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Human settlement in Estonia became possible when the ice, from the last glacial era, melted away 11,000?13,000 years ago. The oldest known settlement in Estonia was located on the Pä²®u River, near the town of Sindi (Pulli settlement, by village Pulli - on right bank of Pä²®u River). It dates back to the middle of the 8th millennium BC.
Estonia was first christianised when the German "Livonian Sword Brethren" and Denmark conquered the land by 1227. Subsequent foreign powers that controlled Estonia at various times included Denmark, Sweden, Poland and finally (1710 de facto, 1721 de jure, see Treaty of Nystad) Russia. However, the upper classes and the higher middle class remained primarily Baltic German until roughly 1918. During and immediately after World War II, the remaining Germans were forced out by Hitler and, later, Stalin.
Following the collapse of Imperial Russia after the October Revolution, Estonia declared itself an independent republic on February 24, 1918. After the Estonian War of Independence and Treaty of Tartu signed in February 2, 1920 Estonia maintained this independence for twenty-two years, and the very same parliamentary government was reinstated in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It included a parliament called Riigikogu, elected by all Estonian citizens aged 18 or above. Riigikogu was disbanded in 1934 and the country was ruled by decree by president Konstantin Pä´³ until the parliamentary elections in 1938.
The country was occupied by Soviet troops in June 1940, as a consequence of the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Many of its political and intellectual leaders were killed or repressed, including Estonia's first president Konstantin Pä´³, who was deported to Russia. The country was occupied by the German Third Reich from 1941 to 1944, when Soviet forces reconquered it. Estonia regained its independence on August 20, 1991, with the Singing Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union. August 20 is now a national holiday in Estonia.
The last Russian troops left on August 31, 1994, and Estonia joined NATO on March 29, 2004 and the European Union on May 1, 2004.
Estonia signed a border agreement with Russia on May 18, 2005, slightly redefining the border they had been using since 1991, which the Riigikogu, the Estonian parliament, ratified on June 20, 2005. However, Russia took exception to Estonia's preamble to the law, which makes references to the Estonian state's uninterrupted legal continuity during the Soviet period and indirect references to the Soviet occupation of Estonia and announced that it is revoking its signature and that it desires to restart negotiations with Estonia.
Estonia has said that there is no need to renegotiate the border and that it has no land claims against Russia.
Estonia was first christianised when the German "Livonian Sword Brethren" and Denmark conquered the land by 1227. Subsequent foreign powers that controlled Estonia at various times included Denmark, Sweden, Poland and finally (1710 de facto, 1721 de jure, see Treaty of Nystad) Russia. However, the upper classes and the higher middle class remained primarily Baltic German until roughly 1918. During and immediately after World War II, the remaining Germans were forced out by Hitler and, later, Stalin.
Following the collapse of Imperial Russia after the October Revolution, Estonia declared itself an independent republic on February 24, 1918. After the Estonian War of Independence and Treaty of Tartu signed in February 2, 1920 Estonia maintained this independence for twenty-two years, and the very same parliamentary government was reinstated in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It included a parliament called Riigikogu, elected by all Estonian citizens aged 18 or above. Riigikogu was disbanded in 1934 and the country was ruled by decree by president Konstantin Pä´³ until the parliamentary elections in 1938.
The country was occupied by Soviet troops in June 1940, as a consequence of the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Many of its political and intellectual leaders were killed or repressed, including Estonia's first president Konstantin Pä´³, who was deported to Russia. The country was occupied by the German Third Reich from 1941 to 1944, when Soviet forces reconquered it. Estonia regained its independence on August 20, 1991, with the Singing Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union. August 20 is now a national holiday in Estonia.
The last Russian troops left on August 31, 1994, and Estonia joined NATO on March 29, 2004 and the European Union on May 1, 2004.
Estonia signed a border agreement with Russia on May 18, 2005, slightly redefining the border they had been using since 1991, which the Riigikogu, the Estonian parliament, ratified on June 20, 2005. However, Russia took exception to Estonia's preamble to the law, which makes references to the Estonian state's uninterrupted legal continuity during the Soviet period and indirect references to the Soviet occupation of Estonia and announced that it is revoking its signature and that it desires to restart negotiations with Estonia.
Estonia has said that there is no need to renegotiate the border and that it has no land claims against Russia.