1.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
2.
Estonia
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Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia, across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia consists of a mainland and 2,222 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea, covering 45,339 km2 of land and water, and is influenced by a humid continental climate. The territory of Estonia has been inhabited since at least 6500 BC, in 1988, during the Singing Revolution, the Estonian Supreme Soviet issued the Estonian Sovereignty Declaration in defiance of Soviet rule, and independence was restored on 20 August 1991. Estonia is a parliamentary republic divided into fifteen counties. Its capital and largest city is Tallinn, with a population of 1.3 million, it is one of the least-populous member states of the European Union, Eurozone, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, OECD and Schengen Area. Estonia is a country with an advanced, high-income economy that is among the fastest growing in the EU. Its Human Development Index ranks very highly, and it performs favourably in measurements of economic freedom, civil liberties, the 2015 PISA test places Estonian high school students 3rd in the world, behind Singapore and Japan. Citizens of Estonia are provided with health care, free education. Since independence the country has developed its IT sector, becoming one of the worlds most digitally advanced societies. In 2005 Estonia became the first nation to hold elections over the Internet, in the Estonian language, the oldest known endonym of the Estonians was maarahvas, meaning country people or people of the land. The land inhabited by Estonians was called Maavald meaning Country Parish or Land Parish, one hypothesis regarding the modern name of Estonia is that it originated from the Aesti, a people described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his Germania. The historic Aesti were allegedly Baltic people, whereas the modern Estonians are Finno-Ugric, the geographical areas between Aesti and Estonia do not match, with Aesti being further down south. Ancient Scandinavian sagas refer to a land called Eistland, as the country is called in Icelandic. Early Latin and other ancient versions of the name are Estia and Hestia, esthonia was a common alternative English spelling prior to 1921. Human settlement in Estonia became possible 13,000 to 11,000 years ago, the oldest known settlement in Estonia is the Pulli settlement, which was on the banks of the river Pärnu, near the town of Sindi, in south-western Estonia. According to radiocarbon dating it was settled around 11,000 years ago, the earliest human inhabitation during the Mesolithic period is connected to Kunda culture, which is named after the town of Kunda in northern Estonia. At that time the country was covered with forests, and people lived in communities near bodies of water
3.
Counties of Estonia
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Counties are the first-level administrative subdivisions of Estonia. Estonian territory is composed of 15 counties, including 13 on the mainland and 2 on islands, the government of each county is led by a maavanem who represents the national government at the regional level. Governors are appointed by the government for a term of five years. Each county is divided into municipalities of two types, urban municipalities and rural municipalities. Population figures are those of 31 December 2011, in the first centuries AD, political and administrative subdivisions began to emerge in Estonia. Two larger subdivisions appeared, the parish and the county, the parish consisted of several villages. Nearly all parishes had at least one fortress, the defense of the local area was directed by the highest official, the parish elder. The county was composed of several parishes, also headed by an elder, by the 13th century the following major counties had developed in Estonia, Saaremaa, Läänemaa, Harjumaa, Rävala, Virumaa, Järvamaa, Sakala, and Ugandi. Additionally there were several smaller elderships in central Estonia where danger of war was smaller – Vaiga, Mõhu, Nurmekund, the exact number and borders of some elderships are disputed. The first documented mentioning of Estonian political and administrative subdivisions comes from the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, the Autonomy of the Estonia counties and parishes ended after conquered and divided between Denmark, Livonian Order, Bishopric of Dorpat and Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek. The name of Rävala became Reval, replacing the name of an Estonian town Lindanisse, Ugandi, Sakala and the smaller elderships disappeared from common usage. In the 1580s, after the Livonian war as Sweden had conquered Northern Estonia, Harju, Järva, Lääne, southern Estonia, which belonged to Poland 1582-1625, was divided into voivodships of Pärnu and Tartu, the island of Saaremaa belonged to Denmark until 1645. They all became counties as they went under Swedish rule and this administrative system mostly remained as Estonia went under Russian rule as a result of the Northern War. In 1793 were formed Võru County in the south of Tartumaa, in 1796 Paldiski County was joined with Harjumaa again. Until 1888 Võrumaa and Viljandimaa were not completely independent from Tartumaa and Pärnumaa respectively, several changes were made to the borders of counties after Estonia became independent, most notably the formation of Valga County and Petseri County. During the Soviet rule, Petseri County once again became a part of Russia in 1945, hiiumaa seceded from Läänemaa in 1946, Jõgevamaa from Tartumaa in 1949 and Jõhvimaa from Virumaa in 1949. Counties were completely dissolved in 1950 as Estonian SSR was divided into regions, until the 1960s the borders of regions changed often until 15 of them were left. Out of them, Põlva and Rapla regions became separate, while the others were roughly corresponding to the pre-1950 counties, Counties were re-established on 1 January 1990 in the borders of the Soviet-era regions
4.
