Estonia

American  

[e-stoh-nee-uh, e-stohn-yuh] / ɛˈstoʊ ni ə, ɛˈstoʊn yə /

Also Esthonia

noun

1. a republic in N Europe, on the Baltic, S of the Gulf of Finland: an independent republic 1918–40; annexed by the Soviet Union 1940; regained independence 1991. 17,413 sq. mi. (45,100 sq. km). Tallinn.

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Estonia British  

/ ɛˈstəʊnɪə, ɛˈstəʊnɪə, ɛˈsθəʊ- /

noun

1. a republic in NE Europe, on the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic: low-lying with many lakes and forests, it includes numerous islands in the Baltic Sea. It was under Scandinavian and Teutonic rule from the 13th century to 1721, when it passed to Russia: it was an independent republic from 1920 to 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union; became independent in 1991 and joined the EU in 2004. Official language: Estonian. Religion: believers are mostly Christian. Currency: kroon. Capital: Tallinn. Pop: 1 266 375 (2013 est). Area: 45 227 sq km (17 462 sq miles)

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Estonia Cultural  

1. Republic on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the south, Russia to the east, and, separated by the Gulf of Finland, Finland to the north. Estonia also includes several hundred small islands in the Baltic. Its capital and largest city is Tallinn.

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Discover More

Although more closely related by race, language, culture, and history to Scandinavia and Germany than to Russia, after 1721 Estonia was subject to Russian rule. The country briefly achieved independence in the years between World War I and World War II. It resisted integration with the Soviet Union but was forcibly annexed in 1940. In 1991, Estonia was one of the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence as the communist system and the Soviet Union collapsed.

Example Sentences

And in eastern Estonia and neighboring Latvia, thousands of soldiers from across the North Atlantic Treaty Organization conduct an annual large-scale military exercise with heavy military equipment—and hundreds of drones.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Several Russian and Ukrainian drones have crashed in Latvia -- and neighbouring Lithuania and Estonia -- since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

In Nurmsi, Estonia, the government last year opened a first-of-its-kind drone training center to allow Estonia and other allies to test drones by a grass-covered airfield surrounded by some of the country’s vast pine forests.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Would he travel 5,000 miles to fight a war, especially on behalf of a country, like Estonia, that’s about the same size as Maryland?

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and others were divided between Hitler and Stalin.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys