59°22N 24°48E, pop (2000e) 456 000. Seaport capital of Estonia, on S coast of the Gulf of Finland; member of the Hanseatic League; taken by Russia, 1710; capital of independent Estonia, 191840; occupied by Germany in World War 2; airfield; railway; extensive military and naval installations; major transportation junction; electric motors, shipbuilding, superphosphates, shale gas; citadel (13th-c), former Governor's Palace (176773), Toomkirik (cathedral, 13th15th-c); old town a world heritage site.
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| County | Harju County | ||||
| Mayor | Jüri Ratas | ||||
| Area | 159.2 km² | ||||
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Population (as of 2006) - Density |
400,320 and 505,000 in metro 2,524.0/km² |
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| Coordinates | 59°26' N 24°45' E | ||||
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Location of Tallinn |
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Tallinn (recent historical name: Reval) is the capital city and main seaport of Estonia.
Etymology
The origin of the name "Tallinn(a)" is certain to be Estonian, although the original meaning of the name is debated.
Historical names
The German and Swedish name Reval (Latin: Revalia, earlier Swedish language: Räffle) originated from the 13th century Estonian name of the adjacent Estonian county of Rävala.
Geography
Tallinn is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, in north central Estonia.
The largest lake in Tallinn is Lake Ülemiste (covers 9.6 km²).
The highest point of Tallinn, at 64 meters above the sea level, is situated in the district of Nõmme, in the south-west of the city.
In 1154 Tallinn was marked on the world map of the Arab cartographer al-Idrisi.
In 1285 the city became the northernmost member of the Hanseatic League - a mercantile and military alliance of German-dominated cities in Northern Europe.
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.
On 24 February 1918 the Independence Manifesto was proclaimed in Tallinn, followed by German occupation and a war of independence with Russia.
During the 1980 Summer Olympics a regatta was held at Pirita, north-east of central Tallinn.
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;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 |
For local government purposes, Tallinn is subdivided into 8 administrative districts (Estonian: linnaosad, sg. The function of the Administrative Councils is to recommend, to the City
Government and Commissions of the City Council, how the districts should be administered.
Population
Population development| Year | Population |
| 1372 | 3250 |
| 1772 | 6954 |
| 1816 | 12,000 |
| 1834 | 15,300 |
| 1851 | 24,000 |
| 1881 | 45,900 |
| 1897 | 58,800 |
| 1925 | 119,800 |
| 1959 | 283,071 |
| 1989 | 478,974 |
| 1996 | 427,500 |
| 2000 | 400,378 |
| 2005 | 401,694 |
Tallinn's population is registered 401,694 (as of March 2005).
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.
| Nationality | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Estonians | 54.8% |
| Russians | 36.6% |
| Ukrainians | 3.6% |
| Belarusians | 1.9% |
| Others | 3.1% |
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.
Economy
In addition to longtime functions as seaport and capital city, Tallinn has seen development of an information technology sector in recent years;
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 Estonian Business SchoolTourism
Since independence, improving air and sea transport links with Western Europe and Estonia's accession to the European Union have made Tallinn easily accessible to tourists.
The local tourist office sells the "Tallinn Card" which gives the holder free local public transport and entry to most attractions.
Lower Town
This area is one of the best preserved old towns in Europe and the authorities are continuing its rehabilitation after years of neglect.
Transport
City transport
The city operates an extensive system of bus, tram and trolley-bus routes to all districts.
Air
Tallinn Airport is about 4 kilometres from Raekoja plats (Town Hall square);
Several airlines (eg, easyJet, Estonian Air, Finnair, KLM, LOT, Lufthansa and SAS) operate between Tallinn and European cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Kiev, Milan, Moscow, Stockholm, Warsaw and, in a regular charter basis, to Faro Airport in Portugal.
Rail and road
The Edelaraudtee railway company operates train services from Tallinn to Tartu, Valga, Türi, Viljandi, Tapa, Narva, Orava, and Pärnu.
Tallinn also has a commuter rail service running from Tallinn's main rail station (Balti jaam) in two main directions: east (Aegviidu) and to several western destinations (Pääsküla, Keila, Riisipere, Paldiski, Klooga). The first electrified train service in Tallinn was opened in 1924 from Tallinn to Pääsküla, a distance of 11.2 kilometres.
The Via Baltica motorway (part of European route E67 from Helsinki to Prague) connects Tallinn to the Lithuanian/Polish border.
Frequent and affordable long-distance bus routes connect Tallinn with other parts of Estonia.
Ferry
Several ferry operators, Viking Line, Silja Line, Linda Line Express, Tallink and others, connect Tallinn to
Helsinki (Finland) Stockholm (Sweden) Åland (Finland) Saint Petersburg (Russia) Rostock (Germany)The most popular passenger lines connect Tallinn to Helsinki (approximately 80 kilometres north of Tallinn) in less than one hour and twenty minutes by hydrofoil or 4 hours by conventional ferry.
Partner cities
Tallinn participates in international town twinning schemes to foster good international relations. Partners include:
- Dartford, United Kingdom - Los Gatos, California, United States - Schwerin, MV, Germany - Kiel, Germany - Ghent, Belgium - Malmö, Sweden - Rīga, Latvia - Annapolis, Maryland, United States - Groningen, the NetherlandsTallinn also has a mutual friendship with the city of Portland, Oregon, United States
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