Estonian Reform Party
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The Estonian Reform Party is a liberal political party in Estonia. The party is led by Hanno Pevkur and has 30 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, the party was founded by then-President of the Bank of Estonia Siim Kallas as a split from National Coalition Party Pro Patria. At the 1995 election, it won 19 seats in the Riigikogu, the Reform Party replaced the Estonian Centre Party in government in autumn 1995, and remained there until 1996. In 1999, the party lost a seat, but returned to the cabinet in coalition with the Pro Patria Union, the party has remained in various coalitions since then, with Andrus Ansip as Prime Minister since 2005. At the 2007 election, the party won 31 seats, becoming the largest party for the first time and it narrowly won the 2015 general election, losing 3 mandates compared to its 2011 result, ending up with 30 seats. The party has been a member of Liberal International since 1996. The founder and the first chairman of the Reform Party, Siim Kallas, was a Commissioner of the European Commission between 2004 and 2014 and he was also one of the five Vice Presidents of the Barroso Commission. The Estonian Reform Party was founded on 18 November 1994, joining together the Reform Party — a splinter from the Pro Patria National Coalition — and the Estonian Liberal Democratic Party. The new party, which had 710 members at its foundation, was led by Siim Kallas, Kallas was untainted by association with Mart Laars government, but was widely seen as a proficient central bank governor, having overseen the successful introduction of the Estonian kroon. The party formed ties with the Free Democratic Party of Germany, the Liberal Peoples Party of Sweden, Finlands Swedish Peoples Party, Siim Kallas was leader of the Reform Party from 1994 to 2004. He was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2002-03, in the partys first parliamentary election, in March 1995, it won 19 seats, catapulting it into second place, behind the Coalition Party. Kallas was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, with five other Reform Party members serving in the cabinet, the Reform Party left the government in November 1996 after the Coalition Party signed a cooperation agreement with the Centre Party without consulting them. At the 1999 election, the Reform Party dropped one seat to 18, finishing third behind the Centre Party and the conservative Pro Patria Union. The ER formed a coalition with the Pro Patria Union and the Moderates, with Mart Laar as Prime Minister and Siim Kallas as Minister of Finance. Although the coalition was focused on EU and NATO accession, the Reform Party successfully delivered its manifesto pledge to abolish corporate tax, after the October 1999 local elections, the three parties replicated their alliance in Tallinn. From May 2009 the Reform Party was in a government with the Pro Patria. Andrus Ansip was Prime Minister of Estonia from April 2005 to March 2014, after the 2007 parliamentary election the party held 31 out of 101 seats in the Riigikogu, after receiving 153,040 votes, an increase of +10%, resulting in a net gain of 12 seats. Following the resignation of Andrus Ansip, a new cabinet was installed on 24 March 2014, in the 2014 European elections held on 25 May 2014, the Reform Party won 24. 3% of the national vote, returning 2 MEPs
5.
Eastern European Time
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Eastern European Time is one of the names of UTC+02,00 time zone,2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. The zone uses daylight saving time, so that it uses UTC+03,00 during the summer, a number of African countries use UTC+02,00 all year long, where it is called Central Africa Time, although Egypt and Libya also use the term Eastern European Time. The following countries, parts of countries, and territories use Eastern European Time all year round, Egypt, since 21 April 2015, used EEST from 1988–2010, Kaliningrad Oblast, since 26 October 2014, also used EET in years 1945 and 1991–2011. Libya, since 27 October 2013, switched from Central European Time, used year-round EET from 1980–1981, 1990–1996 and 1998–2012. Belarus, in years 1922–30 and 1990–2011 In Poland this time was used in years 1918–22, in time of World War II, Germany implemented MET in east occupied territories. Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol used EET as part of Ukraine in years 1991-94 and 1996-2014 Turkey, used EET in years 1910-1978, now uses year round DST timezone called Further-eastern European Time or Turkey Time. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also uses FET, sometimes, due to its use on Microsoft Windows, FLE Standard Time or GTB Standard Time are used to refer to Eastern European Time. Since political, in addition to geographical, criteria are used in the drawing of time zones. The EET time zone, were it drawn by purely geographical terms, the easternmost part of the Republic of Macedonia, including the city of Strumica. The absolutely easternmost part of Serbia, in the Pirot District, the easternmost town in Norway, Vardø, lies at 30°51 E, which is located east of even of the central meridian of UTC+2, i. e. east of Istanbul and Alexandria. The Norwegian-Russian border is the place where CET borders Moscow time. There is a point at the Norway-Finland-Russia tripoint, near the town of Rayakoski. Belarus is located between 23°11′E and 32°47′E and is fully located with the physical UTC+2 area, but it uses UTC+3 year around. This also includes the city of Anapa, at the westernmost tip of the Krasnodar Krai near the entrance to the Sea of Azov, the Norway–Russia–Finland tri-zone point at Muotkavaara is surrounded by three different times in winter, two in summer. It had three time zones year-around before 2014, two of the four tripoints of Belarus and the tripoint of the Kaliningrad Region are surrounded by three different times in winter
6.
Daylight saving time
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Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions that use Daylight Savings Time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin proposed a form of daylight time in 1784. New Zealander George Hudson proposed the idea of saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30,1916, many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The practice has both advocates and critics, DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes by various jurisdictions of DST dates, industrialized societies generally follow a clock-based schedule for daily activities that do not change throughout the course of the year. The time of day that individuals begin and end work or school, North and south of the tropics daylight lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, with the effect becoming greater as one moves away from the tropics. However, they will have one hour of daylight at the start of each day. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, DST is also of little use for locations near the equator, because these regions see only a small variation in daylight in the course of the year. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season, unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some monasteries of Mount Athos and all Jewish ceremonies. This 1784 satire proposed taxing window shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells, despite common misconception, Franklin did not actually propose DST, 18th-century Europe did not even keep precise schedules. However, this changed as rail transport and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklins day. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, whose shift work job gave him time to collect insects. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk and his solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. The proposal was taken up by the Liberal Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, a select committee was set up to examine the issue, but Pearces bill did not become law, and several other bills failed in the following years. Willett lobbied for the proposal in the UK until his death in 1915, william Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912. Starting on April 30,1916, the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime, Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the year
7.
Eastern European Summer Time
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Eastern European Summer Time is one of the names of UTC+3 time zone,3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a daylight saving time in some European and Middle Eastern countries. During the winter periods, Eastern European Time is used, since 1996 European Summer Time has been observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, previously the rules were not uniform across the European Union. Syria, since 1983 Ukraine, Moscow Summer Time in years 1981–89, regular EEST from 1992 In one year 1991 EEST was used also in Moscow, egypt has previously used EEST from 1957–2010 and 2014–2015. Turkey, has previously used EEST from 1970-1978 EEST, Moscow Summer Time from 1979–1983, and EEST from 1985-2016
8.
