27-30 June 2012, Tartu, Estonia
organised by University of Tartu Library
Estonia has always served as a crossroads between East and West - geographically, historically and culturally. Estonians have been living on this land by the Baltic Sea since approximately 2,500 B.C., making them the longest settled of the European nations.
The history of Estonia is closely connected with the history of its neighbouring countries - Sweden, Russia, Germany and Poland. The culture of Estonia reflects influences from all these sides.
With its area of 45 000 sq. km, Estonia is larger than Slovenia, The Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland; its population is about 1.3 million but the population density is only 30.2 people per sq. km. Estonia stretches 350 km from east to west and 240 km from north to south. Sea islands form one-tenth and lakes about one-twentieth of Estonia's territory.
The length of the longest day in summer is over 19 hours, while the shortest winter day lasts for only six hours. It is not completely dark at night from the beginning of May until the end of July.
June and July are the warmest months in Estonia, with an average temperature of about 17°C and daily highs reaching 23°C. The weather can be windy and changeable with possible rainfall. For the latest forecast please see the Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute homepage.
Estonia is an IT-land: one of the world's most mobile states.
The famous Estonian Song Festivals are held every 5 years. This nationwide tradition began in Tartu in 1869. Nowadays, the combined choirs usually comprise 18,000 people and up to 100,000 people participate in the event.