Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ESTONIA
Eesti
Estonians are related to the Finns and have a similar history—first Swedish
domination, then Russian (1710-1918), and finally independence after World
WarI.In1940,EstonianswereatleastasaffluentandasadvancedastheFinns,
but they could not preserve their independence from Soviet expansion during
World War II. As a result, Estonia sank into a 50-year communist twilight from
whichitisstillemerging.In2004,Estoniatookasignificantstepforwardwhen
it joined the European Union. Estonia switched its currency from the krooni to
the euro in January of 2011.
EstoniawillalwaysfacebothWest,acrosstheBaltic;andEast,intotheRus-
sian hinterlands. After the Cold War, the pendulum has swung further West. EU
membership seemedlikeanaturalsteptomanyEstonians; theyalreadythought
of themselves as part of the Nordic world. Language, history, religion, and
twice-hourly ferry departures connect Finns and Estonians. Only 50 miles sep-
arate Helsinki and Tallinn, and Stockholm is just an overnight boat ride away.
Finns visit Tallinn to eat, drink, and shop more cheaply than at home. While
some Estonians resent how Tallinn becomes a Finnish nightclub on summer
weekends,mostpeopleonbothsidesarehappytohavefriendlynewneighbors.
One problematic legacy of the Soviet experience is Estonia's huge Russian
population. Most Estonian Russians' parents and grandparents were brought
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