Gulf of Finland
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The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it, other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn. The eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland belong to Russia, as the seaway to Saint Petersburg, the Gulf of Finland has been and continues to be of considerable strategic importance to Russia. Some of the problems affecting the Baltic Sea are at their most pronounced in the shallow gulf. The area of the gulf is 30,000 km2, the length is 400 km and the width varies from 70 km near the entrance to 130 km on the meridian of Moshchny Island, in the Neva Bay, it decreases to 12 km. The gulf is shallow with the depth decreasing from the entrance to the gulf to the continent. The sharpest change occurs near Narva-Jõesuu, which is why this place is called Narva wall, the average depth is 38 m with the maximum of 100 m. The depth of the Neva Bay is less than 6 metres, therefore, a channel was dug at the bottom for safe navigation. Because of the influx of fresh water from rivers, especially from the Neva River. The average water temperature is close to 0 °C in winter, in summer, it is 15–17 °C at the surface, the gulf is usually frozen from late November to late April, the freezing starts in the east and gradually proceeds to the west. Complete freezing is usually reached by late January, and it not occur in mild winters. There are frequent strong winds causing waves, surges of water. The northern coast of the gulf is high and winding, with abundant small bays and skerries only a few large bays, the coast is mostly sloping, there are abundant sandy dunes, with occasional pine trees. The southern shores are smooth and shallow, but along the entire coast runs the Baltic Klint with the height up to 55 m, in the east, the gulf ends with Neva Bay and on the west merges with the Baltic Sea. The gulf contains numerous banks, skerries and islands, starting from 1700, nineteen artificial islands with fortresses were built in the gulf by Russia. Their purpose was defense from attacks from water and their construction was urged by the Great Northern War of 1700–1721 and those include Fort Alexander, Krasnaya Gorka, Ino, Totleben, Kronshlot and others. The largest rivers flowing into the gulf are Neva, Narva, keila, Pirita, Jägala, Kunda, Luga, Sista and Kovashi flow into the gulf from the south. From the north flow Sestra River, Porvoo, Vantaa and several small rivers
9.
Kunda culture
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The oldest known Kunda culture settlement in Estonia is Pulli settlement. The Kunda Culture is succeeded by the Narva culture who use pottery, most Kunda settlements are located near the edge of the forests beside rivers, lakes, or marshes. Elk were extensively hunted, perhaps helped by trained domestic hunting-dogs, on the coast seal hunting is represented. Pike and other fish were taken from the rivers, there is a rich bone and antler industry, especially in relation to fishing gear. Tools were decorated with geometric designs, lacking the complexity of the contemporary Maglemosian Culture communities to the southwest. The Kunda culture appears to have undergone a transition from the Palaeolithic Swiderian culture located previously over much of the same range, one such transition settlement, Pasieniai 1C in Lithuania, features stone tools of both Late Swiderian and early Kunda. One shape manufactured in both cultures is the retouched tanged point, the final Swiderian is dated 7800–7600 BC by calibrated radiocarbon dating, which is in the Preboreal period, at the end of which time with no gap the early Kunda begins. Evidently the descendants of the Swiderians were the first to settle Estonia when it became habitable, other post-Swiderian groups extended as far east as the Ural mountains. Kunda, Estonia Pulli, Estonia Luga Pasieniai, Lithuania Ristola, Finland Velizh Zvejnieki, Latvia
10.
Sister city
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In recent times, town twinning has increasingly been used to form strategic international business links between member cities. In the United Kingdom, the twin towns is most commonly used. In mainland Europe, the most commonly used terms are twin towns, partnership towns, partner towns, the European Commission uses the term twinned towns and refers to the process as town twinning. Spain uses the term ciudades hermanadas that means sister cities, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic use Partnerstadt / Miasto Partnerskie / Partnerské město, which translate as Partner Town or City. France uses Ville Jumelée, and Italy has Gemellaggio and Comune gemellato, in the Netherlands, the term is Stedenband. In Greece, the word αδελφοποίηση has been adopted, in Iceland, the terms vinabæir and vinaborgir are used. In the former Soviet Bloc, twin towns and twin cities are used, the Americas, South Asia, and Australasia use the term sister cities or twin cities. In China, the term is 友好城市, sometimes, other government bodies enter into a twinning relationship, such as the agreement between the provinces of Hainan in China and Jeju-do in South Korea. The Douzelage is a twinning association with one town from each of the member states of the European Union. In recent years, the term city diplomacy has gained increased usage and acceptance, particularly as a strand of paradiplomacy and public diplomacy. It is formally used in the workings of the United Cities and Local Governments, the importance of cities developing their own foreign economic policies on trade, foreign investment, tourism and attracting foreign talent has also been highlighted by the World Economic Forum. The earliest known town twinning in Europe was between Paderborn, Germany, and Le Mans, France, in 836, starting in 1905, Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, had a twinning arrangement with French communities Suresnes and Puteaux. The first recorded modern twinning agreement was between Keighley and Poix-du-Nord in Nord, France, in 1920 following the end of the First World War and this was initially referred to as an adoption of the French town, formal twinning charters were not exchanged until 1986. The practice was continued after the Second World War as a way to promote mutual understanding, for example, Coventry twinned with Stalingrad and later with Dresden as an act of peace and reconciliation, all three cities having been heavily bombed during the war. Similarly, in 1947, Bristol Corporation sent five leading citizens on a mission to Hanover. Reading in 1947 was the first British town to form links with an enemy city – Düsseldorf. Since 9 April 1956 Rome and Paris have been exclusively and reciprocally twinned with other, following the motto, Only Paris is worthy of Rome. Within Europe, town twinning is supported by the European Union, the support scheme was established in 1989
11.
