Tallinn

Tallinn

Flag Coat of Arms
County	Harju County
Mayor	Tõnis Palts
Area	159.2 km²
Population (as of 2005)  - Density	401,821 2,524.0/km²
Time zone  - Summer (DST)	EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3)
Coordinates	59°26' N 24°45' E
Location of Tallinn

Tallinn (historical German and Swedish name: Reval) is the Capital city and main seaport of Estonia. It is located on Estonia's north coast to the Baltic Sea, 80 kilometres south of Helsinki.

Etymology

Tallinna replaced the previously used official name Reval in 1918, when Estonia became independent. In the early 1920s the official spelling of the city name was changed from Tallinna to Tallinn, making the new name notable since Estonian-language placenames generally end with a vowel. However, somewhat confusingly to non-Estonian speakers, the word Tallinna still appears in modern Tallinn as the -a suffix can denote the genitive case (thus Tallinna Lennujaam translates literally as Tallinn's Airport).

Geography

The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (covers 9,6 km²). It is the main source of the city's drinking water. Lake Harku is the second lake within the borders of Tallinn and its area is 1,6 km². Unlike many of the large towns, the only larger river in Tallinn is located in Pirita (city district counted as a suburb). The river valley is a protected area because of its natural beauty.

A Limestone Cliff runs through the city. It is exposed, for instance, at Toompea and Lasnamäe. However, Toompea is not a part of the cliff, but a separate hill.

The highest point of Tallinn which is 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of Nõmme, in the south-western part of the city.

The length of the coastline is 46 kilometers. It comprises 3 bigger peninsulas: Kopli peninsula, Paljassaare peninsula and Kakumäe peninsula.

History

The southern coast of the Gulf of Finland is thought to have been settled by Finnic-speaking tribes already in the 2nd millennium BC.

In 1154 Tallinn was marked on the world map of the Arab cartographer Al Idrisi. As an important port for trade between Russia and Scandinavia it became a target for the expansion of the Kingdom of Denmark, who ruled the region after 1219. During this period the local population accepted Christianity during the Northern Crusades. In 1285 the city became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe. The Danes sold Tallinn along with their other land possessions in northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order in 1345. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The city, with a population of 8,000, was very well fortified with city walls and 66 defense towers.

With the start of the reformation the German influence became even stronger. In 1561 Tallinn became a dominion of Sweden.

During the Great Northern War the Swedish troops based in Tallinn capitulated to Imperial Russia in 1710, but the local Baltic German rulers retained their cultural and economical autonomy within Tsarist Russia. The 19th century brought industrialization of the city and the port kept its importance. During the last decades of the century Russification became stronger.

In February 1918 a new independent Estonian republic was born and Tallinn became its capital. During World War II Estonia was first occupied by the USSR in 1940-41, by Nazi Germany in 1941-44, and then again by the USSR in 1944. As Estonia was forcibly annexed into the Soviet Union, Tallinn became the capital of the Estonian SSR.

During the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held in Tallinn. Many buildings, like hotel "Olümpia", the new Main Post Office building, and the Regatta Center, were built for the Olympics.

In August 1991 an independent democratic Estonian state was re-established and a period of quick development to a modern European capital ensued.

Tallinn has historically consisted of three parts:

• the Toompea (Domberg) or "Cathedral Hill", which was the seat of the central authority, first the ruling bishops, then the Teutonic Order, then the Baltic German nobility; it is today the seat of the Estonian government and many embassies and residencies.
• the Old Town, which is the old Hanseatic town, the "city of the citizens" - this was not administratively united with the Hill until the late 19th century. It was the center of the medieval trade on which it grew prosperous.
• the Estonian town forms a crescent to the south of the Old Town, where the Estonians came to settle. It was not until the mid-19th century that ethnic Estonians replaced the local Baltic Germans as the majority amongst the residents of Tallinn.

Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997.

At the end of the 15th century a new 159 m high Gothic spire was built for St. Olav's Church. Between 1549 and 1625 it was the tallest building in the world. After several fires and following rebuilding, its overall height is now 123 m.

Administrative districts

District	Area	Population
Haabersti	18.6 km²	35,000
Kesklinn	28.0 km²	34,985
Kristiine	9.4 km²	27,531
Lasnamäe	30.0 km²	108,644
Mustamäe	8.0 km²	62,219
Nõmme	28.0 km²	35,043
Pirita	18.7 km²	8,507
Põhja-Tallinn	17.3 km²	52,573

Population

Population development:

15th century: 8,000

1816: 12,000

1834: 15,300

1851: 24,000

1881: 45,900

1897: 58,800

1925: 119,800

1989: 500,000+

2000: 340,000

2005: 401,694

According to Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, of all EU member states' capital cities, Tallinn has the largest number of non-EU nationals: 27.8% of its population are not EU citizens. This happened because large numbers of non-Estonians, mostly Russians, participated in the planned immigration from other Soviet republics to Tallinn and other locations in Northern Estonia during Soviet times and, as of now, many of them have not received Estonian citizenship.

In addition to the native Estonian language (which is of the Finno-Ugric group, closely related to the Finnish language), Finnish, Russian and English are widely understood in Tallinn.

Education

• Tallinn Pedagogical University (new name Tallinn University)
• Estonian Academy of Music
• Estonian Academy of Art
• Estonian Academy of State Defence
• Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Institute of Theology

Transport

Air

Rail and road

The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Polish border.

Tallinn also has a commuter railroad service running from Tallinn's main railroad station (Balti jaam) in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and several destinations in west (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Paldiski, Klooga). These lines are electrified and are serviced by Elektriraudtee railroad company. Some of the trains are older Soviet EMU's, some are modernised and some newer trains have also been put into exploitation. The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla. The line was 11.2 km long.

Ferry

• Helsinki (Finland)
• Stockholm (Sweden)
• Åland (Finland)
• Saint Petersburg (Russia)
• Rostock (Germany)

See also: Ports of the Baltic Sea

See also

• Tallinn TV Tower
• Legends of Tallinn