EESTI

Eesti is the Estonian name for the country of Estonia and for the Estonian language. In English, the country is typically called Estonia and the language Estonian, but in everyday Estonian usage Eesti denotes both the land and its language. The term reflects the native self-designation of the nation.

Estonia is located in Northern Europe in the Baltic region, bordered to the south by Latvia and to the north by the Gulf of Finland. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. The country covers roughly 45,000 square kilometers and has a population of about 1.3 million. It is a member of the European Union and NATO, joined the euro area in 2011, and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007.

The Estonian language, or eesti keel, is a Finnic language in the Finno-Ugric language family. It is closely related to Finnish and is the official language of the country. About 1.1–1.3 million people speak Estonian, including communities abroad. Estonian uses the Latin alphabet and includes the diacritic letters ä, ö, ü, and õ.

Estonia has a distinct cultural and historical identity. The country regained its independence in 1991 after Soviet occupation, having previously declared independence in 1918. It joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2011. Estonia is noted for its advanced digital society, e-government, and e-residency initiatives, as well as a vibrant cultural scene that includes the traditional Song and Dance Festival.