Poland
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Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges in the south. Bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, the total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres, making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. With a population of over 38.5 million people, Poland is the 34th most populous country in the world, the 8th most populous country in Europe, Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, and its capital and largest city is Warsaw. Other metropolises include Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Szczecin, the establishment of a Polish state can be traced back to 966, when Mieszko I, ruler of a territory roughly coextensive with that of present-day Poland, converted to Christianity. The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin. This union formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe, Poland regained its independence in 1918 at the end of World War I, reconstituting much of its historical territory as the Second Polish Republic. In September 1939, World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, followed thereafter by invasion by the Soviet Union. More than six million Polish citizens died in the war, after the war, Polands borders were shifted westwards under the terms of the Potsdam Conference. With the backing of the Soviet Union, a communist puppet government was formed, and after a referendum in 1946. During the Revolutions of 1989 Polands Communist government was overthrown and Poland adopted a new constitution establishing itself as a democracy, informally called the Third Polish Republic. Since the early 1990s, when the transition to a primarily market-based economy began, Poland has achieved a high ranking on the Human Development Index. Poland is a country, which was categorised by the World Bank as having a high-income economy. Furthermore, it is visited by approximately 16 million tourists every year, Poland is the eighth largest economy in the European Union and was the 6th fastest growing economy on the continent between 2010 and 2015. According to the Global Peace Index for 2014, Poland is ranked 19th in the list of the safest countries in the world to live in. The origin of the name Poland derives from a West Slavic tribe of Polans that inhabited the Warta River basin of the historic Greater Poland region in the 8th century, the origin of the name Polanie itself derives from the western Slavic word pole. In some foreign languages such as Hungarian, Lithuanian, Persian and Turkish the exonym for Poland is Lechites, historians have postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now Poland. The most famous archaeological find from the prehistory and protohistory of Poland is the Biskupin fortified settlement, dating from the Lusatian culture of the early Iron Age, the Slavic groups who would form Poland migrated to these areas in the second half of the 5th century AD. With the Baptism of Poland the Polish rulers accepted Christianity and the authority of the Roman Church
12.
Gdynia
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Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. For centuries, Gdynia remained an agricultural and fishing village on the Baltic coast. At the beginning of the 20th-century Gdynia became as a resort town. This also triggered an increase in local population and it was then that the town was given a more cosmopolitan character with modernism being the dominant architectural style and emerged as a city in 1926. The rapid development of Gdynia was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II, although the German troops refrained from deliberate bombing, the newly built port and shipyard were completely destroyed. The population of the city suffered much heavier losses as most of the inhabitants were evicted and expelled, the locals were either displaced to other regions of occupied Poland or sent to Nazi concentration camps throughout Europe. After the war, Gdynia was settled with the inhabitants of Warsaw and lost cities such as Lviv. The city was gradually regenerating itself with its shipyard being rebuilt, in December 1970 the shipyard workers protest against the increase of prices was bloodily repressed. This greatly contributed to the rise of the Solidarity movement in Gdańsk, today the port of Gdynia is a regular stopover on the itinerary of luxurious passenger ships and a new ferry terminal with a civil airport are under realisation. The city won numerous awards in relation to safety, infrastructure, quality of life, in 2013 Gdynia was ranked as Polands best city to live in and topped the rankings in the overarching category of general quality of life. Gdynia is also noted for its access to education. There are prestigious universities such as the Polish Naval Academy located nearby, Gdynia hosts the Gdynia Film Festival, the main Polish film festival, and was the venue for the International Random Film Festival in 2014. Late 10th century, Pomerelia was united with Poland, during the reign of Mieszko II Pomerelia seceded from Poland and became independent. 1116/1121, Bolesław III reunited Pomerelia with Poland,1227, Pomerelia again became an independent Duchy. 1253, First known mention of the name Gdynia, as a Pomeranian fishing village, the first church on this part of the Baltic Sea coast was built there. 1294, Pomerelia was inherited by the future Polish king Przemysł II. and remained as part of Poland until – 1309–1310, The Teutonic Order conquered Pomerelia,1380, The owner of the village which became Gdynia, Peter from Rusocin, gave the village to the Cistercian Order. 1382, Gdynia became property of the Cistercian abbey in Oliva, Pomerelia became part of Royal Prussia, a newly established province of the Kingdom of Poland, and later on of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. 1772, In the First Partition of Poland, Royal Prussia was annexed into the Kingdom of Prussia, Gdynia became known in German as Gdingen, and was expropriated from the Cistercian Order
13.
Precipitation
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In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel, Precipitation occurs when a portion of the atmosphere becomes saturated with water vapor, so that the water condenses and precipitates. Thus, fog and mist are not precipitation but suspensions, because the vapor does not condense sufficiently to precipitate. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated, Precipitation forms as smaller droplets coalesce via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Short, intense periods of rain in scattered locations are called showers, moisture that is lifted or otherwise forced to rise over a layer of sub-freezing air at the surface may be condensed into clouds and rain. This process is active when freezing rain is occurring. A stationary front is often present near the area of freezing rain, provided necessary and sufficient atmospheric moisture content, the moisture within the rising air will condense into clouds, namely stratus and cumulonimbus. Eventually, the droplets will grow large enough to form raindrops. Lake-effect snowfall can be locally heavy, thundersnow is possible within a cyclones comma head and within lake effect precipitation bands. In mountainous areas, heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation, on the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due to the dry air caused by compressional heating. The movement of the trough, or intertropical convergence zone. Precipitation is a component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing the fresh water on the planet. Approximately 505,000 cubic kilometres of water falls as precipitation each year,398,000 cubic kilometres of it over the oceans and 107,000 cubic kilometres over land. Given the Earths surface area, that means the globally averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimetres, Climate classification systems such as the Köppen climate classification system use average annual rainfall to help differentiate between differing climate regimes. Precipitation may occur on celestial bodies, e. g. when it gets cold, Mars has precipitation which most likely takes the form of frost. Precipitation is a component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet. Approximately 505,000 km3 of water falls as precipitation each year,398,000 km3 of it over the oceans, given the Earths surface area, that means the globally averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimetres. Mechanisms of producing precipitation include convective, stratiform, and orographic rainfall, Precipitation can be divided into three categories, based on whether it falls as liquid water, liquid water that freezes on contact with the surface, or ice
14.
