Estonia and Estonians 2008 Piret Linnamäe
The Estonian national flag
The Estonian coat of arms
Capital: Tallinn Population over 400 000 people
Language: Estonian Estonian is very close to Finnish
The Estonian national anthem My Native Land, My Pride and Joy (Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm) Composed in 1848 by Friedrich Pacius. The Estonian language words were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen.
The cornflower is Estonian national flower
The barn swallow is Estonian national bird
Area: 45 227 sq km
Estonia and Europe
The highest point in Estonia and also in the Baltic states is Suur Munamägi (318 m) The lookout tower
Lake Peipsi (3555 sq km) is the biggest in Estonia and the fourth biggest in Europe
The longest rivers are Võhandu (162 km) and Pärnu (144 km)
Population: 1,4 million people Estonians 65% Russians 28% Ukrainians 2,5% Belorussians 1,5% Finns 1% Others about 2%
National holiday: 24 February (anniversary of the republic)
The President of the republic Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Mrs Evelin Ilves
The President and the First Lady at home
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
There are 15 counties in Estonia
Rapla - the capital of Rapla county Population: 5618 people (01.01.08) The flag of Rapla parish The emblem of Rapla parish
Rapla from the plane
Rapla church (built in 1901, one of only two churches in Estonia with twin towers)
The oldest house in Rapla – the pastor´s house
Rapla stone bridge (built in the end of 19th century)
Alu Population: 886 people (01.01.08)
Alu manor house (built 1862-1868)
Alu park and the ponds
Folk dancers in Rapla costumes Folk dancers in Rapla costumes. Folk dance and singing is very popular in Estonia.
The first all-Estonian Song Festival took place in Tartu in 1869
Folk costumes are always in fashion Tallinn 2007
Estonian traditional food black bread (must leib) potatoes (kartulid) pork (sealiha) blood sausages (verivorstid) sauerkraut (hapukapsas) headcheese (sült) anchovy with spices (vürtsikilu) sour milk with grain flour (kama) smoked sprats in oil (sprotid)
Blood sausages, pork, potatoes, sauerkraut and lingonberry jam – Estonian Christmas meal
Shrove Tuesday always means pea or bean soup and buns with whipped cream
Birthday cake with fresh strawberries – a must in summer