Estonia is quite a well-kept secret, still relatively unknown in many parts of the world. Across the bay from Finland and Sweden, we are a country of only 1.3 million residents living on 45 000 square kilometres. What we lack in numbers, however, we more than make up for in spirit and big ideas! Here are just some of the reasons why we think Estonia is an awesome place:
Perfectly natural.
1955_Girl by lake_Renee Altrov_2.jpg Almost a third of all Estonians live in the capital city – Tallinn. And yet we never feel overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of city life, because wherever you are in Estonia, untouched wilderness is only 30 minutes away. Over 50% of the country is covered in forests, the air quality is one of the best in the world, and yet you still get the big city feel while walking between the skyscrapers in Tallinn. Usually, those two things don’t go together, but Estonians wouldn’t have it any other way!
Startup spirit.
2595_Estonianmafia Wall of Fame_Andres Raudjalg_2.jpgEstonia has a vibrant and welcoming start-up community. This community supports abitious individuals and ideas. Through that Estonians have created extremely successful unicorns in the recent years, such as Wise, Bolt, Fortumo, Veriff, ID.me, Playtech, Pipedrive, Gelato, Erply, Glia etc. Promoting an entrepreneurial mindset is a big thing in Estonian schools, universities and in the wider society – that is why most universities have startup programs for their students and startup entrepreneurship is even being taught as a separate curriculum.
Sweating in the sauna.
136_Traditional Sauna_Tõnu Runnel.jpg Estonians, similarly to our beloved neighbours the Finns, love a good sauna. For some people, sitting half-naked in a small dark room with sweat dripping from their every pore is not a fun Sunday evening. For Estonians, no summer evening or cold winter day is complete without an invigorating sauna session. Also, believe it or not, some of the most important business deals of Estonians have been made in the sauna.
Digital everything.
1650_e-Residency kit_Renee Altrov.jpg Estonians hate unnecessary bureaucracy. Don’t get us wrong, we still occasionally need to fill in some paperwork or stand in a long line at the bank, but most things we can get done online in the comfort of our own homes in just a few minutes. Whether you’re checking your bank balance, applying for a scholarship, declaring your taxes, or voting (yes, even that) – it’s as easy as opening Instagram on your smartphone. We even went as far as to start an e-residency program, which means anyone in the world can become a digital citizen of Estonia.
Excellent education.
107_Pupil_Tõnu Runnel.jpg As a small country, we need to come up with new solutions for being more efficient and productive. We rely on the next generations to keep improving our way of life, which is why education is so important. We must be doing something right because according to the PISA test, the knowledge and skills of Estonian 15-year-olds are the best in Europe. This quality can also be seen in Estonian universities, as more and more international students (11% of the total student body) are choosing to start studies on forward-thinking and innovative study programmes such as e-governance and cyber security. Read more about our education services and products from educationestonia.org.
Source: Studyinestonia
