Estonia

Estonia is a country in northeastern Europe bordered by Latvia, Russia, the Gulf of Finland, and the Baltic Sea. Tallinn is both its capital and largest city, and Estonian is the official language. The country has a low, generally flat landscape marked by forests, wetlands, lakes, and more than 2,000 islands. Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic countries.

Over the centuries, Estonia was governed at different times by Danish, German, Swedish, and Russian powers. It declared independence in 1918 but was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, followed by German occupation and renewed Soviet control. Estonia restored its independence in 1991 following the largely peaceful Singing Revolution. It joined NATO and the European Union in 2004 and has since become known for its advanced digital government and technology sector.