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
Other historical names of Tallinn include Kolyvan, Lyndanisse (Ledenets), and Reval (Revel), which originates from the 13th century name of the adjacent Estonian county of Revalia (Rävala). The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to have been Estonian, however the original meaning of the name is still debated. While it is usually thought to be derived from "Taani-linn(a)" (meaning "Danish-castle/town"), it may also have come from "tali-linna" ("winter-castle/town"), or "talu-linna" ("house/farmstead-castle/town"). The element -linna, like German -burg and Slavic -grad originally meant "castle" but is used as a suffix in the formation of town names.
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
Tallinn is situated on southern coast of Gulf of Finland, in north central Estonia.
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
In order to better fulfill the functions of local government, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative districts (est: linnaosad, sg. - linnaosa). The district governments are city institutions that fulfill, in the territory of their district, the functions assigned to them by Tallinn legislation and statutes.
The government of each district is managed by an Elder (est: linnaosavanem), who is appointed by the City Government, upon the proposal of the Mayor and after having heard the opinion of the Administrative Councils. The function of the Administrative Councils is to make recommendations to the City Government and Commissions of the City Council for better organization of governmental work and life in the administrative territory.
| 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
The population is about 500,400 (2000), registered 401,694 (March 2005).
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 is the location of Tallinn University of Technology, as well as other institutions of higher education and science, including:
- 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
Tallinn is served by Tallinn Airport located in close proximity to the centre of the city, about 4 km from the town hall square. A bus line connects the airport to central Tallinn. In addition to ordinary plane connections to a variety of European destinations, there is an hourly helicopter service to Helsinki operated by Copterline at 189 euros one-way and advertised as the fastest capital-to-capital link in the world. More modestly priced advance bookings for less than 50 euros are available. Copterline leaves from Linnahall, an events hall on the outskirts of the old town.
Rail and road
The Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Narva, Orava, and Pärnu. Buses are also available to all these and various other destinations in Estonia, as well as to St Petersburg in Russia and Riga in Latvia. The EVR Ekspress company operates a daily international sleeper train service between Tallinn and Moscow.
The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Polish border.
Ferry
Several ferries operating under Viking Line, Silja Line, Linda Line Express, Tallink, and others, connect Tallinn to
See also: Ports of the Baltic Sea
See also
External links
