E as in Estonian
If you (for some strange reason) have come up with an idea to learn a little bit of Estonian, then here are some not so good news for you. Estonian language is one of the world's most difficult languages to learn especially for English-speakers. Unlike other European languages, which belong to the Indo-European group, Estonian belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family. Hungarian and Finnish are also in the same group and Estonian is quite similar to Finnish in fact. But yes, with its 14 cases and vowels like õ, ä, ö, ü, it does not exactly bring
joy to learn the language!
For Estonians though, our identity is closely connected to the language and we value our language and culture very much. Therefore it is natural that Estonians speak Estonian. Russian is spoken by about 25% of people in Estonia.

S as in Singing
Big part in winning our independence from the USSR was played by an event popularly known as the "Singing Revolution". Incredibly, we managed to defeat one of the world's most repressive governments bloodless by singing national songs as rock musicians played in the background. As the movement progressed, up to 3 00 000 people (about one-fourth of the population) were turning up to sing every day.
Estonia is second only to Ireland in Europe when it comes to folkloric history, stories, legends and songs. The Estonian Song Festival first held in 1869, takes place every five years. In 2009, 26 000+ choral singers gathered to perform for an audience of 80 000 people. It is recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

T as in Tallinn
Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400 000. Tallinn is one of the best retained medieval European towns, with its web of winding cobblestone streets and properties, from the 11th to 15th centuries, preserved nearly in its
entirety.
This might surprise some people but Tallinn can proudly play host to the only surviving gothic Town Hall in Northern Europe. It has been the heart of the city throughout the centuries.

O as in Occupation
The settlement of modern day Estonia began around 8500 BC, immediately after the Ice Age. Over the centuries, the Estonians were subjected to Danish, Teutonic, Swedish and Russian rule.
Estonia was occupied by the Soviets for decades but people see themselves as more influenced by Nordic tastes and traditions - Scandinavia with a twist. Occupation by Germans, Swedes and Russians has influenced the architecture of cathedrals, cobbled streets, manor houses and palaces.

N as in Nature
This small country welcomes you with unspoilt nature. Estonia is about 50% forest. Hiking trails criss cross the forests.
Estonia has more than 1 500 islands, 1 000 lakes (5 per cent of the Estonian territory), 7 000 rivers and streams. Bogs and wooded swamplands of different types cover over one fifth of the country. Lake Peipsi is Estonia's largest lake, and it is the fourth largest and the biggest transboundary lake in Europe.
Estonia is a sea country - the length of coastline (3,800 km) is about 6 times longer than the mainland borders. Estonia’s coastline has hundreds of deserted beaches. Even in the height of summer you can find private space for yourself.

I as in Innovation
Would any one guess that the world communication phenomenon Skype came from Estonia? (It`s okay, no offense taken.) And more strangely it was developed by a group of men including an Estonian man called Jaan Tallinn? Well, it’s all true.
Estonia has been called the high-tech heaven and Tallinn has been dubbed by the foreign media as “the Hong Kong of the Baltics”, “one of the seven most intelligent cities in the world”, the “boom town of the new Europe” and the “tiger of the north”. All schools in Tallinn have internet connections, more than 90% of all bank transactions are conducted online, and there are more mobile phones than residents. Not to mention the ability to pay for parking tickets and bus passes by sending text messages from a mobile phone, online elections and free internet connections in public places. Estonia also has e-government: cabinet meetings are almost paperless, with each minister following the agenda on a flat-screen monitor. Estonia has come up with most of these solutions first in the world. Tallinn is a city where you can log on to the internet via WiFi from practically anywhere. Even the loneliest and most remote areas are covered with mobile transmitter masts and visitors are stunned to see “@” signs even between forests indicating the locations of public Internet sites. Vast internet and mobile coverage, software development and e-elections have made it to the front pages of world newspapers.
For us Estonians, all this has become normal and elementary. Most of us don`t imagine being obligated to make a trip to the bank teller instead of quickly and conveniently managing our money online. Or having to deal with coins instead of just texting a message (the fee is added to his or her phone bill).

A as in Astonishing
Having read all that, don`t you agree?