1. Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by the Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation. Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic and is divided into 15 counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. With a population of 1.34 million, Estonia is one of the least-populous members of the European Union, Eurozone and NATO. Republic of Estonia prime minister is Andrus Ansip and Republic of Estonia President is Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Human settlement in Estonia became possible 11,000 to 13,000 years ago, when the ice from the last glacial era melted. The oldest known settlement in Estonia is the Pulli settlement, which was on the banks of the river Pärnu, near the town of Sindi, in south-western Estonia. Estonin flag colour in natureMap of Estonia

2. Population The population of Estonia was estimated at 1.43 million in July 2000, with a density of 32 persons per square kilometer, one of the lowest population densities in Europe. Ethnic Estonians, ethnically and linguistically close to the Finns, make up 64 percent of the population, and ethnic Russians (living mostly in and around Narva) form 29 percent of the population. Other minorities include Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Finns.

3. Coat of arms and Flag Coat of arms of Estonia Officially, the state flag is a rectangular piece of cloth which consists of three equal width colour stripes. The correlation of the width and length is less imporatnt, but fixed as 7:11. The usual size is 105x165. As to the exact colours, the black and white pose no problems. The blue is fixed by the Pantone colour scale as 285 C. Popularly it is referred to as cornflower blue.

4. Language Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens ofthousands in various émigré communities. It is a Uralic language and is closely related to Finnish. Estonian belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages, along with Finnish, Karelian, and other nearby languages. The Uralic languages do not belong to the Indo-European languages. Estonian is distantly related to Hungarian. Estonian has been influenced by Swedish, German, and Russian, though it is not related to them genetically. The Estonian dialects are divided into two groups – the northern and southern dialects, usually associated with the cities of Tallinn in the north and Tartu in the south. Like Finnish, Estonian employs the Latin alphabet, in addition to which the Estonian alphabet contains letters ä, ö, ü, and õ, plus the later additions š and ž. Some tong twisters for non Estonian Jäääär (‘edge of the ice’) Õueala (‘courtyard’) Kõueöö (‘night of the thunder’) Puuõõnsus (‘hollow of the tree’) Töö-öö (‘working night’)

5.  Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. Average elevation reaches only 50 meters and the country's highest point is the Suur Munamägi, whose tip is 318 metres above sea level.  The number of islands and islets is estimated at some 1,500. Two of them are large enough to constitute separate counties: Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. The islands are on the migratory route for waterfowl. Twice a year several hundreds of thousands of birds are visitors in Estonia.  A small, recent cluster of meteorite craters, the largest of which is called Kaali is found on Saaremaa.  Estonia has over 1,400 lakes. Most are very small, but the largest, Lake Peipsi, is 3,555 km2 and is the fourth largest freshwater lake in Europe.  Estonia has numerous fens and bogs.  Estonia has four seasons of near-equal length. Snow cover usually lasts from mid-December to late March. In summer Estonia has an added bonus – the white nights.  Forest covers over one half of Estonia. The most common types of tree are pine, spruce and birch. There are some 11 700 elks, 50 000 roe deers, 17 000 wild boars, 17 000 beavers, 800 lynxes, 600 bears and 100 wolves.  Meadows in Estonia are rich in different species. In one wooded meadow you can find 74 different species of flora per square metre. Nowadays, such meadows can only be found in Estonia. Rare and beautiful species of orchids can be found on Saaremaa.

6.  Estonia has chosen her own national flower and national bird and even her own national stone, which seems to be a rarity among other national symbols. True to their name, the barnswallows build their cup- shaped mud nests on human-made structures. They feed on insects caught in graceful aerobatics. In late summer they gather in large flocks for migrating. Estonia lies on a thick layer of limestone which is visible on the steep banks of northern and western Estonia. Most castles, churches, farm buildings, and countless stone fences are made of limestone. The blue cornflower symbolizes daily bread to Estonians as it usually grows in crop fields.

7.  The tradition of Estonian Song Festivals started at the height of the Estonian National Awakening in 1869. Today, it is one of the largest amateur choral events in the world, as the joint choir usually comprises 18,000 people. Estonians are known to have sung their way to freedom during the "Singing Revolution" of 1989-91.  A very important date in the estonian calendar is the 23rd of June, Jaanipäev (St John’s day). This tradition is very old, it dates back even before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia. Estonian people celebrate at this time the arrival of the summer as well as an important victory for the independance of the country. The lighting of the traditional bonfires became linked with the ideals of independence and freedom.  Estonian Christmas traditions have their roots in pagan rituals. What is now the Christmas celebration directly corresponds with the pagan winter solstice celebration. During Christmas period, Estonians work less, visit friends and family, and receive the declaration of Christmas peace from the Estonian president.

8. Meeting and Greeting Greetings are formal and rather reserved Men initiating greetings with women The younger initiating greetings with the older A good firm handshake accompanied with direct eye contact is the norm

9. Meeting and Greeting The most common greeting is "tere" (hello) Estonians, as a people, are slightly cool and detached, so do not misinterpret a lack of smiles as unfriendliness Titles are very important. Use "Härra" (Mr.), "Proua" (Mrs.), or "Preili" (Miss) followed by the surname

10. Communication : Estonians are direct communicators, they say what they mean and mean what they say Silence is often used to collect thoughts in order to respond to delicate questions Conversations at the start of a relationship will be pragmatic and reserved A certain level of professionalism and respect should always be demonstrated until a relationship warms up It is important to always keep to your word and deliver on what you promise Never lose your temper or raise your voice as this will damage your standing

11. Meetings in Estonian are formal. It is proper etiquette for the most senior figure of the team will usually open proceedings with a short speech and introductions. Similarly the most senior member of the other team should give a short speech thanking their hosts and introducing themselves. Small talk, if it occurs, is short and simple Meetings and Negotiations

12. It is recommended to send an agenda. If possible, have all written materials translated. Presentations should be a blend of visual and oral information backed with accurate figures. Good eye contact with all the attendees is important. The key to success is a good, firm proposal that offers long-term gains accompanied by a building of trust. It generally takes several meetings to reach a decision. Always maintain your cool.