Tallinn
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia. It is on the north coast of Estonia. The sea there is called the Baltic Sea. There are some large lakes in Tallinn. The biggest is called Lake Ülemiste. The people of Tallinn get their drinking water from this lake. There is a limestone cliff that runs through the city. The highest point of the city is 64m above sea level.
Tallinn has an interesting history because it was a town which belonged to the Hanseatic league. This meant that in the Middle Ages there was lots of business between traders who were passing through Europe to Russia or from south Russia to Scandinavia. During its history Estonia has been ruled at times by Sweden and by Russia. It became independent in 1918 after World War I, but after World War II it was ruled by the USSR. Since 1991 Tallinn has been the capital of an independent Estonia.
Tallinn today has more than 400.000 inhabitants which is one third of the population. It is a big sea port. Food and textile industries are important. The town has many pretty, old buildings. This part of the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
