Tartu (Tartu linn)
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is 186 km southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the two largest lakes in Estonia, Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipus. From the 13th century until the end of the 19th century, Tartu was known in most of the world by variants of its historical name Dorpat.
Tartu, the largest urban centre of southern Estonia, is often considered the "intellectual capital city" of the country, especially as it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu (founded in 1632). Tartu also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian National Museum, and the oldest Estonian-language theatre, Vanemuine. It is also the birthplace of the Estonian Song Festivals.
Tartu will be the European Capital of Culture in 2024.
Since Estonia became an independent country in 1918, the Estonian-language Tartu, alternative South Estonian spelling: Tarto) has been the only name in official use but throughout its history there have also been various names for it in other languages. Most of them derive ultimately from the earliest attested form, the Estonian Tarbatu. In German, Swedish and Polish the town has been known, and up until the 20th century was sometimes referred to, as , a variant of Tarbatu. In Russian the city has been known as Юрьев (Yur′yev, after Yuri, the baptismal name of grand prince Yaroslav I the Wise) and as Дерпт (Derpt, from the Low German variant of Dorpat). Similarly the city has been known as Tērbata in Latvian, and Finnish speakers use the toponym Tartto. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river whose name ema jõgi translates to modern Estonian as ‘mother river’.
Tartu, the largest urban centre of southern Estonia, is often considered the "intellectual capital city" of the country, especially as it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu (founded in 1632). Tartu also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian National Museum, and the oldest Estonian-language theatre, Vanemuine. It is also the birthplace of the Estonian Song Festivals.
Tartu will be the European Capital of Culture in 2024.
Since Estonia became an independent country in 1918, the Estonian-language Tartu, alternative South Estonian spelling: Tarto) has been the only name in official use but throughout its history there have also been various names for it in other languages. Most of them derive ultimately from the earliest attested form, the Estonian Tarbatu. In German, Swedish and Polish the town has been known, and up until the 20th century was sometimes referred to, as , a variant of Tarbatu. In Russian the city has been known as Юрьев (Yur′yev, after Yuri, the baptismal name of grand prince Yaroslav I the Wise) and as Дерпт (Derpt, from the Low German variant of Dorpat). Similarly the city has been known as Tērbata in Latvian, and Finnish speakers use the toponym Tartto. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river whose name ema jõgi translates to modern Estonian as ‘mother river’.
Map - Tartu (Tartu linn)
Map
Country - Estonia
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| Flag of Estonia | |
The land of what is now modern Estonia has been inhabited by Homo sapiens since at least 9,000 BC. The medieval indigenous population of Estonia was one of the last pagan civilisations in Europe to adopt Christianity following the Papal-sanctioned Livonian Crusade in the 13th century. After centuries of successive rule by the Teutonic Order, Denmark, Sweden, and the Russian Empire, a distinct Estonian national identity began to emerge in the mid-19th century. This culminated in the 24 February 1918 Estonian Declaration of Independence from the then warring Russian and German Empires. Democratic throughout most of the interwar period, Estonia declared neutrality at the outbreak of World War II, but the country was repeatedly contested, invaded and occupied, first by the Soviet Union in 1940, then by Nazi Germany in 1941, and was ultimately reoccupied in 1944 by, and annexed into, the USSR as an administrative subunit (Estonian SSR). Throughout the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation, Estonia's de jure state continuity was preserved by diplomatic representatives and the government-in-exile. Following the bloodless Estonian "Singing Revolution" of 1988–1990, the nation's de facto independence from the Soviet Union was restored on 20 August 1991.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| ET | Estonian language |
| RU | Russian language |