Lyndanisse

Tallinn
City
From top: Old Town, KUMU, Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, Kadriorg Palace, Viru Gate, City Centre
Flag Coat of arms
Tallinn Show map of Estonia Tallinn Show map of Europe Location of Tallinn in Estonia
Coordinates: 59°26′14″N 24°44′43″E / 59.43722°N 24.74528°E / 59.43722; 24.74528Coordinates: 59°26′14″N 24°44′43″E / 59.43722°N 24.74528°E / 59.43722; 24.74528
Country	Estonia
County	Harju County
First appeared on map	1154
Town rights	1248
Government
• Deputy Mayor	Taavi Aas (Centre Party)
Area
• City	159.2 km2 (61.5 sq mi)
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population (1 May 2017)
• City	444,885
• Rank	1st (67th in EU)
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,200/sq mi)
• Metro	542,983
Demonym(s)	Tallinner
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	15199
Area code(s)	(+372) 64
Vehicle registration	A-B
GDP(nominal)	2014
- Total	€10 ($13) billion
- Per capita	€23,000 ($30,000)
Website	www.tallinn.ee

Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn
Tallinn

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Estonia
Area	159 km2 (1.71×109 sq ft)
Criteria	ii, iv
Reference	822bis
Coordinates	59°26′14″N 24°44′42″E / 59.4372°N 24.745°E / 59.4372; 24.745
Inscription	1997 (21st Session)
Website	www.tallinn.ee
Location of Tallinn
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Tallinn (/ˈtɑːlɪn/ or /ˈtælɪn/,Estonian pronunciation: [ˈtɑlʲˑinˑ]; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, 80 km (50 mi) south of Helsinki, east of and west of Saint Petersburg in Harju County. From the 13th century until 1918 (and briefly during the Nazi occupation of Estonia from 1941 to 1944), the city was known as Reval. Tallinn occupies an area of 159.2 km² (61.5 sq mi) and has a population of 444,885. Approximately a third of Estonia's total population lives in Tallinn.

Tallinn was founded in 1248, but the earliest human settlements date back 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest capital cities of Northern Europe. The initial claim over the land was laid by the Danes in 1219 after a successful raid of Lyndanisse led by Valdemar II of Denmark, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and German rule. Due to its strategic location, the city became a major trade hub, especially from the 14th to the 16th century, when it grew in importance as part of the Hanseatic League.