Estonia is a parliamentary republic in the Baltic States on the Baltic Sea coast. More than 50 percent of the country's land area consists of forests, which are home to moose, brown bears and wolves. The country, which was once part of the Soviet Union, is culturally strongly oriented toward its northern neighbor Finland. The capital and economic center is Tallinn. Its Old Town was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Tallinn is also home to the largest art museum in the Baltic states. The country's second largest city, Tartu, will be one of three European Capitals of Culture in 2024.
