemiste ( Ülemiste järv) is the largest of the lakes surrounding Tallinn, Estonia. 5 km from airport. The terminal building is a small but modern, convenient and clean building.

Several airlines (e. g. City Airline, CSA Czech Airlines, easyJet, Estonian Air, Finnair, Finncomm Airlines, FlyLal, Flynordic, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Air Baltic and SAS) operate between Tallinn and European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Kiev, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Prague, Simferopol, Stockholm, Warsaw, Riga, Rome, Vilnius, Oslo, Barcelona and, in a regular charter basis, to Sharm el Sheik, Dubai, Phuket, Tenerife etc. City Airline is a Regional airline based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Czech Airlines jsc (České aerolinie as Trading as Czech Airlines ( Abbreviation: ČSA) is the Czech national Airline EasyJet Airline Company Limited, styled as easyJet, is a low cost airline based at London Luton Airport. AS Estonian Air is an airline based in Tallinn, Estonia. It is a regional airline feeding into the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS network via Stockholm Finnair Plc is Finland 's largest Airline and the Flag carrier, with its headquarters in Vantaa, Finland and its main hub at Helsinki-Vantaa Finnish Commuter Airlines Oy, trading as Finncomm Airlines, is a regional Airline based in Seinäjoki, Finland. FlyLAL (also known as Lithuanian Airlines and LAL) is the national Airline of Lithuania based in Vilnius. FlyNordic was an Airline based in Stockholm, Sweden. It operated scheduled and charter services in Scandinavia and Europe KLM Royal Dutch Airlines ( Dutch: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English translation Norwegian Air Shuttle ( is a Norwegian low-cost airline, with headquarters at Fornebu outside Oslo and its main base at Oslo Airport A/S Air Baltic Corporation, operating as airBaltic, is the Latvian national Airline, based in the capital of Latvia, Riga. Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS) is a multi-national Airline for Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the leading carrier in the Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. ||-||-||-||-||-||-||} Dubrovnik (ˈdǔbro̞ːʋniːk Dalmatian: Ragusa; Latin: Ragusium, also Rhausium, Rhaugia; Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Simferopol (English pronunciation ˌsɪmfəˈroʊpəl (Сімферополь Симферополь Aqmescit literally The white mosque) is the Capital of the ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Sharm el Sheikh (شرم الشيخ Sharm al-Shaykh) often known simply as "Sharm" is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE Phuket (ภูเก็ต pʰuːkɛt formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang, or Junk Ceylon in Western sources a distortion of the Malay Tanjung Tenerife (previously known and spelled as "Teneriffe" in English before mass tourism adopted the Spanish spelling a Spanish Island, is the largest Domestic flights to Kuressaare and Kärdla are operated by Avies. Kuressaare (Arensburg is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. Kärdla is the largest town on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa and the capital of Hiiu County. Avies Air Company is an Airline based in Tallinn, Estonia. It was established and started operations in 1991 and operates charter and air

The construction of the new section of the airport has begun in 2007 and is scheduled to end in summer 2008.

There used to be an hourly helicopter service to and from Helsinki operated by Copterline. History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. Copterline Limited is Finland 's largest Helicopter Airline. In 2004 the company ferried over 75000 passengers This route was advertised as the fastest capital-to-capital link in the world (one way took 18 minutes). Copterline lost one of their helicopters in crash near Tallinn. This, together with decreasing amount of passengers and mechanical trouble with the one remaining helicopter, led to a decision to cancel the helicopter route. Flights will start again in 2008 with a new fleet. The company is calling the inactivity as a temporary break on its web page^[7]. The Copterline Tallinn terminal is located adjacent to Linnahall, only five minutes from the city center. Linnahall (City Hall is a concert/sports venue in Tallinn, Estonia.

Rail and road

The Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Narva, Orava, and Pärnu. Tartu is the second largest City of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual Valga is a town in southern Estonia and the capital of Valga County. Türi is a town in Järvamaa, Estonia. It is located at around. Viljandi (Fellin Felin is a town and municipality in southern Estonia. Tapa is a town in Lääne Viru County, Estonia. It is located at the junction of the country's Tallinn-Narva (west-east and Tallinn-Tartu (north-south railroad Narva is the third largest City in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border on the Narva Orava Parish (Orava vald is a rural municipality in south-eastern Estonia. Pärnu (Pernau Пярну formerly Пернов Parnawa is a City in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay an inlet of the Gulf of Riga Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to Saint Petersburg in Russia and Riga in Latvia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. The GO Rail company operates a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn-Moscow and Tallinn-Saint Petersburg. History Under the name EVR Ekspress, the company had been an operating division of the state railway Eesti Raudtee. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River

Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Paldiski, Klooga and Kloogaranna). Aegviidu is a borough (alev in northern Estonia. Administratively it constitutes Aegviidu Parish (Aegviidu vald — a rural municipality within Harju Keila (Kegel is a town and an urban municipality in Harju County in north-western Estonia. Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea Port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Klooga is a Small borough (alevik in Keila Parish in Harju County in northern Estonia. These are electrified lines and are used by the Elektriraudtee railroad company. Network The Elektriraudtee network extends in two main directions eastward and westward from the capital Tallinn the total length of the lines being 132 km The trains are a mixture of modernised older Soviet EMU's and newly built units. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of 11. 2 kilometres.

The Rail Baltica project, which will link Tallinn with Warsaw via Latvia and Lithuania, will connect Tallinn with the rest of the European rail network. Rail Baltica is a project to link the rail networks of the Baltic States with each other and the rest of Europe A tunnel has been proposed between between Tallinn and Helsinki, though it remains at a planning phase. The Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel is a proposed Undersea tunnel that would connect the Finnish and Estonian capitals.

The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Polish border through Latvia. European route E67 is a Highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland European route E67 is a Highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region.

Frequent and affordable long-distance bus routes connect Tallinn with other parts of Estonia.

Ferry

See also: Ports of the Baltic Sea

Several ferry operators, Viking Line, SuperSeaCat, Linda Line Express, Tallink, Eckerö Line and Nordic Jet Line, connect Tallinn to

• Helsinki (Finland)
• Åland (Finland)
• Stockholm (Sweden)
• Rostock (Germany)

The most popular passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (80 kilometres north of Tallinn) in approximately 90 minutes by fast ferries or 2-3. The MDV1200 class fast ferry (sometimes known as SuperSeaCat after brand some of them operated under are a series of High-speed craft built by Fincantieri This table lists statistics ( 2002) ( Gdańsk, Świnoujście, Szczecin and Helsinki - 2004)( Klaipėda, Lübeck Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands SuperSeaCat is company operating fast ferries between Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. Tallink is an Estonian Shipping company currently operating cruiseferries and Ropax ships from Estonia to Finland, Estonia to ' Eckerö Line and Eckerö Linjen' are two Finnish shipping companies owned by the Åland -based Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö, founded Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Rostock (ˈʁɔstɔk from Polabian Roz toc, literally "to flow apart" is the largest City in the north German state Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. 5 hours by cruiseferries. The Baltic Sea is crossed by several Cruiseferry lines Some important shipping companies are Viking Line, Silja Line, Tallink and

Sister cities

Tallinn participates in international town twinning schemes to foster good international relations. Partners include:

• Dartford, United Kingdom
• Los Gatos, United States
• Schwerin, Germany
• Kiel, Germany
• Ghent, Belgium
• Gothenburg, Sweden
• Malmö, Sweden
• Riga, Latvia
• Annapolis, United States
• Groningen, Netherlands
• Łomża, Poland
• Gdańsk, Poland
• Gdynia, Poland
• Białystok, Poland
• Saint Petersburg, Russia

Tallinn also has a mutual friendship with the city of Portland, Oregon, United States and Kotka, Finland

See also

• Battle of Lyndanisse
• Castrum Danorum
• Eurovision Song Contest 2002
• Legends of Tallinn
• Tallinn TV Tower
• Tõnismägi
• Raeapteek
• Toompea

Gallery

Castle of Toompea		Statue of Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Tallinn	Medieval city centre of Tallinn with Town Hall and marketplace
Another view from the Finnish Gulf to Old Tallinn	The city center (winter 2007)	Viru Hotel

References

External links

General

• The Website of the City of Tallinn (official)
• Tallinn Tourist Information

Travel

• Tallinn on Wikitravel
• Tallinna Lennujaam - Tallinn Airport
• Port of Tallinn
• Tallinn weather
• article in Helsinki Times

Photos and videos

• Digital Tallinn - Virtual tour (panoramas and photos)
• Real-time Web Camera
• QTVR fullscreen panoramas of the Tallinn city

Maps

• Landsat photo of Tallinn, via Google Maps
• Map of Tallinn Old Town
• Map of Greater Tallinn

Other

• Tallinn at the Open Directory Project
• Soviet, Estonian and German Memorials and cemeteries in Tallinn at sites-of-memory.de

Scooch are a British Bubblegum dance group, comprising of performers Natalie Powers, Caroline Barnes, David Ducasse Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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