Relative humidity
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Relative humidity is the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor to the equilibrium vapor pressure of water at a given temperature. Relative humidity depends on temperature and the pressure of the system of interest and it requires less water vapor to attain high relative humidity at low temperatures, more water vapour is required to attain high relative humidity in warm or hot air. Humans are sensitive to high humidity because the body uses evaporative cooling, enabled by perspiration. Perspiration evaporates from the more slowly under humid conditions than under arid. For example, if the air temperature is 24 °C and the humidity is zero percent. If the relative humidity is 100 percent at the air temperature. In other words, if the air is 24 °C and contains saturated water vapor, then the human body cools itself at the rate as it would if it were 27 °C. The heat index and the humidex are indices that reflect the effect of temperature. In cold climates, the temperature causes lower capacity for water vapour to flow about. Dry cracked skin can result from dry air, low humidity causes tissue lining nasal passages to dry, crack and become more susceptible to penetration of Rhinovirus cold viruses. Low humidity is a cause of nosebleeds. The use of a humidifier in homes, especially bedrooms, can help with these symptoms, indoor relative humidities should be kept above 30% to reduce the likelihood of the occupants nasal passages drying out. Humans can be comfortable within a range of humidities depending on the temperature—from thirty to seventy percent—but ideally between 50% and 60%. Very low humidity can create discomfort, respiratory problems, and aggravate allergies in some individuals, in the winter, it is advisable to maintain relative humidity at 30 percent or above. Extremely low relative humidities may also cause eye irritation, wooden furniture can shrink, causing the paint that covers these surfaces to fracture. When the temperature is low and the humidity is high. When relative humidity approaches 100 percent, condensation can occur on surfaces, leading to problems with mold, corrosion, decay, condensation can pose a safety risk as it can promote the growth of mold and wood rot as well as possibly freezing emergency exits shut. The basic principles for buildings, above, also apply to vehicles, in addition, there may be safety considerations
15.
Argo Aadli
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Argo Aadli is an Estonian theatre and film actor. He graduated from the Higher Theatre School of the Estonian Academy of Music in 2002, aside from this he has been involved in several films including Names in Marble where he played Konsap) and Lotte from Gadgetville where he voiced Albert. Zametov Lauri Zahhar Gregor Samsa Indrek Paas Ajakirjanik Pilu Films Argo Aadli at the Tallinn City Theatre page, Argo Aadli at the Internet Movie Database
16.
Abja-Paluoja
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Abja-Paluoja is a town in Viljandi County, in southern Estonia. It is the centre of Abja Parish. Abja-Paluoja was first mentioned in 1505, Abja-Paluoja gained town rights in 1993 and became a sovereign municipality but in 1998 it was merged into surrounding rural municipality Abja Parish. Since 1940, the Abja Gymnasium has offered secondary education, the kindergarten in Abja-Paluoja was founded in 1912
17.
Antsla
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Antsla is a town in Võru County, southern Estonia, it is the administrative centre of Antsla Parish. Town has a population of 1,402, Antsla borough was renamed town of third rank by Konstantin Päts from 1 May 1938. The settlement is known since 1405, the town has a furniture manufacturing. Antsla is situated on the Valga–Pechory railway, but since 2001 the train traffic on the line is inactive, maarja Nummert, architect Vilja Savisaar-Toomast, politician Urmas Välbe, cross-country skier Andrus Värnik, javelin thrower
18.
Elva, Estonia
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Elva is a town and a municipality in Tartu County, Estonia. It has a population of 5,607 and an area of 9.92 km², lake Verevi has a sandy and well-developed beach area that is very popular in the summer and is host to many outdoor events. Lake Arbi has wet reed grown shores, elvas largest employer is Enics Eesti AS, subsidiary of Enics Group, providing electronics manufacturing services in industrial electronics. Elva has one school, Elva Gümnaasium, offering education from 1st grade to high school graduation, a dominant element in Elva is the train station which today is a visitors information center and which used to be an important trade route in the past centuries. Detailed information on hikes on foot or by bicycle can be obtained from the information center. The Elva river, with old water mill sites and rapid banks, is popular for canoeing, in winter skiers can participate in the Tartu Marathon, belonging to the Worldloppet series. Its 60 km track from Otepää to Elva can be cycled through on mountain bikes in summer, Elva was founded soon after the completion of Tartu-Valga train route that was built from 1886 to 1889. Elva was first mentioned in an Estonian newspaper in 1889, Elva is named after the Elva river that has been mentioned in books already in the 17th century. In 1913 a two grade school was opened, on 1 May 1938 Elva became a town. The town center was heavily damaged in the Second World War, in July 1941 Elva was liberated by the Forest Brothers. In August 1944 surroundings of Elva became a battlefield between Hyazinth von Strachwitzs Panzer brigade and the Red Army. From 1950 to 1962 Elva was District Central of Elva district, elvas town rights were restored in 1965
19.
Haapsalu
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Haapsalu is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It is the centre of Lääne County, and on 1 January 2016 it had a population of 10146. Haapsalu has been known for centuries for its warm seawater, curative mud. Salt mud spas frequented by the Russian Romanov family still operate, narrow streets with early 20th century wooden houses repeatedly lead to the sea. Haapsalu has been called the Venice of the Baltics, although this positioning has been criticized as exaggerating, the name Haapsalu is from Estonian haab aspen and salu grove. The town dates back to 1279, when it was chartered and became the centre of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, buildings from those early days remain today, including an episcopal castle which has the largest single-nave cathedral in the Baltic states, Haapsalu Castle. Haapsalu and the area was the center for the Estonian Swedes from the 13th century until the evacuation of almost all ethnic Swedes from Estonia in 1944. For many years, locals have claimed that the sea mud has a curative effect, a military doctor, Carl Abraham Hunnius, founded the first mud cure resort in 1825. News of the curative mud quickly reached the aristocracy of Saint Petersburg, ever since then, Haapsalu has been a popular summer destination where people from all around the world come for medical treatment. Today, there are three mud cure establishments in Haapsalu varying in size and location, in the 19th century, Haapsalu became famous for its shawls, a delicate craft made by local women. The Land of Ilon Wikland, a centre for children, is set to open in a few years within the town. This world-famous book illustrator has been involved with Haapsalu since her childhood, the August Blues Festival is held every August in Haapsalu. Haapsalu is site of a school founded by Estonian fencer Endel Nelis. Haapsalu is twinned with, Haapsalu shawl Haapsalu linnastaadion August Blues Festival Official website Town heraldry Haapsalu castle Haapsalu pictures and article
20.
