Did you know that Estonia has performed one of the highest internet penetrations in the world?  Estonia is considered technologically most advanced among the new EU member states. The Estonian Parliament has declared internet access a basic human right, and is ahead of EU countries like France and Italy when it comes to the use of mobile phones and internet connections. "If the Internet was reborn as a country, it would be Estonia" (UN Development program administrator M.M. Brown).

To learn more about how the tiny country leads internet revolution, click here.

Tallinn is the oldest and the northmost of the three Baltic capitals, being even older than Stockholm and Helsinki. Tallinn Old Town - unique, medieval and romantic; its value lies first and foremost in the well-preserved completeness of its medieval milieu and structure, which has been lost in most of the capitals of northern Europe. Since 1997, the Old Town of Tallinn has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Its powerful defensive structures have protected Tallinn from being destroyed in wars, and its lack of wooden buildings has protected it from burning down. But it is also crucial that Tallinn hasn’t been massively rebuilt in the interest of dispensing with the old and modernising the town ...

Photo: Viru Street in Tallinn Old Town

• income tax;
• value-added tax (VAT);
• social tax (social security contributions);
• excise taxes (tobacco, alcoholic beverages, motor fuel, motor vehicles, packages);
• gambling tax;
• land tax.

Source: Times

Old town streets in Tallinn, Estonia.

Peeter Viisimaa / Getty

Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and the European Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern market economy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of its currency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by developments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major trading partners.

Foreign investors are guaranteed a level playing field with local firms, which include unrestricted repatriation of profits and capital along with the right to own land. There is a rapidly expanding supply of high quality commercial and office property, including a growing number of industrial parks. The establishment of free zones at Muuga Port and in Sillamäe has further enhanced Estonia's attractiveness to foreign investors.

Many costs such as energy, labour, transport services, telecommunications and property expenses are considerably lower than in other parts of the Baltic Sea Region. Nevertheless, Estonia has acquired a well-deserved reputation for the high quality of its products. Covering a wide range of industries, investors find they can achieve Scandinavian quality levels at lower costs.

Estonia is one of the leaders in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of foreign direct investments (FDI) per capita, 1653 EUR in 2005. The stock of total FDI peaked at 7682 EUR per capita. Estonian companies have made significant foreign investments of its own, mainly in Latvia and Lithuania. But also in Russia, Giorgia and Ukraine.

As of January 1 next year, new businesses will be able to register on a newly created central information portal on the Internet, obviating the need to make a trip to the notary public or take a pile of documents to a government office.

Forms for applying for permissions, opening companies etc in the internet are available here.  

A travelling exhibition of forts and fortifications is due for the opening the Nelja Kuninga Tee.

The opening of the Nelja Kuninga Tee tourism route (“The Four Kings Path”), marking the 665th anniversary of the Jurioo Uprising, will be launched by a travelling exhibition between forts and fortifications. The 160 km hiking trail will be launched at the beginning of May. It will go through three counties and starts at Padise and ends at Paide. Four Estonian tribal chiefs – who were called kings – participated in the uprising in 1343 and took this journey to negotiate with the German Teutonic Order but were executed. Torches will be lit along the trail and an amateur acting troupe will perform the story of the kings. The first to test the route will be schoolchildren, then the first group of tourists from Finland are expected.

Eesti Paevaleht 2008-03-17 (by Baltic Stand By)

by Mart Laar

(Source: The Heritage Foundation as of 07.08.07)

Estonia is a small country in Northern Europe on the Baltic Sea, at the crossroads of East and West, South and North. Samuel Huntington states that the Estonian border is a border of Western civilization, a border where civilizations clash.[1] This has made Esto­nia interesting to historians but hard for people who live there.

Throughout history, Estonians have had to fight for their freedom. In 1918, Estonia declared indepen­dence. It was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 during the Second World War. We fought the commu­nist terror during the war but were defeated. As a result of the occupation, Estonia lost nearly 20 percent of its population.

• Tallinn nominated among the Worlds’ Top 7 most intelligent cities (2007)
• Former Prime Minister of Estonia wins Friedman Prize for Liberty (read more)
• Tallinn rated first among 21 European Cities according to Mobile Readiness Index (read more)
• Intelligent Community Forum Announced  Smart21 Comminities of the Year, where Tallinn was listed amongst the top 21 communities, which is considered a significant badge of honor (read more)
• Economic growth in Estonia 11.7% in the IIQ of 2006, being the fastest in in the EU, and twice faster than a year before (Ministry of Finance of Estonia
• Estonia was named the world’s freest country according to The 2006 State of World Liberty Index (read more)
• Economic growth in Estonia 12% in the IQ of 2006, being the highest in Europe (Äripäev 8.6.06)
• International Credit Ratings: Moody’s: A1; Standard&Poor’s: A, outlook positive; Fitch: AA, outlook positive
• According to Eurostat, Estonia performed high growth in retail trade in the IQ of 2006, ranking 17%
• Estonia Ranked 20th in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, outranking even United Kingdom and Germany (11.05.2006)
• New: Flight route Barcelona-Tallinn was opened by Estonian-Air
• Estonia to perform the fourth biggest budget surplus in the EU after Denmark, Sweden and Finland, and the smallest public dept in the EU - respectively 1,6% of GDP and 4.8% of GDP(Eurostat, April 2006)
• Estonian exports up by 28% in February compared to last year, imports up by 25% (Äripäev, February 2006)
• Estonia received the second-highest credit rating in Eastern Europe
• The Heritage Foundation´s Index of Economic Freedom places Estonia number 4 in the world, after Hong Kong, Singapore and Luxembourg 
• Estonias economy grew 10% in the second quarter in 2005, exports grew 28.5% during the first half a year, exceeding all previsions and broadcasts 
• Estonia´s government plans to cover Estonia with wireless internet network
• Estonia remains on track for switching to EURO in 2007
• mobile penetration in Estonia grew up to 100 %
• Life expectancy of men in Estonia the shortest in the European Union
• Estonians can vote via internet in the local elections
• Kazaa and Skype are both developed by Estonian youngsters
• Estonia shares the world how e-government works
• 80% of payments is made via internet in Estonia 
• Estonia has the biggest singing choir in the world
• Tallinn is the oldest capital in Northern Europe, being put on the world map in the year 1154 
• Tallinn once hosted the highest building in the world
• New York Times finds Tallinn the "Party Capital of the World" - for its "full-time party culture"
• Tallinn hosts the oldest apothecary in Europe

Other..