Flag of Estonia

Estonia

EuropeEN January 20, 2026
Map of Estonia
Locator map of Estonia

Background

After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries -- it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in 2004, formally joined the OECD in 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency in 2011.

Quick Facts

Capital
Tallinn
Population
1,340,478
Area
45,228 sq km
GDP
$42.765 billion
GDP per Capita
$41,500
Life Expectancy
78.4 years
Government
Parliamentary republic
Languages
Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.)