Kallaste
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Kallaste is a town and a municipality in Tartu County, Estonia. It is located on the shore of Lake Peipus. Most of the population are Russians, 15% being Estonians, kallaste was founded in the 18th century as a village of Russian Old Believers. It became a borough in 1921 and a town 1 May 1938
21.
Karksi-Nuia
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Karksi-Nuia is a town in Viljandi County, southern Estonia close to the Latvian border, it is the administrative centre of Karksi Parish. Karksi-Nuia has a population of 1,841 and an area of 3 square kilometres, the nearest villages are Univere to the west, Polli and Karksi to the north, and Kõvaküla to the south. Karksi was first mentioned in the 12th century as an administrative center, a bailiff of Karksi is mentioned in written records for the first time in 1248, and construction of a castle in Karksi started sometime during the Middle Ages. Completion was however delayed as the castle was destroyed several times during the period, when it was finally completed during the 14th century, it was for a time an important stronghold for the Teutonic Order in southern Estonia, and since 1470 the residence of the local commander. During the Great Northern War the castle was destroyed and never rebuilt, very little remains of the inner castle, which was separated from the outer ward by a moat, but the outer walls and two square towers are relatively well-preserved. The castle was built by stone and brick. Today, the ruins are used as a backdrop for various cultural, karksi-Nuia is situated in the southern part of Viljandi County. It has an area of 3 square kilometres and about 2100 inhabitants and it is part of the Karksi Parish, a municipality that consists of the town and the 20 villages around it. Karksi-Nuia is about 34 kilometres from Viljandi,82 km from Pärnu,99 km from Tartu and 193 km from Tallinn, märt Israel, discus thrower Margus Hunt, defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, former discus thrower and the former world junior record holder in discus throw
22.
Kehra
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Kehra is a small town in Harju County, northern Estonia, and the administrative centre of Anija Parish. Kehra had a population of 2756 in 2013, kehra has a station on the Elron rail line. The town is home to a church, built by the Russians. Kare Kauks, singer and music teacher Laine Mägi, actress, dancer, choreographer Karmen Pedaru, fashion model August Vaga, botanist Silvi Vrait, singer and music teacher
23.
Keila
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Keila is a town and an urban municipality in Harju County in north-western Estonia. Keila is also the location of buildings of the surrounding Keila Parish. The oldest traces of settlement in Keila trace back 2000 to 3000 years BC. Around 1000 years ago the village of Keila was established along the Keila river, in 1219 the Danish conquered Northern-Estonia and chose Keila as the site on which the Vomentakæ parochial Revala county church was to be built. The first church was a wooden structure dedicated primarily to St. Michael which was replaced with a stone church at the end of the 13th century. Subsequently, the first written mention of Keila comes from Danish evaluation book writings in 1241, in the 15th-16th century a settlement comprising some tens of buildings and a hundred people formed around the church. At the same time the Livonian Order built a small fort south-east of the church on jõesaare, ruins of the fort were first excavated in 1976 with continued finds up to 2007. During the Livonian War of 1558-1583 the settlement, including the church, was destroyed, further hampered by the plague and starvation in 1601-1602 the population decline reduced the community to a small church village. This was to be the case for 3rd centuries, an upturn began on the second half of the 20th century. One of the first notable cultural events was the erection of a statue of Martin Luther in 1862 near the kirikumõis, however the statue was completely destroyed in 1949. In 1885 the first song festival was held in Keila, the festival was composed of 19 choirs and supervised by Konstantin Türnpu from Klooga. In 1867 the first school was opened in Väljaotsa farm celebrating the start of education in Keila, the development of Keila took a turn with the establishment of the Tallinn-Paldiski railway in 1870. Keila officially became a town on 1 May 1938, after the railway to Keila was built, the place became known — as a pun — as Kegelbahn. Keila has a station on the Elron rail line, during Soviet times a military base, known as the Tankipolk, was built on the outskirts of the town for the housing of soldiers and tanks. The base was demolished a few years after the Soviet army left the country, years later a residential district was built on the site of the base. The woodland areas around it have also been cleaned up and turned into paved, during winter the area acts as a skiing track with many hills and paths. The paths range from 3 to 7 kilometres in length, the largest of the hills is known as Tankimägi or Tank Hill. As of 2009 no more than a few building foundations remain of the base, city is situated largely on a big hill known as Keila hill and on the valley of Keila River
24.
