What Is The Capital City Of Estonia?

The Northern European nation of Estonia is bordered by Russia and Latvia to the east and south, respectively. The country has a coastline on the Gulf of Finland to the north and the Baltic Sea to the west. The Lake Peipus lies to the east of the country. Estonia occupies an area of 45,227 square km including a mainland and 2,222 islands. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia as well as the country's most populated city. 

What Type Of Government Does Estonia Have?

The country is a parliamentary representative democratic. Here, the Prime Minister serves as the head of government while the President of Estonia is the head of state. The former and his council of ministers from the executive branch of the government. The parliament or the Riigikogu is the legislative body of the government and consists of elected representatives. The Riigikogu is tasked with drafting and passing laws, appointing the higher officials including the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, etc. The Chief Justice leads the judicial section of the Estonian government.

What Is The Capital Of Estonia?

Estonia’s most populous city, Tallinn, is the capital of the country. The city occupies an area of 159.2 square km. The population of the city is about 450,305 and it has a population density of 2,800 persons per square km. The metropolitan area of Tallinn has a population of around 610,468.

Where Is The Capital Of Estonia Located?

Tallinn is located in north-western Estonia on the Gulf of Finland’s southern coast.

History Of Tallinn

The region that is now Tallinn started as a fortified settlement that existed at least since the 1st millennium BC. By the 12th century, the settlement had grown into a town. Denmark captured the town in 1219 since it was located on the important trade route between Scandinavia and Russia. The control of Tallinn later passed on to the Teutonic Knights in 1346 and then on to Sweden in 1561. For a long period in its history, beginning in 1710, Tallinn became part of the Russian Empire after Peter I captured the city. Between 1918 and 1940, Tallinn served as the capital city of independent Estonia. German forces occupied the city from 1941 to 1944 and ravaged the city during this time. For several decades since then, Tallinn lost its glory after Estonia became part of the Soviet Union. It was only after the dissolution of the Union that Estonia once more emerged as an independent state in 1991. Since then, Tallinn has served as the capital of this country and has rapidly progressed in many fields to emerge as a well-developed global European city.

Role Of Tallinn As The Capital City Of Estonia?

Today, Tallinn serves as the seat of the national government of Estonia. The Toompea Castle located on the Toompea hill in the central part of the city houses the Estonian Parliament. The official residence of the Prime Minister of the country called the Stenbock House is also located on the Toompea hill. The Presidential Palace of Estonia, the ministries of the government, and other government offices are also located here. Tallinn is not only the political hub of Estonia but also the country’s most important center of education, finance, and culture. Tallinn is nicknamed the Silicon Valley of Europe as it has the highest number of startups per capita in the continent. Many popular international companies like Skype were born here.