Kuressaare
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Kuressaare, also known as Arensburg, is a town and a municipality on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the capital of Saare County and the westernmost town in Estonia, the population, according to the 2011 census, was 13,166. The town is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Riga and is served by the Kuressaare Airport, Roomassaare Harbor and its historic name Arensburg renders the Latin denotation arx aquilae for the citys castle. The fortress and the eagle, tetramorph symbol of Saint John the Evangelist, are depicted on Kuressaares coat of arms. Eventually, the name shortened to Kuressaare and became official in 1918 after Estonia had declared its independence from Bolshevist Russia. Under the Soviet rule, the town was renamed Kingissepa in 1952, the name Kuressaare was restored in 1990. It is called in Finnish, Kuressaari and in German, Arensburg, the town first appeared on maps around 1154. The island of Saaremaa was conquered by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword under Volkwin of Naumburg in 1227, the first documentation of the castle was found in Latin texts written in 1381 and 1422. Over time, a town, which known as Arensburg or Kuressaarelinn, grew. It became the see of the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek established by Albert of Riga in 1228, johann von Münchhausen, bishop since 1542, converted to Protestantism. With the advance of the troops of Tsar Ivan IV of Russia in the course of the Livonian War, Münchhausen sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark in 1559, Frederick sent his younger brother Prince Magnus to Kuressaare where he was elected bishop the following year. It was through his influence that the city obtained its charter in 1563. The bishopric was secularised in 1572 and Kuressaare fell to the Danish Crown. In 1645, it passed to Swedish control through the Treaty of Brömsebro after the Danish defeat in the Torstenson War. Queen Christina of Sweden granted her favourite, Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie, the title of Count of Arensburg, the city was burnt to the ground by Russian troops in 1710 during the Great Northern War and suffered heavily from the plague. Abandoned by the Swedes it was incorporated into the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, during the 19th century Kuressaare became a popular seaside resort on the Baltic coast. During World War I, between September and October 1917, German land and naval forces occupied Saaremaa with Operation Albion, during World War II, the Battle of Tehumardi took place. In October 1990, Kuressaare was the first town in Estonia to regain its self-governing status, the medieval episcopal Kuressaare Castle today houses the Saaremaa Regional Museum
25.
Lihula
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Lihula is a town in Estonia with population of 1,614. It is a centre of a municipality in Lääne County. The castle of Lihula was first mentioned in 1211, but it appears the site was used as a fortress since the Iron Age. In 1220, a Swedish army started constructing a castle here, in 1238, however, the bishop of Saare-Lääne constructed a crusader fortress at the site, in cooperation with the Teutonic Order. This attempt was successful and the castle became one of the residences of the bishop. The Teutonic Order also used the castle as a centre of their commandry between 1241 and 1477, in 1560, the estate was reportedly granted to alderman Gerdt Bellingshausen by Duke Magnus of Holstein. In the course of the Livonian War, the castle was destroyed, despite the fact that the castle was destroyed during the Livonian War, a new manorial estate grew up right next to the original location thereafter. In the 1630s, it was recorded as the property of the Swedish general Åke Tott, the manor stayed in the Tott family until 1684, after which it belonged to various aristocratic families. The present neoclassicist manor house was built in the early 19th century, for a short period there was a monument in Lihula, honoring those Estonian soldiers who fought in the German Army against the Soviet Union during World War II. By the order of prime minister Juhan Parts, the authorities removed the monument and as of June 2007, Lääne County Matsalu National Park Monument of Lihula Media related to Lihula at Wikimedia Commons Lihula castle and manor at Estonian Manors Portal
26.
Loksa
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Loksa is a town and municipality in Harju County, northern Estonia. It has a population of 3,403 and covers an area of 3.81 km², the Valgejõgi river runs through Loksa and drains there into Hara Bay. The village of Loksa was first mentioned in 1687 but this area is known in times as the village of Kotka. The development of what is known these days as the town of Loksa started around 1874 when the landlords of Kolga established a new brickyard outside Loksa village, around this factory a new market town was born. In 1903, a shipyard was established, boosting the communitys further growth, from Loksa, bricks were transported to Reval, Helsingfors and Saint Petersburg. Although no ships were built in Loksa, the shipyard was engaged in repairing ships from 1905 onwards. By the end of the 19th century, there were 36 dwellings in Loksa, by 1934, their number had grown to 150. Loksa soon became the centre of Loksa Parish which was part of Harju County until 1949. From 1950 to 1957, Loksa was the centre of Loksa District. After a new reform in 1957 Loksa became part of Harju District. The brickyard was closed down in 1981, but the continued to be expanded until the end of the Soviet occupation. With the restoration of the Republic of Estonia in 1991, Loksa became again a centre of the restored Loksa Parish and was elevated from town to town on August 25,1993. Since the beginning of the 1990s, the population of Loksa has decreased by more than one fifth and this has been mainly caused by growing unemployment, resulting from closure and downsizing of several companies not fit for new economic climate. In 2000, there were 1,650 inhabitants in labor force,750 of whom were working somewhere else, the main ethnic group in Loksa is Russians, making up about 57% of the whole population. Estonians make up less than one third of all inhabitants, the history of education in Loksa dates back to December 1867 when teacher Jakob Janter started to teach 20 children in a local farm house. The first schoolhouse was built in 1903, but this burned down in 1927. Restoration work took two years and was completed in 1929, with the influx of Russian workers in the late 1940s, three classes for Russian-speaking children were created in 1948. Loksa primary school was upgraded to secondary school in 1952 and renamed Loksa 1, secondary School, the name it bears also today
27.
Maardu
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Maardu is a town and a municipality in Harju County, Estonia. It is part of Tallinn metropolitan area, the town covers an area of 22.76 km² and has a population of 16,529. The Port of Muuga, the largest cargo port in Estonia, is located in Maardu. According to the 2000 Census, the population was 16,738. 61. 7% were Russians,19. 9% Estonians,6. 6% Ukrainians,5. 7% Belarusians,1. 5% Tatars,0. 9% Finns,0. 6% Poles,0. 5% Lithuanians,0. 2% Latvians,0. 2% Germans and 0. 1% Jews and 1 Cuban. The proportion of Estonians was one of the lowest in Central, outside the town, south of the road to Narva lies Maardu manor, one of the oldest preserved baroque manor houses in Estonia. It traces its origins to 1389, but the current building dates from the 1660s with additions made in the 19th century, the landlord of the manor Herman Jensen Bohn in 1739 funded the printing of the first bible printed in Estonian. Maardu may be divided into four parts, Kallavere Muuga aedlinn Kärmu Kroodi Maardu Linnameeskond Maardu United Official website Map of Maardu
28.
Mustvee
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Mustvee is a town and municipality in Estonia. It lies on the shore of Lake Peipus in Jõgeva County and its population of 1,600 is approximately half Estonian and half Russian. The name of Mustvee was first recorded in 1343 at the time of reign of Livonian order and it became a haven for Russian Old Believers after the Russian government declared them outlaws in 1658. Mustvee has held fairs for the past two centuries, due to its position at the broadest part of the lake, this traditional fishing town is increasingly popular as a tourist centre. The new Harbor of Mustvee was opened 18.12.2014
29.
Narva
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Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the extreme point of Estonia, at the Russian border. People settled in the area from the 5th to 4th millennium BC, as witnessed by the traces of the Narva culture. The fortified settlement at Narva Joaoru is the oldest known in Estonia, the earliest written reference of Narva is in the First Novgorod Chronicle, which in the year 1172 describes a district in Novgorod called Nerevsky or Narovsky konets. The favourable location at the crossing of trade routes and the Narva River was behind the founding of Narva castle, the castle was founded during the Danish rule of northern Estonia during the second half of the 13th century, the earliest written record of the castle is from 1277. Narvia village is mentioned in the Danish Census Book already in 1241, a town developed around the stronghold and in 1345 obtained Lübeck City Rights from Danish king Valdemar IV. The castle and surrounding town of Narva became a possession of the Livonian Order in 1346, in 1492 Ivangorod fortress across the Narva River was established by Ivan III of Moscow. Trade, particularly Hanseatic long distance trade remained Narvas raison dêtre throughout the Middle Ages, however, due to opposition from Tallinn, Narva itself never became part of the Hanseatic League and also remained a very small town – its population in 1530 is estimated at 600–750 people. Captured by the Russians during the Livonian War in 1558, for a short period Narva became an important port and trading city for Russia, trans-shipping goods from Pskov and Novgorod. Russian rule ended in 1581 when the Swedes under the command of Pontus De la Gardie conquered the city, during the Russo-Swedish War, when Arvid Stålarm was governor, Russian forces attempted to re-gain the city without success. During the Swedish rule the Old Town of Narva was built, following a big fire in 1659, which almost completely destroyed the town, only stone buildings were allowed to be built in the central part of the town. Incomes from flourishing trade allowed rebuilding of the center in two decades. The baroque Old Town underwent practically no changes until World War II, the new defence structures were among the most powerful in Northern Europe. During the Great Northern War of 1700-1721, Narva became the setting for the first great battle between the forces of King Charles XII of Sweden and Tsar Peter I of Russia, although outnumbered four to one, the Swedish forces routed their 40, 000-strong opponent. Russia subsequently conquered the city in 1704, after the war the bastions were renovated. Narva remained in the list of Russian fortifications until 1863, though there was no military need for it. During Russian rule Narva formed part of the Saint Petersburg Governorate, in the middle of the 19th century, Narva started to develop into a major industrial town. Ludwig Knoop established the Krenholm Manufacturing Company in 1857, the factory could use the cheap energy of the powerful Narva waterfalls and at the end of the century became, with about 10,000 workers, one of the largest cotton mills in Europe and the world
30.
Paide
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Paide, is the capital of Järva County, Estonia. Paides German name Weißenstein means white stone and this name was derived from the limestone used for the construction of Paide Castle. A Latin translation of that, Albus Lapis, has also been used, the Estonian name Paide was first recorded in 1564 as Paida and is thought to derive from the word paas, pae limestone. A castle was built in Paide by order of Konrad von Mandern, master of the Livonian Order and it was from the beginning constructed around the central tower or keep, locally known as Tall Hermann tower or Vallitorn. With its six storeys, the tower has always been the core of the castle complex, the fortress was strengthened during the 14th and 15th centuries, when the surrounding walls were enlarged and towers added. It was also modernised to be able to meet the new threat of firearms, during the 16th century, the castle was again modified through the addition of outer bastions. During the Livonian War, the castle was besieged by Russian troops. After that, the castle changed several times. It was also involved in the fighting during the 1600-1611 Polish-Swedish War, in 1895-1897 restoration work was carried out on the central tower and some other parts of the castle. However, in 1941, during World War II, retreating Soviet troops blew up the tower and it was not repaired until after Estonia regained its independence. Today the restored central tower houses a part of Järva County museum, Paide is home to Paide linnastaadion, the home ground of Meistriliiga football team Paide Linnameeskond
31.
Paldiski
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Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century, the Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт in 1762. In Estonian the name was spelled Baltiski until 1933 when the Estonian pronunciation Paldiski became the official name, on 23 June 1912 the Russian emperor Nikolai II and German kaiser Wilhelm II met for the last time before World War I in Paldiski. In 1962, Paldiski became a Soviet Navy nuclear submarine training centre, employing some 16,000 people, and with two land-based nuclear reactors, it was the largest such facility in the Soviet Union. Because of its importance, the city was closed off with barbed wire until the last Russian warship left in August 1994. This followed the events of 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, to house the stationing troops and those in training, many barracks buildings were built, which have since been left in disrepair. Russia relinquished control of facilities in September 1995, the nuclear reactors were shut down. After Estonia restored its independence, the city had not enough Estonian citizens, located some 45 km west of Tallinn, Paldiski is since then a municipality within Harju County. Derelict Soviet-style apartment buildings made up much of the town, the majority of the towns residents are ethnic Russians. The ferry company Tallink operated a regular connection with Kapellskär in Sweden, until recently, the amenities were limited to a single, small hotel. Now there are two grocery stores, an alcohol store, a bank, a tavern, and a bed & breakfast. The renovated train station also has a cafe with hot food. The housing blocks in the no longer appear dilapidated and abandoned and have been refitted and re-painted in recent years. There are also several new apartment buildings, and the areas along with childrens parks have been restored. Paldiski has two schools, Paldiski Gümnaasium and Vene Gümnaasium, in addition, there is a private pre-school facility, called Paladski Beebi Maja. There are several churches in town, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church is dedicated to St Nicholas. Although closed for years, this church has now reopened. There are also a Pentecostal church, a Methodist church, Paldiski has a terminus station on the Elron rail line, providing a convenient link to the capital city
Estonia
Lääne-Viru County
